In honor of Mother's Day, we thought we would take the time to feature some great crossfitters who are also great mothers. These badass women remind us that strength can show itself in all sorts of ways. If you know any other great crossfitting moms (maybe your own?) share it in the comments.
1) Annie Sakamoto
As one of the original CrossFit "Nasty Girls", Sakamoto hardly needs an introduction. She was one of the first trainers at CrossFit Santa Cruz, and now maintains her own gym at CrossFit Santa Cruz Central. A mother of two, she is a skilled trainer and fierce competitor. Always smiling Sakamoto is one of the greatest advocates for CrossFit, and one of the most inspiring figures within the community.
2) Elisabeth Akinwale
Akinwale crashed on the CrossFit scene during the 2011 CrossFit Games where she placed 13th overall. She quickly emerged as a crowd favorite by posting some of the top results in multiple workouts. Over the next 2 CrossFit Games Akinwale proved herself to be one of the most elite crossfitters in theworld with two top 10 finishes (7th in 2012 and 10th in 2013). This mother of 1 is widely regarded as one of the strongest and most skilled athletes walking on their hands. She also runs a blog that features great insight into everything from training to motherhood. As the lady to beat in the North Central region over the last few years Akinwale looks to make another run at the CrossFit Games in 2014.
3) Cheryl Brost
Brost currently trains in Hawaii at CrossFit All Star. She's been a CrossFit athlete since 2009 and placed 15th at the 2012 CrossFit Games. After a ruptured achilles tendon knocked her out of the games in 2013, we're psyched to see what she'll show us this year. As one of the oldest athletes (42 years old) competing in the Women's division this mother shows that age is just a number.
4) Lindsey Smith
Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, Smith is a 4 time CrossFit Games competitor and an inspiration to many. This mother of 1 is sitting out the 2014 Games season to give birth to her second child (but she has still managed to maintain a high level of training throughout her pregnancy). We wish Lindsey and her growing family all the best and look forwarded to seeing her compete in the future. Perennially active on social media, check out her facebook and twitter pages.
5) Lea-Ann Ellison
Despite never competing in the CrossFit Games or even Regionals, Ellison is probably the most famous of all crossfitter moms. She gained international media attention when images of her crossfitting 2 weeks before she was due to give birth surfaced on social media. This mother of 3 quickly became the target of a smear campaign calling into question her sanity and parental judgement. Needless to say Ellison gave birth to a healthy baby boy and is already back in the gym training as hard as ever.
