CrossFit Dark Horse

Currently a Junior in high school, Alice Boiadjian has already made quite an impression on the Dark Horse community. Always ready with a smile and trademark “go get it!” attitude, she is a wonderful new addition to the DH family.

Alice does not come from a conventional athletic background. “As a child, the activities I fell in love with were always unconventional and not easily accessible (i.e. rock climbing). I played basketball for a couple of years but quit because my heart wasn’t in it.”

She found CrossFit thanks to social media. “I am a huge film fan and just happened to start following actress Anna Paquin on Instagram in 2018, the year she began CrossFit. As time went on I kept noticing her posts on Instagram and became drawn to the workouts she was doing. I did some research and discovered CrossFit. I decided to take the leap and try it. Sure enough I found Dark Horse, took my first fundies class, and never looked back.”

She’s already seeing progress. “I recently just got my first pull up. That was huge for me. I’ve only done two since but I look forward to getting stronger and more proficient at them. I’d like to be able to do at least ten consecutive pull-ups using any technique by the time the next Open rolls around.”

Like many of us, she used to find running to be a challenge. “Running was the biggest obstacle when I started. I would dread coming to the gym when I saw running was part of the WOD. I have been an awful runner my whole life… and I mean BAD, like a 13-minute mile. But at the same time, one of the reasons I joined CFDH was because I knew y’all would make me run. I came to a point where I firmly decided I had to improve my running so I embraced the runs during workouts and tried my best. The day I ran 200m without stopping was amazing! I felt such a rush! It was such a small feat but to me, it was huge. Now I love running and don’t think twice when I see it on Wodify. I can’t wait till I can run a mile straight!”

In addition to improving running and pull ups, she’d love to master double-unders this year. Her favorite movement is the snatch. “It’s hard and I have a long way to go but every once in a while I nail it and it’s the best feeling in the world. It’s such a rush when everything clicks and it becomes one fluid motion!”

However, her favorite thing about CrossFit Dark Horse is the community. “I’ve been apart of other gyms but never understood how much your peers could lift you up until CFDH. From the moment I walked through those doors for the first time, everyone has gone above and beyond to make me feel welcome. Everyone works so hard during class but they also have fun. Never have I ever had so much fun working out, the time flies! Your peers push you but they do It with big smiles and encouraging words. I can’t even recall how many times my classmates have prevented me from giving up mid-workout. Seeing everyone give their all inspire me to do the same.

Thanks to CrossFit I’ve lost over 25 pounds and completely changed my eating habits. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been before! I feel more confident and proficient in everyday life and am overall happier.”

When not in the gym, you can find Alice reading, rock climbing, playing with her dog or hanging out with friends. And keep your eyes on her for the future – Alice has big plans. “My ultimate goal is a film. Visual storytelling is what really interests me. I’d like to go to art school and major in film while minoring in psychology. The way people think and why really interests me and I believe it’s a unique insight that can improve film making as well. I’d like to take a semester abroad in college and experience a new country. Traveling and seeing all the different ways people live life across the world is really fun for me. Eventually, I hope to travel around from set to set doing what I love and meet people along the way.”

Keep up the good work, Alice! We’re thrilled you chose to be part of our Dark Horse family.