At Dane’s Body Shop, we value how unique and talented each and every one of our members is. We also love how many of you have become such amazing, well-rounded athletes. Hey! Speaking of talented, well-rounded athletes, meet Christina Koprowski, one of our October Fusion Athletes.
Christina joined the DBS community with an Ironman under her belt, and she was ready for more! Christina’s a newly competitive weightlifter, yoga instructor, dog mom, and champ of chillin’!
Congratulations, Christina! Keep up the excellent work!
What brought you to Dane’s Body Shop?
My first encounter with Dane’s was at a Free Community Workout on a Sunday morning back in 2012. I worked with Abbey Gonzalez at the YMCA, and she invited me to come to this class with her and [Coach] Matt. I had just done my first 70.3 Ironman and felt like I could take on the world. Little did I know, that DBS workout would almost kill me. Dane was coaching and he was wearing tall socks and Chuck’s. I remember thinking to myself, “This can’t be too bad because he looks like a nice guy.” Ten minutes later, I was cursing under my breath, and it occurred to me that endurance sports were nothing like the full blown attack my body was experiencing. Despite mentally cursing at [Dane] and wondering if Abbey and Matt were even really my friends, I decided to keep coming back for more. I’ve been a DBS member ever since.
You are also a spin and yoga instructor. What is unique about the coaches at the Shop?
I think my answer can actually be found within this question. The uniqueness of each coach is what makes Dane’s Body Shop so special. Everyone comes from different experiences and has different specialties. Not every coach pressures you to pick up the heaviest thing around (Matt), and not every coach pushes you to run ungodly distances (Leann). But when you put together all of the DBS coaches, you get an extremely well rounded set of people. The proof can be found by taking a look at the members of Dane’s Body Shop. We’re all different. We all have our own interests, goals, lives, and experiences. Yet, we all live under the same DBS roof and continue to grow faster, stronger, happier, and more confident as a community.
You have recently taken up Olympic weightlifting with the intent to compete, and you just competed in your first meet. Tell us a little more about this new passion and your experience competing.
I suppose it’s all because I have a bit of a Napoleon complex, and there’s something magical about being a 4’9″ gal who can Snatch and Clean & Jerk big weight. I grew up as a competitive gymnast, so I work really well with super focused training like Olympic weightlifting. After attending a training camp in July at The Olympic Training Center at Northern Michigan University with Dunte, I was hooked. Watching those lifters was awe-inspiring and it made me want to become a stronger lifter. When we got back to Texas, Dunte tossed me into a training program and I prepped for my first meet. Our goal for my first meet was to hit 6 for 6 lifts—so just completing all of my attempts with weight I’ve successfully hit during training. I finished only one lift away from meeting my goal because my second Snatch attempt didn’t go as planned. Dunte’s daughter, Victoria, walked by as I set up and gave me the biggest wave of all time. Needless to say, I smiled back at her and lost focus. All ended well because I still hit my third attempt and then got to give Victoria a big hug.
I have another meet on October 18th at GrassIron and I’m hoping to hit a few PRs!
You are not a runner; in fact, you despise it. How do you mentally make it through all of the running in Fusion class?
Well, it ain’t pretty. That’s how. I grunt and curse and sigh, and I take it one tiny step at a time. My history as an endurance athlete taught me that my body is stronger than my mind, so I tell my brain to shut up and just keep moving. I might not be the fastest, but I’ll keep at it until the job is done.
You have been involved with the Shop behind-the-scenes creating logos, flyers, FB posts, etc. You have so many talents. Tell us a little more about your hobbies, as well as some goals you have for the future.
My goals for the future all revolve around the idea of being happy. Right now, the things that make me happy are weightlifting, yoga, my dogs, coffee, tacos, bicycles, and beer. You’re right that I have many talents. I just haven’t figured out a way to point them all in the same direction yet. I like doing a bunch of different things and using my talents to help those around me achieve their own goals.
You are roommates with our beloved Coach Matt, tell us something we may have never guessed about Matt.
So, when I first read this question I was sitting next to him on the couch and gave him an evil laugh. Sure, Matt has a few oddities and funny secrets but when it comes down to it, he’s one of my best friends in the world so those types of stories stay protected under roomie code. What I can tell you about Matt is that there’s more to him than big weights and tiny dogs. He’s one of the kindest, most sincere people I’ve ever met and I truly consider him family. I think the most surprising thing about Matt is that he acts as the fashion police of our household and often helps Abbey and me dress ourselves.
Do you have any goals for the Shop itself?
I’m a huge fan of the recent release of more focused programming and can’t wait to see the impact it has on our DBS community. I see how much a focused program has helped me to become a stronger athlete and I hope it does the same for everyone else. Keep doin’ what you’re doin’, Dane’s Body Shop. Thanks for letting me be a part of it!
To get your fitness into gear by joining the Dane’s Body Shop community, or to register for classes if you already have, click here