Athlete of the Month: Ariel Shneer

Ariel joined CrossFit 6S about 5 months ago, with prior CrossFit experience but a desire to continue improving. She is now a dedicated 7am-er, and can even be found putting in additional sessions in the evening to work on her weaknesses. Ariel’s determination and drive, and support of others is part of what makes her so great! The athleticism is just a cherry on the top. Ariel also actively engages in the 6S community social events – participating in various local competitions – and is always eager to lend a hand.

​Ariel has been working hard to dial in her gymnastics – she is extremely receptive to coaching feedback and always asks for additional drills/homework. In addition to participating in the CrossFit Open Team Series, where she PR’d her clean (woohoo!), she has made significant gains in her pull-up and toes to bar game.

Coach Dave recounts the day that Ariel had a light bulb moment with her TTB:
‘apparently’ out of nowhere Ariel’s toes started hitting the bar with consistent rhythm. I say ‘apparently’ because she had been involved in the GRIND of not being able to link TTB together… constantly putting up with me saying that she had to work “toes near bar”. After months of coaching cues and practice, one morning at the box, Ariel’s toes started to hit the bar one after the other, until the required number was reached! Her eyes bulged, a look of disbelief washed over her face; “what the F@#K just happened” came out of our mouths. Naturally I told her to go do it again, and she did… for the rest of the workout! The look on her face was priceless, the sweet ring of a once dormant PR Bell echoed through the box. A dragon had been slayed!

This example is just a testament to the work Ariel puts into the gym everyday. These moments are the ones that we all live for! Ariel – thank you for bringing a positive attitude, determination and an open-mind into the gym everyday. You are such a great role model to those around you.

​Keep up the great work – we can’t wait to see what the next 5 months has in store for you!

Tell us about yourself.
I was born and raised in Toronto. I come from a big family with 3 brothers and 1 sister. I spend a lot of time up north and love doing anything outdoors. I’ve done lots of travelling around Europe and Asia and I’m always looking forward to my next adventure!

What do you do for a living?
I work for the Canadian Mental Health Association running the fund development (fancy term for fundraising) department. Most of my time is spent writing grants and meeting with big donors!

What is one thing people may be surprised to learn about you?
Last year at this time I was living in Bali, Indonesia! And before CrossFit I was into boxing!

How long have you been doing CrossFit? At CF6S?
I’ve been doing CrossFit for a year and a half now and have been at CF6S for around 5 months.

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Why did you start CrossFit?
I started CrossFit because I was looking for a sport that would stick. I’ve always been active, but I also always got bored of a sport after doing it for a while. I loved that CrossFit was something new everyday – things are always constantly varied and ALWAYS challenging.

What’s your favorite music to workout to?
Anything upbeat, or rap.

What is your proudest CF moment?
Probably my most recent squat clean PR during the CrossFit Team Series. It’s always super fun when you hit a PR with your friends there cheering you on! Either that or getting pull ups, which I worked on for what seemed like forever.

What impact has CF6S had on your life inside and outside the gym?
I think CrossFit has generally made me more confident, both inside and outside the gym. I’ve made a lot of new friends through the gym who are like-minded and enjoy some of the same things.


For someone just starting at CF6S, what advice would you give them?
Be patient and consistent. Only a year and a half into CrossFit am I really starting to see improvements and things are starting to click. Stick with it! Also, follow the program! This is really the first time that I have consistently been following the program and calculating percentages and tracking everything – and it definitely makes a difference!

What’s your biggest CF goal right now? How close are you?
Everything gymnastics – from handstands to muscle ups. I’m totally regretting not doing gymnastics when I was younger now. I’m getting closer to my goals, but not there yet! But when I look back, it’s crazy to think that a few months ago I was struggling to string together pull ups – and now I can do strict pull ups and chest to bars! So slow progress is better than no progress!

Other than CrossFit, what do you do for fun?
I spend a lot of time up north, and love to get out of the city. I also love to travel and am fortunate that I get to do a lot of it for work. Hanging out with my friends is also super important to me!

What was the best advice you were ever given?
This one is tricky! When I was growing up my parents always told me to “live life with passion”.

At which store would you like to max-out your credit card?
Does expedia.ca count as a store? If not, I guess I’d go with any kind of shoe store. I can never have enough pairs of shoes.

Choose a movie title for the story of your life.
I have no clue! Such a hard question!

What’s the strangest talent you have?
I don’t really have any strange talents. I guess the fact that I can name the 50 states and their capitals in alphabetical order is pretty strange, but not so much a talent…

What are three things still left on your bucket list?
Bungee jumping, diving with sharks, and visiting at least 50 different countries!

Are you a dog person or cat person?
Dog person! I grew up with two dogs at home and would love to get my own puppy someday soon!

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