Shannon Alexander-BMX World Champs July 09

KB Snatches for reps!

I have had the privilege of having my VERY FIRST sponsored athlete, Shannon Alexander! She is 14yrs old and has been training in preparation for the World BMX Champs in Australia 23-25th of July 2009!!

To say, I'm proud of her is an understatement! Here is an email her mother sent me on the 29th May 09 from her mum;

Just a quick update – Shannon had BMX racing last night, pretty much her first competitive racing since Nationals in April.

She competed in “Ability” racing which is based on ability only no gender/age. Shannon competed with 16 years + male and female and was up with the mix of riders. She commented that she felt so much stronger racing and had more power. We recently purchased a new bike for her which she did not ride on last night so the combination of the new bike and her strength and renewed confidence that has come with it we feel that she will only get better.

Here is an email I sent her mother on 19th June 09

Hi Fiona, I just thought I would drop you a line to say check out the super star below on the videos;

and here is what she did on Wednesday night which is so awesome and I’m very proud of her for “giving it a nudge”!!!

I think now is a good time for you to come and watch her kick some a.s.s. in the gym, I think you maybe surprised at her progress and “what” she can do! I will do a newsletter dedicated to her at some stage as well as she deserves it, she always does her “best” and at the END of the day that is all I ever ask of anyone who comes to train with me!!

You and Gary should be proud, regardless of the result next month, she has grown 10feet in “life” and as I said at the start, this is the MOST important thing to me!! I’m proud to have her as my first ever sponsored athlete and I will tell her next time we trains as she deserves it!

So Shannon, may you have the BEST time ever and may you ride as hard as you train at EHP & I promise you, regardless of what "number" you get at the worlds you will have #1 in your heart from KNOWING you did all you could with what you got and that is what really matters in life!

Here's some of the "numbers" she achieved through HARD WORK!

12wks training with me and in that time she has;

• Dead lift of 85kg @ 3reps from ZERO (see video)
• Back Squat 55kg @ 5reps from ZERO (I didn't push here in this one as much as Dead lift)
  
• Increased her Vertical Jump from just over a bench to bench plus 2 Power bags (see video)
  
• Increased Fitness Conditioning
  
• Increased Strength/Power (KB Snatch 16kg/BB Jerk 35kg @6reps)
• My Personal Favorite is CONQUERING her FEAR of jumping bench + 2 PB's!!

People don't understand FEAR, they "normally" let it 'own them' and they react in certain ways when fear starts playing the game with their mind!

Shannon showed all of this BUT she still managed to rise above it and put it too rest (watch video)! We can all learn from that........

Thanks Shannon for an awesome experience to date and remember to read your little card with your goals and fears on it....I promise this little "secret" will dampen the negative thoughts we all get as humans and MORE so when you are performing on a world stage!

Anyone who has done foam rolling for the piriformis muscle will know her smile is fake here because it HURTS LIKE HELL!! :-)


To all that read this, don't be shy to leave her comments so she can read them!!