Source: WOD Talk Magazine
By Hannah Hudson
All photography courtesy of Matt Jensen
When you first meet Keslie Okubo, it comes as no surprise that her energy and passion have led her from the 2013 Crossfit Games as a member of the UTE All-Stars, to co-founding her own company, and back to the 2014 CrossFit Regionals.
What started as a way to stay in shape with her boyfriend, Adam Piccari, grew into a life-changing experience. A few months after joining UTE Crossfit, Keslie was asked to participate in the 2013 Open where she landed herself a spot on UTE CrossFit’s second team: UTE All-Stars. The team placed 3rd at the Southwest Regionals, and Keslie, along with team members: Alli Cerruti, Mandi Janowitz, Adam Piccari, Rob Shaffer, and Jayson Davis participated in their first CrossFit Games. The team went on to place 16th in the Games, proving their talent among the toughest competition in the world.
In September of 2013, Keslie and her boyfriend Adam started their own company, Moxie Fitness Equipment, creating custom rigs for local boxes. I sat down with Keslie to talk about her direction for Moxie Fitness Equipment, as well as her whirlwind introduction into the life of an elite athlete.
Hannah: Did you play any sports before finding CrossFit?
Keslie: No, nothing. I didn’t play any sports through high school or college.
H: What got you started in CrossFit?
K: I just started going to CrossFit classes and I never stopped. I kind of knew about the Games through friends, and I found out about UTE CrossFit and their reputation so I started there with Adam because we wanted to be more competitive. We wanted to be on the second UTE team that summer.
H: What was it like to compete in your first CrossFit Games back in 2013?
K: So much fun, I can’t believe how much fun. Regionals was really intense because you were trying to make it there [to the Games], and when you’re at the Games, you’re in and we just had a lot of fun with it after we did what we needed to do each day.
H: Is an individual competitor career in your future?
K: I want to keep going on a team. The environment is a hundred times different and I like it better. As far as right now goes, it’s just fun to have a team. Training together is the best. We feel like we have a better chance than we did last year and we want to do what we love to do better. We’re pushing a little bit harder.
H: What’s the biggest thing that’s changed since the Games last year?
K: Everything. I live in the gym now because I also got hired as a coach after last summer, which I love!
H: I want to ask you about your business, Moxie Fitness Equipment. Where did the idea come from?
All photography courtesy of Matt Jensen
K: We started Moxie in September of 2013. Tommy Hackenbruck was like, “You weld? You should build me something!” Adam was already working as a welder and Tommy wanted us to build him some custom equipment for the gym, [UTE CrossFit], so we did! We make custom home gyms or outfit local CrossFit gyms with tailored rigs, logos, and colors – anything you can dream we can make, so long as it’s made out of metal!
H: You work and compete in CrossFit related fields, is it hard to separate work from play?
K: We don’t really separate the two because I have Adam who does all of this with me so it never feels like too much since we’re both sharing it together.
H: What do you do outside of CrossFit?
K: I run, because I suck at running, and we hike a lot with our two dogs. Being in the mountains, that’s where our balance comes from.
H: Speaking of balance, how do you find time to train for competitions with a growing business on your hands?
K: We workout in the morning, then work the business during the day, then workout again in the evening. Adam does ninety-nine percent of the labor, and I sit at the computer and work that side of the business when I’m not coaching or training.
H: What motivates you?
K: Adam. And then the team. That makes a big difference. When you’re with them, you’re not just in it for yourself. The harder they train, the harder you train.
Keslie will be competing on team UTE CrossFit Sugarhouse in the Southwest CrossFit Regionals where she and her teammates hope to earn a spot in the 2014 CrossFit Games. For more information regarding Moxie Fitness Equipment, visit their website at www.moxiefitnessequipment.com.
About Hannah: The first time you meet Hannah Hudson (@HMSHudson), a Utah-based fiction novelist and CrossFitter, she’ll tell you she loves three things: her husband of a year, writing girl-empowerment novels, and lifting heavy things. After beginning CrossFit at UTE CrossFit more than two years ago, she’s caught a vision for being a short, curvy CrossFitter and recently deadlifted 300 lbs to win her first competition. Her blog, The Curvy CrossFitter, provides humorous inspiration and attitude for those struggling with fitness and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. In addition to learning to throw a caber for the Highland Games, Hannah also promotes SLCPCOS, a Salt Lake City-based support group that encourages and educates people with various insulin resistant conditions to become more active and live healthier lives. Find her relentless CrossFit pins on Pinterest.