MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Arlene Daggett
"Meet Arlene Daggett...Arlene is one of our beloved masters athletes and original members of CrossFit Clan. She is one of the most positive and energetic people you could ever meet. She is so engaging and social and always so much fun to be around...an absolute pleasure to have in class. Let's just say her social skills are as good as her double unders (yes, she's aka the double under queen! 😊). With a very busy career and young family she is always on the go, but no matter what she has always made time to do her training. Even while pregnant on her youngest child (now 4) she continued training, often amazing (and sometimes shocking 😂) her coaches with her determination to train and do everything the workouts demanded...a role model for all moms to be. She has continued to grow as an athlete during her time at CrossFit Clan, she is always striving to improve her skills and is such a pleasure to coach. During partner workouts on Saturdays, Arlene comes into her own. No matter who she partners with she will give it her all, and is so incredibly encouraging to her fellow athletes. She always finds a way to keep it fun no matter how grueling it gets. Every now and then it's a treat for us all when her husband Rich (also a member) come together to the same class. Let's just say it's double the fun! They have definitely made fitness at priority for their family and are roles models to their beautiful children. We are so blessed to have you at Clan and are delighted to put the spotlight on you Arlene!"
What inspired you to start CrossFit/join CrossFit Clan Performance Center? How did your journey begin?
I started Crossfit to prepare for a Tough Mudder race I had signed up for. I was concerned about obstacles where you had to use a lot of upper body strength to complete the obstacles like climbing walls and ropes or hanging mid air from bars so I figured that Crossfit would help build the upper body strength I needed to not fall on my face. Lol! Little did I know that the "temporary Crossfit training" I had planned for a few months until the race was over would lead to a 5+ year obsession!
Tell us a little bit about yourself...what's is a typical day for you? Anything you'd like to share?
I am the mother to 3 beautiful children, Grace (12), Ryan (11) and Maddie (4) and the wife to an amazing, supportive, HOT husband, Rich (25) that many of you already know from the gym. I've worked in the pharmaceutical industry since I graduated college. Presently, I work for Novartis Oncology doing Hematology sales. My sales territory includes NYC, the Bronx and Westchester and I call on health care providers in the major institutions/hospitals and private practices in these areas. Throughout my pharmaceutical career I have called on a variety of medical specialties, however, I find the oncology/hematology specialty the most rewarding because these particular products are helping to save people's lives.
What was your athletic background before CrossFit/ClanFit?
I didn't have too much of an athletic background growing up. I did a few recreation sports in elementary school (softball, track & soccer) but I never made the cut for the town teams. In fact, the ONLY team I made the cut for was my high school cheerleading team and even then throughout the 4 years I was benched a few games each season for talking too much! Lol, good times and NOT a surprise to those who know me! Anyway, after high school my fitness background basically included a lot of the classes that were offered at my gym from step, spin, kickboxing, HIIT training and boxing to name a few.
What has been your favorite moment/memory since starting CrossFit/joining CrossFit Clan Performance Center?
My favorite memory would be crossfitting throughout my third pregnancy with my daughter, Maddie. I had been doing Crossfit for about 3 months when I found out I was pregnant and I wanted to continue so I started to modify some of the workouts. I did Crossfit pregnant up until 2 days before I gave birth and the only reason I didn't Crossfit the day before I had my daughter was because there were no Sunday Crossfit classes ........so I did another class instead! Recently one of my friends, Kathy Prokop, mentioned a specific memory during that time that she said she regrets not getting a photo of. It's a memory that still makes me laugh when I think about it. I was 7 months pregnant and there were handstand push ups in the wod. I remember being upside down against the wall doing push ups to the best of my ability and then hearing the coach (Kevin Robinson) at that time say out loud across the room, "Oh HELL NO!" Lol! I'm sure it was a sight to see! I think I may have made the coaches a little nervous because I was the first pregnant member there but it goes to show you that with great coaches and support you can continue exercising throughout a pregnancy.
What is your favorite exercise/movement or workout, and what is your least favorite?
My favorite workouts are the weekend partner wods and my favorite exercises include kipping pull ups, handstand push ups and power cleans. My least favorite exercises would be overhead squats, snatches and running.
What do you feel has been the biggest fitness goal or movement/skill you have achieved so far?
My biggest fitness movement I have achieved recently is being able to string a few butterfly pull ups together. It took a long time to mentally and physically figure out the movement so doing a few at a time is a big personal accomplishment for me. It's definitely still a work in progress!
What is at least one fitness goal you have for yourself in the future?
My biggest fitness movement I have achieved recently is being able to string a few butterfly pull ups together. It took a long time to mentally and physically figure out the movement so doing a few at a time is a big personal accomplishment for me. It's definitely still a work in progress!
Who inspires you/who is your hero and why?
I don't have one specific person that inspires me. Collectively when I see the people that I work out with achieve personal records or goals, it inspires me to work harder towards the personal goals that I have set for myself.
What advice would you give people just starting CrossFit/ClanFit?
Be patient when you first start. It's a lot to learn when you first begin......from the Crossfit acronyms, the Olympic lifting and understanding the workout of the day (WOD). Laugh at your mistakes and try to manage your frustration. It's easy to get discouraged when you see yourself doing the movements perfectly in your mind but your body is doing the exact opposite. With time the movements will get better and you'll get stronger and faster. Most importantly, HAVE FUN!