‘Hard work will always pay off’
Crossfit athlete training others in the sport she loves
Competition is second nature for former Charlottetown resident Angela Dawson.
Growing up as a competitive dancer, it was only a matter of time before she found herself challenging not only her limits both physically and mentally, but also those of others as a registered dietician, crossfit athlete, and coach.
After working for several years at Atlantic Superstores in Summerside and Charlottetown, Dawson was faced with the opportunity to try something new.
“Here’s this opportunity – but do you take the risk?” Dawson recalled thinking.
Ultimately, she put her reservations aside and moved to Dieppe, N.B . and started working at a crossfit gym as a nutrition trainer and coach.
“My interest in nutrition started while I was a dancer. I was interested in fueling your body for activity, but I thought nutrition was going to be too restrictive, so I decided to take human kinetics at the University of Ottawa. But I still really loved the fueling for performance side, so I returned to the Island and took the nutrition program at UPEI.”
As for getting into crossfit, it was her boredom with the workout routine she was on that led her to try something new.
It was intimidating and motivating, she said.
“I fell in love with it. I found it challenging but it also got me back into competing. About six months into the sport, I entered my first competition. Not only was it a test of physical strength, but I think it also let me challenge my mental strength.”
Now, Dawson enters about six competitions a year.
Seeing women participate in the sport, lifting weights, achieving different movements, and challenging each other was motivating for Dawson.
“It made me go, 'I can do this too',” says Dawson, who describes herself as a smaller-sized athlete.
As a coach, Dawson always shares her origin story with new athletes joining the sport.
“I always try to give them that perspective that you might not seem strong at the beginning, but you’ll get there. Some people might say, ‘Oh, I want to get to that person’s level,’ and I always try to remind them that they can do it, as long as they try and trust the process.”
She added, “It might sound cliché, but honestly, never give up. Hard work will always pay off.”
When asked if there was one piece of advice she would give to women and girls, whether it be about sport or everyday life, Dawson said success can look different for everyone.
“To be successful, you have to set yourself up for success, and that looks different in different ways. So go in, take what’s there each day and if there’s a coach or someone who can help you along the way, let them.”