Brooke Ence CrossFit 2015 Competitor

With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with today? Where are you from? How old are you? 

Brooke Ence Sawyers aka Brooke Ence (in competition) I'm originally from Saint George, Utah, but I currently reside in Santa Cruz, CA. and I am 25 years old.

How did you get into CrossFit?

I was preparing for a dance audition for the show "Le Reve" at the Wynn Las Vegas and I was looking for someone to help me learn to do some skills such as rope climbs and skin the cats.

What years have you competed in the CrossFit Regionals and what did you place? Have you competed in other competitions?

In 2011, I was on Ute CrossFit Team and we took 2nd at Regionals. In 2013, I competed in a new region (Northern California) with Team CrossFit West and we took 4th I believe. Finally, in 2014, I competed as an individual in the Northern California Regionals, and I finished 6th.

Everyone sees a bright future for you in this sport. What are your hopes and dreams with CrossFit for the next few years? 

I want to make it to the CrossfFt Games and continue to become an inspirational athlete that people look up to. I would also like to work on my interviewing skills and be in front of the camera a little more. :)

Looks like she does pretty well in front of the camera already...

Where have you had the pleasure of coaching? What is the most challenging part of coaching?

Crossfit Amundson for a brief moment then moved right to Crossfit West Santa Cruz and eventually adding Crossfit Watsonville.
It is important to know the movements and know how to teach them but it is even more important to be the person that people want to be around and learn from. When teaching it is tough to be "on" at all times. Every class, each day, I am teaching the same movements and coaching the same workouts, but every person that comes to class is different. I have to be present and ready to be engaged with each class, as if it's my first time correcting the exercises that we are working on that day.

With your experience in the bodybuilding world, what do you think about trying to participate in both that and CrossFit concurrently? Is it an easy crossover from one of those to the other? 

I am no longer interested in the world of bodybuilding. I have mad respect for people that do it, because I know first hand how much work and time it takes. What's different with CrossFit is that I have found a healthier community that serves as one big family. I will never turn back [to bodybuilding]. People are connected to CrossFit in a different way than other sports; I love it!

A CrossFitter who could also step on stage and win a figure show 

A lot of people read your Boxlife Magazine interview about nutrition this month. How does it feel to be noticed by companies like that and to be the "standards model" for CrossFit HQ?

It is surreal! I am totally honored every time someone recognizes me or asks me about what I do and or wants a picture or autograph. I remember when it was a "dream" to be someone that was noticed for her hard work. I knew that i just had to keep working on myself and my goal [which was] to make it to Regionals and then The Games for to become a reality. Look at me now- I want to be the same person on the way up as I would be on the way down. I work to stay humble and recognize how lucky I am to be where I am today.

Who are your favorite fellow CrossFitters to watch? 

Sam Briggs aka Engine, Mat Fraser, Lauren Fisher amazes me every day. and seriously so many others.

For all of us who want to "Be Like Brooke," what programs should we be following? Is there any other general life advice you could give us to be better at who we are and what we strive to be? 

Just DO CROSSFIT. there is no magic program. Eat to perform and work on your weaknesses. you have to be willing to suffer, as shitty as that sounds. :)

The suffering obviously pays off. Thanks Brooke!

An epilogue to this interview: Brooke became a coach at CrossFit West shortly after I started there. She was the only female coach, and gave the fiercest instruction of anybody there. As far as my very visible/talked about vegan lifestyle, Brooke has always had a genuine comment or question about my strict adherence to it. I'd like to think she's learned something from me, as I have learned from her. She was interviewed in Boxlife Magazine next to my vegan brother in iron, Ed Bauer, discussing different diets for CrossFit performance. Although her diet and mine are not alike, her coaching has helped me utilize my plant-based performance nutrition for WOD excellence this past year and a half. Team PlantBuilt will benefit from my contribution to their Wodapalooza team score this year, so I will give one final thank you for that.