Riley Filion embodies so many of the traits that we value in our community. She is focused, consistent, and committed to her self-betterment, all the while staying positive and enjoying the process. Riley is approaching her 3-year anniversary at the gym, and has recently become a regular at Jackson’s 4:30pm class. Read below to learn what brought Riley to the gym, what changes she has made in her nutrition and training since the 120 challenge began, and what she considers her greatest strengths.

What do you eat on a typical day? On a typical day (mostly since starting the 120 challenge in January) I have plain greek yogurt with berries, honey, and some granola for breakfast (with a coffee). At work, around lunch I usually have 2 boiled eggs, 1/2 avocado and two pieces of toast or leftovers from last night's dinner. n the afternoon I usually have a snack (cottage cheese, cucumber, a piece of fruit), after the gym usually a banana and occasionally a protein shake, and then at dinner a meat (pork, turkey sausage, chicken, red meat), rice/quinoa/potatoes, with some greens or veggies.

Have you changed the way you eat since you began CrossFit, If so, how? To be honest, nutrition has been a challenge for me and has taken some fine tuning over the years. When I first started CrossFit, I realized I wasn't eating enough to be working out at the intensity that we do. I had difficulty adjusting to this and had every excuse in the book (e.g. no time, rushed, no groceries, hate going to grocery store). Over the last year I've really wanted to make a change to my eating (after seeing super athletes like Megan Kirk go through the nutrition challenge and kill it!) so I joined the 120 challenge. I am loving the challenge. Since January I'm more mindful of what I'm eating, when I'm eating and the amount that I am eating. It's forced me to think ahead; I don't buy as much food at work, I meal prep more and I eat way more protein! I think so far in the last few months I'm really happy with my progress. I still love treats and will rarely say no, but everything in moderation right? So all in all, it's taken me a long time, but I think it's coming together, slowly but surely.

How does training fit into your life? Coming to the gym is something I prioritize; I always look forward to getting a workout in. After a busy day at KGH or teaching I can't wait to get to the gym to release some energy and to take my mind off work. Getting a good sweat in makes me more productive and always helps to put me in a great mood!

What reasons did you have to train when you started CrossFit? Have those reasons changed? If so, how? In my University days I played on the varsity soccer team at Queens. I found it a tough transition to go from working out every day with teammates to doing everything on my own. I started doing long distance running, which I loved, but I needed more variety. A friend had always been trying to convince me to try CrossFit so I went to one of Storm's intro to CrossFit sessions one morning at Lululemon. We set up my on-ramp program right then and there, so I had no choice but to show up! My main reasons for doing CrossFit now are a bit different. I want to stay in shape/maintain my health and continue to challenge myself and improve.

What improvements have you made in the past 6 months that you are most proud of? My nutrition since starting the 120 challenge and choosing appropriate scaling options to help me improve my technique. I've noticed small fixes to certain movements from simply scaling them to foundational ones. Thanks to the coaches for their help!

What is one thing that you do every day that you feel is essential in contributing to your success in the gym? I usually look at the workout the night before and spend a few minutes each day thinking about what my strategy should be and what I should be focussing on. The 120 challenge has helped me with this because I've been tracking workouts and including reflections so that I can make tweaks as I go on.

What would you consider to be your greatest strength as an athlete? I think it would be that I show up every day ready to work hard, take feedback, learn and get the most out of the workout. I also really love running and I think I would consider it one of my strengths!