November's Athlete of the Month
We've got another special edition of Athlete of the Month. This month we are highlighting not only a spectacular athlete, but one of H Dub's amazing coaches, Coach Jess!
Jess is probably our most energetic coach and we love her for it. Not only does she bring the energy to her classes, but she is knowledgable with 10+ years coaching experience and she is an expert at helping athletes improve their skills. Jess is a wife, dog-mom, full-time nurse, coaches multiple times a week, AND 9 months pregnant. She still manages to prioritize her workouts consistently every week. It has been an inspiration to watch her get in the gym consistently throughout her entire pregnancy, even on the days she didn't want to. She is a true testament of practicing what we preach. We are so excited for Jess and Taylor to welcome their little one into the H Dub fam!!!
Name: Jessica Layman
Hometown: Chicago IL
Age: 34
Occupation: registered nurse, labor & delivery
Tell us a little bit about yourself: I’m married to Taylor, we have an awesome dog Wiley, I absolutely love working in birth and the motherhood transition, and I’m hyper competitive on game nights
What were your goals when you started training? When I started training in 2010 I wanted to go to regionals and it was my sole focus, so I worked on ALL the CrossFit specific movements. Now my goals are to be strong and healthy and keep my body active for the long haul!
How long have you been at H Dub and how did you get into it? About 2 and a half years…I’ve been doing CrossFit for years and we had dropped in at H dub when visiting Nashville before and loved lacee, Trey and the people at the gym!
What is your favorite/least favorite thing we do in training? Favorite: handstand walks—it’s like being a little kid again and messing around.
Least favorite: weighted Bulgarian split squats. I know they’re so good for me but they make me want to cry
How has H Dub positively affected you? The community at HDub is unbeatable. Everyone is so friendly, welcoming and supportive of eachother!
What advice do you have for newcomers? If you stick with it, the culture of functional fitness will give back to you much more than you put in—doing this has made me value what my body can do and my personal internal strengths more than how I look in clothes or what the scale says. It has given me confidence and I think that’s so important for people in our social media-obsessed society, especially females!
What is something no one at the gym knows about you? In college I played on the USA rugby team, and we toured in New Zealand. I got tackled by MANY a large Polynesian woman!
Who are 3 people you would have a meal or drink with dead or alive? Cleopatra, Barack Obama (does Michelle get to come?!), and Nick Offerman.
If you had an intro song when you walk into the gym what would it be?
Tempo - Lizzo
Favorite Sport? To play? Rugby for sure. To watch? Probably football or hockey
If you could have one super power what would it be? I’m going with whatever Jean Gray has in X-men because she’s always the beast saving people in the movies!
What is your favorite thing to eat? Queso fundido with chorizo in the bottom and chips! Throw a marg on the side and I’m SET!
