September Athlete Spotlight
My name is Ma'iki Akimseu but known to everyone as Em. I'm 31 years old and am from O'ahu which is located in the archipelago islands of Hawai'i. I've been married to my husband Ikaika (Ak) for 10 years and a mommy to 5; 'Anali'i, Hāpuʻu (Pū), ʻOāliʻi (Wiggie), ʻIwapuakea (Fat girl) and Hailiopua (Chunk chunks). I am a hula dancing maiden, coffee addict, off tuned singer, a joyful spirit and someone who loves wholeheartedly. You will find me dancing in between sets, sharing laughter with someone nearby or addressing you as brother or sis.
Plain and simple, I started crossfit in March to further explore my fitness journey and was seeking for something more challenging. I gifted myself a month's membership as my birthday present and loved it ever since.
My favorite and least favorite movement is all in the same; barbell work. It is my favorite because of its abundantly endless development for progression. It's what makes the grind more addictive into fine tuning the milestone for the mechanism of its motion. The reason for it being my least favorite is simply because it does test one's mindset. Just when I think I "mastered" one range of motivity of barbell work I am reminded that it needs more effort to perform & serve the function. Overall, the barbell is a humbling experience.
My children are the reason for my motivation and the continuation of my fitness journey. Years ago I found myself having difficulty keeping up with them while playing outside. It hurt me mentally, spiritually & physically that I couldn't be as proactive the way that I wanted to. From that day on I made a promise to myself that I was doing this change to better the longevity of my life & for the children. Since making that commitment to myself it is now a lifestyle rather than a choice of habit in our family's way of living.
My advice to newer athletes joining the box is to not feel discouraged or defeated by the challenges of CrossFit. Similar to life you will be presented with defiant obstacles that test your judgment of certainty. If you can push past that exhausting hurdle, break through the limiting mental block & conquer a movement that you haven't done before in CrossFit then you can most definitely do it outside of the gym. The atmosphere at Ergon doesn't only stop aiding the health of physical fitness but also strengthens the nutritional aspect of spiritual growth and invigorating one owns belief of philosophy. Kūlia i ka nuʻu, Strive for the highest summit. Commit to yourself & you'll achieve the "impossible."
Just as stated in Lilo & Stitch, "Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten." It is definitely like that here at Ergon. We are more than a community but rather a family and no one gets left behind at anything. If you are a straggler like me at running, you will most likely have someone fall back to run beside you or a group of members waiting cheering you on as if you're about to finish first place in a marathon. It doesn't matter how fit you are the accountability established here is like no other.
ALOHA and FULL SEND IT!
