Earlier this year I got to see Sam Hansen in action, at just 18 I watched her squat clean 90kgs! Later I found out that not only did she train with the awesome CrossFit Mana crew but she was from Foxton, where I spent my younger years growing up.
I went on to check her out on social media and boy does this girl know how to get work done, so much work, often just on her own in her garage - absolutely inspiring.
Sam also holds the NZ Junior Weightlifting Clean and Jerk (86kg) and total (151kg) records in the 63kg weight class, coming down to Wellington to 41 Degrees Weightlifting Club to throwdown on the platform.
Last month Sam did an interview for FxD, her responses below showing her dedication to CrossFit and her can do attitude.
Interview with Sam Hansen:
1. What is your fitness or sporting background?
I’ve always been a pretty sporty kid. I started playing soccer when I was 5 and played right through until year 9 in high school, and during that time I was always trying any other kinds of sport I could, netball, basketball, swimming, gymnastics, hockey you name it.
2. What is it about CrossFit that keeps you motivated to grind it out at your home gym?
I love the fact that my CrossFit training is different everyday, and I love being able to push myself and seeing what my body is capable of. As much as I might complain during a tough WOD (workout of the day), I really do enjoy pushing myself, and as much as it hurts I always go back for more! And how can you not go back when you are constantly seeing the results of your hard work...there’s no better feeling than hitting that new PB!
3. What advice would you give to young girls considering starting up CrossFit?
Just do it! A lot of girls thinking about starting CrossFit are worried about the fact that they might get “too muscly“....I understand this as in the beginning this is something I worried about too. But through my journey I’ve come to love my body and what it can do, rather than what it looks like. So my advice would be to forget about what you look like, and instead focus on the things that your body can do. It’s so much more rewarding.
4. What does a typical week of training look like for you?
I train 6 days a week, so everyday except Thursday. Everyday I usually spend up to two hours weightlifting, usually in the morning, then I do some accessory/gymnastic work, followed by a WOD or two depending on the day and how I’m feeling. Then on Sunday’s I head up to Palmy to train with the team at CrossFit MANA.
5. Who is your CrossFit idol and what do you admire most about them?
Katrin Davidsdottir. I admire her work ethic and her mentality towards training. She’s just amazing, she is so disciplined but at the same time is really able to enjoy herself both in and out of the gym. I want to be just as good as her one day.
6. Are there any bits of CrossFit accessories you can't live without (e.g. your favourite speed rope, wrist wraps, socks, nanos etc).
Definitely my palm guards!! My hands rip just watching someone do pull ups! There’s no way I could live without them!
7. What’s the best advice you've been given prior to stepping out on the lifting platform or onto the floor at a CrossFit event?
The best advice I have been given before stepping out onto the competition floor, has almost always been the same...Have fun and don’t worry about anyone else. Being too serious, too strategic or overthinking things is only going to suck the fun out of the event and ruin it for you. You can only control what you can do. What anyone else does is completely out of your control, so just focus on you.
8. In September this year you're off to compete at the Granite Games, what a fantastic achievement! What are you most looking forward to?
I am mostly looking forward to being able to compete along side some of the fittest teens on earth. Two of the girls I will be competing with have been to the CrossFit Games before and are heading to Madison to compete at the Games again in August this year. I think I will be able to learn a lot from them which I am really excited about. I am also super stoked to be able to share such an awesome experience with my Dad. He has been there for me since the start of my journey with CrossFit, so I think it’s going to be really special to be able to share the experience with my number one supporter….I think he’s more excited than I am!!