TSI USA Inc

Never Too Old to Compete: An Interview with CrossFitter Tate Fisher

Posted on March 31, 2016 at 12:00 AM

Q: Hey Tate, thanks for taking time out of your crazy schedule to answer our questions.  First off, give us a little bit of background on who you are…
Tate:  I am a Colorado Native, born and raised in Aspen, CO. I attended Baylor University, where I played soccer for 2 of my 4 years. Upon graduating from college, I moved to San Diego, CA (where I wish I still lived!) and worked for the San Diego Chargers for a couple years. Upon leaving the Chargers, I held different jobs while putting myself through school to get a Teaching Credential in Secondary English. I then moved back home to Aspen, CO to raise my first-born daughter (who is now 14!), got married in January of 2004, and had two more beautiful daughters between 2004 and 2006. A few twists and turns landed me as a single mom in 2010, and I've been flying solo ever since. I have coached CrossFit for 4 years, and I recently began Personal Training (in October 2015). I love being a mom to three amazing girls, and I love helping others become the best version of themselves in every way. 

Q:  What first got you hooked on CrossFit? 
Tate:  A friend led me to CrossFit in 2010, just 3 months after my girls and I ventured out on our own. At the time, what got me hooked on CrossFit was the supportive community and the fun-but-intense workouts. I can honestly say that CrossFit was a better outlet for me than any counseling session I ever attended. 

Q:  From there what led to you become a CrossFit coach?
Tate:  As I learned more and more about skills and technique, and improved my endurance, my hunger for competition grew. I found great satisfaction in doing local competitions and doing the CrossFit Open, but I wanted more.  I wanted to help others find the all-encompassing health that I had found, physically and psychologically. There is an incomparable joy that comes from helping someone lose weight, increase muscle mass, improve body composition, tackle obstacles, set and reach goals, hit new PR's and build mental toughness.   All those goals can be attained when people start believing in themselves again (or for the first time) and choosing to live well and leave a legacy. 

Q:  The CrossFit Open just wrapped up, what expectations did you have for this year?
Tate:  I went into the 2016 CrossFit Open with absolutely NO expectations.  First of all, I wasn’t training the way I would like to have been leading up to it. Second, the day I registered I saw that I was already being placed in the Masters category, which I hadn't expected to be part of until next year (I turn 40 on 6/26/16). My goal for the last two years has been to train and prepare to qualify for the 2017 CrossFit Games Masters.  I felt different with this year's Open than I've ever felt before...pretty laid back and able to laugh at myself along the way.  Don't get me wrong, I still got butterflies in my tummy before each WOD! So, here we are on March 31st, all 5 Open workouts have been done and scores submitted, and I landed 78th out of 887 women ages 40-44 in the South West Region and 1,033 out of 14,021 worldwide. One of the best parts of this year's journey was that I went into 16.3 without having my Bar Muscle-Ups and was able to do 7 of them! It's all about celebrating the small victories along the way and pressing on toward improving for next year. 

Q:  If they were to announce one of “The Girl” (benchmark) workouts, which one would you want announced and why?
Tate:  I would want "Diane" because I absolutely love deadlifts and handstand push-ups.  Both movements are fun and in my wheelhouse! It's one of those WODs where I improve each time I do it, even if just by a few seconds. 

Q: CrossFit advocates for leading a healthy lifestyle, which includes a healthy nutrition plan.  What do you follow?
Tate: Yes! I cannot reiterate this part enough. I always tell my clients that 80% of their success is going to come from what they put in their mouths. I follow a Paleo nutrition plan as much as possible.  I would say 85% is Paleo most of the time and then when I need to reset my system I will eat 100% Paleo for 15-45 days. "Healthy Lifestyle" is the operative phrase...it has to be an eating regimen, not a fad diet or a temporary fix. For those who have children, I believe it is imperative to teach them this at a young age. 

Q:  What are the 5 staples you can always find in your kitchen?
Tate: In my kitchen, you will always find coconut oil, sweet potatoes, MEAT (mostly chicken and grass-fed beef), bananas and almond butter. 

Q: Obviously, nutrition is key, but what supplements do you use to help aid your training?
Tate:

  • PEAK ATP

  • BetaTOR

  • Omega 3-Fish Oil

  • Performance Multivitamin (by Lifetime)

  • Generation UCAN 

  • Pre-workout Complex and BCAA Recovery (by Lifetime)

Q:  Since the Open is officially done what competitions are in store for the rest of the year?
Tate:  I haven't looked into which competitions are being held this summer, but I would like to find one to do every other month if possible. Maybe I'll throw in a Spartan Race or a Tough Mudder. Competitions keep my "head in the game" and give me something to look forward to. I don't think I'll ever get tired of competing...even when I'm old and finishing dead-last. :-) 

Q: What are your future goals with CrossFitand how do you plan to meet those goals?
Tate:  As I mentioned earlier, I really want to qualify for the 2017 CrossFit Games Masters. I plan to buckle down over the next several months and work on skills that are currently lacking as well as work on improving my "engine". Ideas I have in that arena:

  • Work with the i99 Staff to get my gymnastics skills dialed in

  • Spend some time working on my metabolic conditioning through an Active Metabolic Assessment I had done at Lifetime

  • Use some of my tax refund money to get a garage gym set up at my home so I can get out there and work in any extra spare moments I have. 

Q: What are 3 fun facts that most people wouldn’t know about you?
Tate:

  1. I was once in an M&M commercial (age 8) and was on the TV show Blind Date (age 24).

  2. I LOVE the rush that comes from Sky-diving.

  3. My dream job would be to Direct and Edit Films and help create Soundtracks. 

Thanks Tate for your time today and we wish you all the success with your training and prep over the next year!

Learn more about Tate and her accomplishments here.

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