OC3 MEMBER HOTSPOT: DAWN BERGOM

We’ve talked a lot lately about working out with challenges (expecting mamas has been a hot topic!), losing weight and the importance of nutrition. What we haven’t discussed is when the challenge becomes about something many of us would rather avoid: gaining weight.

What Dawn Had to Gain

When we talk about gains at CrossFit, we are usually referring to PRs (personal records). When Dawn Bergom talks about gains, she is referring to both PRs and weight gain. Coming from a family where it is normal to be underweight, Dawn’s challenge is no more a treat than those who need to lose weight. It became a bigger issue when she decided to enlist in the Army at 17 years young and 107 pounds light.

“Civilians tend to think of only the fitness standards set forth by the Army, not necessarily the weight standards,” said Dawn. Before she could ship off to Basic Training, she would have to gain two additional pounds. Just in time for the deadline and with as much mental determination as physical effort, Dawn hit 109 pounds and joined the Army. She knew, however, the weight wouldn’t stay on and her battle was far from over. If all standards weren’t continuously met, she risked being processed out of the Army.

Energy was another issue. Since she couldn’t maintain the weight, she often found herself barely completing the workouts and struggling to pass portions of the physical fitness tests. The tests consist of push-ups, sit-ups and a two mile run. Each Soldier is required to pass the three events with a minimum number of repetitions/points and can score an additional 40 points per event to max out with a perfect score (extremely rare).

As a Non-commissioned Officer (NCO), expected to lead by example in everything they do, Dawn knew she’d have to make a change if she wanted to continue progressing her Army career. There was only one leadership course left to take, and she knew what it would take to pass it.

It Was Then That Dawn Found CrossFit

Having worked closely with a Quad Cities-based orthopaedic surgeon and CrossFit OC3 member, Dr. Tuvi Mendel, she once overheard him telling his staff about CrossFit. When she asked Dr. Mendel about it, she could sense his enthusiasm. Since she had been frustrated with the lack of guidance at her regular “globo” gym, she joined immediately.

With a deep breath and a leap of faith, Dawn enrolled in the two-year leadership course and started CrossFitting once per week (all her schedule would allow with her new class schedule). At the end of two years, she’d be tested physically, at high altitudes, for two weeks.

Dawn’s New Challenge Had Revealed Itself

Since Dawn had fallen in love with CrossFit, it wasn’t lack of desire to get to the gym, but lack of both time and energy. She continued to struggle with her weight and strength, and had hit a plateau. She decided to make the switch from her first CrossFit box to OC3 in search of the best coaching and nutrition advice she could find in the Quad Cities.

The move paid off. Twice a year for 25 years, Dawn took the physical fitness test with a hidden anxiety that plagued her. She then turned the tables and celebrated her 25th Army-versary by getting a perfect score! This achievement was the near impossible for someone without weight issues, let alone the once underweight woman who almost didn’t get in to the Army.

Would She Pass the Course and Earn Her Promotion?

She took that momentum right into her leadership course, and its final physical fitness test two years later. Not only did she pass all three fitness tests within a two-month period, but due to regular CrossFit workouts and improved nutrition, she managed to max-out on the test each of the three times she took it. Needless to say, she earned her promotion. 

The plateau is over. Dawn has gained 10+ pounds of lean muscle and has kept it on since having joined CrossFit OC3 in October of 2015. She attributes this success to a combination of completing the first Total Nutrition Takeover (a nutritionist-led health and wellness challenge) and great coaching. “OC3 coaches are paying attention and know what they are doing. I am called out for bad form and am thankful for that. Colin and the coaches hold me accountable, as does the nutritionist,” says Dawn.

What Others Have to Gain

Dawn not only feels physically fit, she feels able-bodied, confident and independent. Being fit and active no longer bring her the anxiety they once did. She loves the variety of motion that CrossFit provides. She has adjusted her routine to attend more CrossFit classes and formed new habits that work for her.

One of those new habits is eating more. It’s not always easy fitting in her increased calories. For her, that number is around 3,000 calories per day but everyone is different, so we always advise checking with your doctor and a nutritionist before implementing changes. For Dawn, starting and ending each day with high calorie meals and/or meal replacement drinks paired with reduced cardio and more weight on her lifts has been key (she notes the calories wouldn’t have mattered much had she increased the cardio work and avoided heavier weights). Bananas, russet potatoes and avocados have also been weight-promoting additions.

Dawn comments, “The possibilities are endless. I encourage anyone to face their weaknesses head-on, because you might just learn something new about yourself, even later in life. It’s never too late to be in the best shape of your life!”

Watch out double-unders and bar muscle ups; Dawn is coming for you and it’s crystal-clear that she doesn’t quit! Her hard work has paid off in so many ways, and now her Army peers are struggling to keep up with this tough, 45 year old mother of two. She is leading by example at work, as required by her new position, and for her boys at home. We are happy to report that her youngest child has started CrossFitting with her!

MISCELLANEOUS FACTS & FAVORITES:

Weight: 117 (starting); 129 (current)

Color: Black

Sport: Hockey

OC3 Coach: Maggie

CrossFit movement: Rope climbs

Meat: Prime rib

Food: Middle Eastern cuisine