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Name and age:  April Tabish, 39 (for one more month, I'm holding on!)

Occupation: Registered Nurse

Tell us about your fitness journey.

I have always been thin, thanks to genetics, but not necessarily fit. I had gym memberships on and off but was not very consistent. Did pilates for a while and dabbled in yoga and zumba. I can say now that I have definitely found my place at Farmgirlfit. I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life.

If you could tell your Farmgirlfit story in 100 words or less, how would it read?

I saw a pamphlet about Farmgirlfit circulating around at work and was very intrigued. However, I can be a bit shy and reluctant to try new things. So thank goodness a few of my friends were going to try it and asked me to come along. Tried it, loved it, became an addict. Not a bad addiction, right?

What has been your greatest fitness (performance) accomplishment so far? Do you have a performance goal?

The fact that I have kept at it this long is a big deal. My strength and endurance have improved and continue to improve. I still haven't mastered that darn kipping pull-up, I've done one or two here and there, but would really like to be able to whip out a bunch.

How has FGF helped you become more healthy / When it comes to your health, what goals do you have?

So of course I feel stronger and more physically fit. But I also feel better mentally. I feel like I have more energy, I'm more positive, and just have an overall sense of well-being. Now the biggest thing for me is to improve my diet. I've made some good changes here and there. But I really love junk … chips, anything sweet, and bacon cheeseburgers. It's a struggle.

My favorite exercise at FGF is:

I like squats, deadlifts, and some may cringe, but I really don't hate a good burpee.

My least favorite exercise at FGF is:

Turkish get-ups are not my favorite, and double unders (evil), after three kids I'm just trying not to pee myself.

My favorite thing about Farmgirlfit is:

I love the sense of belonging to something truly special and unique with a great group of ladies.

How have you integrated the Farmgirlfit mission outside of the gym?

I can now say I'm a runner, which is something I never thought I would call myself. In fact when I would see running was part of the workout I would instantly think, "there is still time to leave." But last year a friend asked me to do a half marathon in Leavenworth (Oktoberfest). At first I told her she was freaking crazy … no way. But then I thought, why not, it will be a new challenge, and good beer afterward may be worth it. Well I did it, and three more to follow. Now I'm looking forward to my Oktoberfest half marathon in a few weeks, it has become our annual girls weekend.

When you're not pumping iron at FGF, what does the rest of your life look like?

Crazy … with work and three teenagers who are all involved in sports (I call them Chaos, Madness, and Mayhem), that's pretty much my life. Never a dull moment.

Any advice for new members, or your fellow Farmgirls?

I know it can seem intimidating and incredibly difficult. I remember feeling like just the warm-up kicked my butt. You will have good days and bad days. Days where you feel like you killed it and days you feel a little lackluster. But if you make the commitment to stick with it, I promise, you will amaze yourself.

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