Athlete of the Year
August 29, 2010
Athlete of the Year honors come but once a year, even less often here at Albany CrossFit. It with great pleasure and honor that we announce Laura Mirkovic as our newest Athlete of the Year!
A few of our coaches weigh-in:
From Brett:
Laura Mirkovic used to have the nickname “Pistatme”. If you don’t get it, sound it out. There were quite a few times that I thought she was angry with her coach. As she worked her way through the “Hard Routine” and asked less for High School Musical, I realized that she was bringing her passion and her heart to every workout and her nickname had to change to “The Athlete Formerly Known as…”. Laura is a great example of the everyday person working out and wanting to lose weight changing their perspective to that of an athlete wanting more chest to bar pull-ups and a faster Fran time.
She sets goals and sticks with them. She shows up. She listens. She works hard. She has no problem stepping up and setting an example or helping to lead a class. She makes suggestions for improvement. And, when she asked if I thought she should take a shot at sectionals, I knew it would be good for her and that she could do well, but I didn’t know just how far she’d go. After holding a plank for over a minute, teaching her kids to do burpees, changing her pants size (down several sizes), completing the burpee challenge (on the boat with Mickey), traveling to other affiliates to compete and raise money, making the final cut of the Northeast Regionals, and finally wearing her jog bra to do her workouts, she is now known to the 5:45am crew simply as “Athlete” because that’s what she is.
From Kevin:
Laura is simply the best athlete at Albany Crossfit. Proven by her 17th place finish this summer at the 2010 Northeast Regionals. That is evidence enough of her amazing athletic ability. As a Morning Mayhem regular, she is relatively unknown to most of the ACF athletes. Let me put it simply, 3 years ago she weighed 220 pounds. Today she will go toe to toe with any of you, and probably win. All this while working a full time job, being a full time mother of 3, and always helping with every event we host behind the scene.
The time I spent cheering for her along at Sectionals alongside her husband, kids, and about 15 other ACFers, is a moment I will not soon forget. Not to mention, she crushed the workout. Her elite performances is a testament to her consistency, and drive. Laura could easily be the Member of the Month anytime, the effort she brings day by day, week by week, and month by month is why she is an easy choice as Athlete of the Year.
From Jason:
Laura and I have a long history. We have had our bumps in the road, our hiccups, and a few disagreements. That's not to say we didn't love and appreciate one another, it's just that Laura didn't always listen to me, and as all of you know…I am usually right!
Laura has come such a long way from her early days at Albany CrossFit. She first came to our Niskayuna moms class, in which only her and Kari still remain. When Laura first came in to say she was a whiner would be a drastic understatement. Did she push herself? Absolutely! But when it came to nutrition she wanted no part, and like many others she was not happy with the results she was seeing. We all know I am not one for excuses, so "it's the kids" or "but Sasa eats that" was not flying, and we butted heads on multiple occasions.
At some point the light bulb turned on above Laura's head and she realized, if I am going to do well at this CrossFit thing I need to get my act together (maybe it was when she started going to Morning Mayhem!). From that moment on she has been unstoppable! Crushing WODs on a daily basis, throwing up incredible numbers at every CFT, improving every movement from Thrusters to Pull-ups, and of course, performing well enough in New Jersey to make it to the Regionals in Albany, and coming in 17th place in the Northeast!
Laura is an inspiration to us all. Proving there is always enough time to eat right and hit a WOD. It might not always be easy, and there might be some bumps in the road, but with some motivation and determination anything is possible! We love you Laura!
From Caleb:
Congratulations to Laura on Athlete of the Year. In the time that
I've known her she has made leaps and bounds as an athlete. Since she
usually hits the WODs with Morning Mayhem, it is sometimes a couple
weeks between encounters with her, but it seems like every time I see
her she has hit new big PR's. One of my favorite memories of Laura
from this past year was during Regionals in the 3 rep max
Ground-to-Overhead event. I remember talking to her immediately
before the WOD to discuss a little strategy, and she proclaimed that
her current 1RM clean and jerk was was 125lb and that she was nervous
about what weight to go for. Well, not only did she make easy work of
her 1RM for 3 reps, she went on to crush that number, ending up with a
final score of 145lb, with the Albany CrossFit faithful cheering her
along the entire way. Not to mention she can now lay claim to being
the 17th fittest women in the Northeast.
Aside from being an excellent athlete, Laura has contributed much of
her time, energy, and hard work to making Albany CrossFit a success.
She was involved in much of the behind-the-scenes work for the
Northeast Regionals, from athlete registrations to volunteer
responsibilities, Laura either led the effort of in some way had a
hand in most aspects of the pre-event preparations. She is looked to
by other athletes as a model of dedication and success, and we can
certainly expect more great things to come from her in the future!
Old School Laura from Albany CrossFit on Vimeo.
Laura from Albany CrossFit on Vimeo.
Laura's first pullups! from Albany CrossFit on Vimeo.
“What worries you, masters you.” –John Locke
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10 Responses to Athlete of the Year
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Aaron Varcasio says:
Congratulations Laura! You truly are the athlete of the year, the sky is the limit for dreams and goals.
Keep up the great work,
Aaron -
Kim says:
There’s no stopping you girl! Congratulations!
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Rachel D. says:
CONGRATS LAURA! Very good pick for this honor! I see you perform, and its well deserved by you.
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Kari Norton says:
Congratulations, Laura!! You’re awesome!
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Javy says:
Laura, training and competing with you this year has been amazing. You bring your game face to every feat, and I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving of this title. You have earned this recognition through your hard work, dedication, perseverance, and just overall awesomeness!!!!!!
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Jason Murphy says:
Laura,
your dedication and training are and inspiration to everyone. You are the most deserving to be named athlete of the year! Congratulations! -
Heather says:
Congratulations Laura! You are so deserving of this honor! Although we dont know each other that well, you definately inspire me to push harder and not let the easy excuses pop up as often!-Heather
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Laura Mirkovic says:
Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and congratulations. I often forget to open up the comments when i read a post and (when I finally did) was just overwhelmed with all the warm wishes. This award was a group effort from people asking me about what I eat (and should not eat) to making sure I stretch enough to just plain hugs. I feel like I belong here and that is because of all of you. Now, lets get back to work! Hugs and kisses, Laura
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Your other self is always sorry for you. But your other self grows on sorrow; so all is well!
Way to go Laura!!
You deserve it. I’ve told you many times… “you are an inspiration”.
Keep up the awesome work.
Love,
Joy