Tara Roesch Ramos is our spotlight athlete for the month of October. Take a read below to find out a little bit more about this bSHEmoth!-Who are you? Tell us a little about yourself or something that would surprise us.I am originally from Queens, NY and moved with Roy to Houston in 2007. We have two children, Emma, 4 and Logan, 9, whom you probably see around the gym quite often. We have three dogs (yes 3!) and I spend most of my time cleaning up drool and hair around my house. Prior to Crossfit, I was one of those crazy marathon runners and had the privilege of running many fantastic courses including NYC and Chicago. I enjoy cooking (and eating) quality food. Despite being a city girl, I sometimes think I want to move to a farm and raise/grow my own food.-How and when were you introduced to Behemoth?I began my journey with Behemoth on August 1, 2012. I had been doing Crossfit at Crossfit West Houston for around 9 months when Roy and I decided to move out to the Katy area. I was fortunate enough to have Leah as my coach at West Houston. When I told her I was moving to Katy, she mentioned Aja and Aryan were opening a box not far from our new house. She recommended I reach out to Aja to see if Behemoth would be a good fit since members would not have access to barbells for some time due to classes being held in a basketball court. After a few emails back and forth discussing my goals with Aja, I knew Behemoth would be a great fit.-What are you most proud of, physically, mentally or both since beginning with us?Physically I have completely transformed since joining Behemoth. As a runner, I was always very thin and ate a typical runners’ diet high in grains. Since August 2012, I have put on between 10-15# of muscle and follow a mostly Paleo diet, incorporating some rice and dairy when I feel my body needs it. While I like what I see in the mirror a little more these days, I am most proud of my mental transformation. As most women, I’ve always struggled with self-esteem and body image issues. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be as skinny as possible…honestly I think Nicole Richie was the body I aspired to at one time. Food was always the enemy and instilled guilt whenever I ate something other than a salad.Fast forward two years and I no longer count calories or worry about the number on the scale…cause believe me it’s a lot higher than it used to be. I’m more confident in the way I look and what I am able to accomplish. I eat meat and potatoes almost every day and enjoy every minute of it. I look at food as the fuel that gets me through a busy day and a tough workout. I am proud to be a good role model to my children. I want them to have a healthy relationship with themselves and food. I am proud that Emma will grow up not watching her mom worry about “being fat” or about the number on the scale. I want her to know mommies (women) with muscles are ok.-Why Behemoth?The community at Behemoth is wonderful. I’ve met some great, and hopefully lifelong, friends at the gym. I love being surrounded by women who build each other up rather than tear each other down. I like working out with men who are not intimidated by women who can lift weight just as heavy as they can. I also believe the coaches at Behemoth are second to none. They are all extremely supportive and patient. I’m convinced they know me as an athlete better than I know myself. They know when to push me and have helped me accomplish things I never thought possible. They seem to care about each member and I think that’s rare in today’s world.-What next? What are you excited about pursuing here in the future?I’d like to become more proficient in Olympic weightlifting. I enjoyed running because it gave me time to myself, to think through the issues of the day, a way to relieve stress and unplug for a couple hours. Crossfit is more of a social experience, which I enjoy but, at times, I love the solitude of weightlifting. I am fortunate enough to have a barbell and some weights in my garage so you can find me there from time to time practicing the snatch or the clean & jerk and listening to Madonna without judgment :) I hope to attend some weightlifting seminars in the near future and maybe, one day, we will have a Behemoth Barbell Club (yes please!!).3, 2, 1…Go Mad Lib section-My favorite lift is… the snatch…it’s a love/hate type of relationship.-My most frequent class I come to is… 9:30am-I have always wanted to… Do a handstand walk!-When I’m not crushing weights, my favorite thing to do is… Watch a good comedy with Roy. “There is little success where there is little laughter.” – A. Carnegie-Favorite “application of fitness” outside of the gym is… Swimming with the kiddies.-Favorite Pandora station… 80’s Pop-Beast mode engaged when this song comes on… “Lose Yourself” by Eminem
