Sunday Session: Q & A with Pamela Gagnon

Welcome to the first of many Sunday Sessions when Gym Gypsy interviews a female athlete who we feel embodies the Gym Gypsy spirit. Pamela Gagnon is a perfect example. She's a lifelong successful  athlete having competed in collegiate level gymnastics and competing in the CrossFit Games multiple times. She is also busy coach, mom and business owner (Check out her and her husband Gary's company ReKixx cool sneakers!) who manages to balance it all with grace and style. We asked Pamela to tell us a little about her day to day life, training, diet and more. Enjoy! 

1) What kind of athletic background did you have prior to starting CrossFit?

At the age of 6, I started competitive gymnastics and continued through the collegiate level as a DI Gymnast at Rutgers University. I grew up in New England, so we were a big skiing family and had a ski house in New Hampshire, so in between gymnastics training, I also competed in a sport called ballet skiing. It’s basically a floor routine on short skis – flips, spins, and we choreographed it to music. It was a blast.

2) What does your day in your life look out on average?

7:15 – wake up and make eggs for my two boys (6^th& 8^thgrade), then we head to the bus stop and have a few minutes to talk about their day – I treasure our car talks.

9:00 – 2:00 – I am either training, coaching at Rising CrossFit, coaching at a Gymnastics Club (adults), or working on my promotional apparel business, that I run out of my house)

1:30 – 3:30 on Tues/Thursday  I train with our team at Rising CrossFit. It’s definitely an intense 2 hours.

3:30 – I am home waiting for my boys to get home from school

4:00 – 8:00 – I am CARPOOLING! My oldest plays basketball 3x/week and CrossFits in between those days and my younger one is a competitive gymnast and practices 3x/week at a gymnastics club…and yes! He has a strict muscle up.

9:00 – 10:00 We are finishing up homework and reading and tucking the boys in

10:00 – 11:30 – I like to chill in bed and watch some tv

My meals look like this– and it depends on training schedule so times vary:

I have the help of Jason Ackerman, my macro nutritionist, who got me eating the right pairing and quantity.

10:00  – 5 egg whites & 1 slice of American cheese, banana

1:00 – quest protein shake

3:00 – chicken breast, 3 cups of broccoli, sweet potato

5:00 – large salad, 5 egg whites (or more chicken) & 1 slice of cheese, apple w. peanut butter

7:00 – cup of cheerios or quest protein peanut butter cup & the occasional bowl of ice cream (that’s my weakness)

*Sundays – I try to prepare some chicken and meat for my family on the grill for the week – some weeks I do better than others.

3) What’s in your gym bag?

I carry my must haves in my CrossFit Games Bag:

• My NEW Gym Gypsy journal – definitely easy to flip pages so I can look back at what I did the day before or what I ate.
• My VERY old Dowin Lifting shoes –I got on clearance rack for $20 over 4 yrs ago
• Nanos
• RPM rope
• Natural Grips – a MUST for a gymnast and wod’er

I don’t take any supplements – other than protein shakes.

4) Your favorite workout, lift, movement?

Favorite workout – Nate

Favorite movement – hspu

Favorite lift – overhead squat

5) What motivates you? 

Two things motivate me: I love being a role model for my boys. They definitely think their mom is “nuts” but they are really proud of my strength and think it’s super cool that their mom can do muscle ups, one arm handstands and pommel circles. It teaches them hard work, perseverance and that it’s not all fun – they see me struggle to get to the gym some days, too. I love being a “young” at heart mom so I can play basketball, ski, and just be active with them.

Lastly, the everyday hard-working athlete motivates me. I find it so impressive watching people who have never done a sport in their life, learn to do a handstand at 30, 40 or 50 years old. I have been lucky enough to coach Adaptive athletes through CrossFit Gymnastics Seminars – talk about motivating. These men and women have no excuses and they will find a way. How can that not motivate me!