Shelby Neal | Step by Step
What got you involved in the sport, and who were the people who helped you get into the sport?
I used to do gymnastics and stopped when I was 14. Before crossfit, that is all I did. My coach used to do it and recommended it to me. I went to a gym near me and started with a high school class, and I was the only one who wanted to continue doing it. The rest ended up quitting. My coaches helped me stay in the crossfit and weightlifting world.
What has been your biggest achievement to date, and what is your ultimate goal in crossfit?
My biggest achievement is going to the crossfit games twice in the teenage division, and going to regionals this year. As much as I like weightlifting, I like crossfit more even though it hurts more. The ultimate goal in crossfit would be to go to the games and win. It's a hard goal, but step by step I think I can do it. I'll take it one year at a time.
Who has been your biggest role model outside the gym, and who is your biggest in?
My biggest role model outside of the gym is my nana. She's the nicest person I've ever met. She calls me all the time to ask me how I am. She cares about how well I do in crossfit and school. In the gym, it's definitely Whitney Gelin. She went to the game in 2015 and 2017. She's super strong and I've been working with her every day since August. I think the reason I got to the regional level is because of her. I followed her programming and she pushed me to get there.
What is your favorite lift and why?
My favorite lift is jerk. I like anything overhead. I like strict handstand pushups, clean and jerk, but I'm not a fan of snatch. I like doing anything gymnastics related because I used to be a gymnast. Most of my weaknesses are things like rowing, swimming, and running.
How do you find time to balance work, the gym, meal prep, etc?
I don't work because I'm 17. I will work over the summer though. I only go to school from 7:30-11:30 and then I can get to the gym for 12. I will work out for 4-5 hours and then go home and rest. As far as food goes, I sometimes prep during the day but a lot of it I make on my own. I also eat a lot of food sponsors send me. It helps a lot because I don't have to worry about making food and I can get more sleep at night. I hate not doing anything, I will always do something. Sometimes I need to just lay down and nap, but I feel like I'm wasting time.
For people starting out in the sport, what are some tips you would give?
I'd say start sooner rather than later. I know people who will say 'I need a couple more months to get ready for crossfit'. You may as well just start. Some people have a bad body image of themselves. Crossfit gyms are accepting of everyone. Not every gym is going to have all crossfit athletes. you also shouldn't go in thinking you're going to hate it. I hate going to the gym, it's about the people there.
What defines health and healthy to you?
For me this is where are you most comfortable. Sure, I could drop ten pounds but I would be miserable. Healthy to me is where are you happiest. There is no point in starving yourself to be skinnier. I'd rather people be happy than to look thin. For me, health is where you are comfortable, happy and have the most energy. You look good, you feel good, you're happy and have energy. If you want to try things like hiking and play sports, you won't be able to do it if you aren't healthy. Sometimes people look healthy, but can't do simple things.
What do you do to prepare for a competition?
I train, eat well and sleep well. Some people over train for a competition. You don't need to dedicate your whole life to training. If a competition is coming up, I will tend to push a little more and stay at the gym a little longer. We try to guess what the workouts are going to be based on other years and competitions. We will prepare for what we guess the workout will be, and then when we know we will focus on those.
What was an obstacle you faced and how did you overcome it?
My most recent one was 18.3. I did the workout and was originally happy with it, but thought I could do better. I messaged a few people and a few of them got 10 more muscle ups than I did. I thought that I could've done better. I ended up redoing it and got the exact same score. It was really frustrating, and got frustrated. When I input my score, I ended up going up the leaderboard. I didn't end up overcoming it but I learned to not let it affect me because we often get emotional after a workout.