When skates meet barbells: meet Laurien
Meet Laurien, an enthusiastic and motivated member of CrossFit Linkeroever AND top player in the Belgian Roller Derby world.
Meet Laurien, an enthusiastic and motivated member of CrossFit Linkeroever AND top player in the Belgian Roller Derby world. Curious how she combines her skates in Roller Derby with barbells in CrossFit? Keep on reading!
I had been familiar with CrossFit for years, and a number of Roller Derby players I know practice it alongside their sport. When I lost the motivation to keep going to the gym on my own, I decided to join CrossFit Linkeroever.
During my student years, I tried a variety of activities, but after that I barely exercised until I started playing Roller Derby and quickly realized that training only on skates wouldn’t be enough. I joined a regular gym to complement my training, but after about a year, I noticed that it required too much time and mental energy, so my motivation gradually faded. I was looking for an efficient way to train with good coaching, something that would push me to challenge myself while still giving me the flexibility to adapt workouts to support my Roller Derby goals. That’s exactly what I found at CrossFit Linkeroever.
“CrossFit Linkeroever gives me the flexibility to adapt the workouts to support my Roller Derby goals.”
I had to learn quite quickly how to scale workouts when they fall between training sessions or Roller Derby games. Doing heavy squats before a match, for example, is not a smart idea, so I’ve had to become very intentional about choosing the right scaling options at the box.
That wasn’t easy for someone who is quite competitive by nature, but it has taught me to train smarter rather than just harder.
My personal goal is to become a top-level player in the Roller Derby world. I currently play in the A-team of Antwerp Roller Derby, which is ranked 7th in Europe. The best players really have a complete skill set. Besides strong skating skills and strategic awareness, Roller Derby also requires strength, explosiveness, and endurance.
Those last three qualities are areas where I’ve made significant progress since joining CrossFit Linkeroever. CrossFit is an ideal complement to my sport, and CFLO is a box where there is also space for more specific training or extra work after the WOD.
“I’ve made significant progress in strength, explosiveness and endurance since I joined CrossFit Linkeroever.”
Recently, I achieved my first strict pull-up, thanks to the clinic by coach Tom! But I think I’m even more proud of the silver medal I won together with Eline at the Scheldt Throwdown, a internal competition in our own box. I’ve always been somewhat hesitant to seek out competition in CrossFit, but this experience has definitely convinced me otherwise.
Amazing! The community at CrossFit Linkeroever is incredibly alive and energetic. Everyone has their own goals, and it’s really inspiring to see how people gradually achieve them step by step. There’s room for everyone in the box, and that’s something I really value.
I often come in thinking I’ll just do “an hour of training,” but I usually end up staying at least another fifteen minutes after the WOD just chatting with everyone 😀 oops!
“My favourite exercise is rope climbs! They’re a really fun combination of technique, explosiveness, and strength. And I guess my long legs also help a bit”
Build up gradually, both in terms of technique and weights. Don’t be afraid to scale a workout to suit your sport. Even (and especially) then, you’ll very quickly notice a positive difference in your sport thanks to CrossFit. Not just in terms of performance – your whole body gets a boost, and even those niggles you’ve had for ages suddenly disappear thanks to CrossFit (just ask my shoulder and wrists 😉).
It does not matter whether you are a beginner or an experienced athlete. Take your first steps towards a fitter and healthier life and fully immerse yourself in the world of CrossFit!
info@crossfitlinkeroever.be • Blancefloerlaan 181, 2050 Antwerpen