1) Who is Clareen Mathews? (where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc)
I grew up in Longview Washington and went away to college right after graduation. I spent 5 years playing softball in college (1 redshirt year due to a bicep tendon tear)
After college I started working at a residential treatment center for drug and alcoholic teens. During this time I realized and became aware that I had a problem
Myself with drugs, alcohol, and an eating disorder. I went to treatment for my eating disorder and then was able to address the drugs and alcohol. I’ve been clean and sober since Oct 25th 2010.
In December of 2010 I found CrossFit. I had no idea what I was doing, but I liked it. I felt like an athlete again, I was able to be me inside the doors of that box, I didn’t have to be ashamed of my past no one cared. I fell in love. About a year into CrossFit I decided to do my first local competition. I realized then I wanted to compete.
I’ve been to regionals since 2012, and competed at the games 2015-2016-2017. In 2017 I suffered a bulge in c6/7 which caused me to have to pull out of the Games after the first day of competition.
My husband and I own CrossFit St. Helens. We run a program for people who are in recovery from drugs and alcohol called Power C.L.E.A.N. We offer free Crossfit to anyone with atleast 48 HRs of sobriety.
2) How many years have you been training?
I’ve been doing Crossfit since December 2010.
3) Whats been the most challenging/hardest part of your journey so far? and how have you overcome them (set backs, rejections, injuries, basically anything difficult that you have had to overcome)
I’ve had to overcome a lot in my journey.
In 2013 I lost my father who was one of my biggest fans and support systems. This was extremely had for me, it still is, but the support of the crossfit community helped me get through it.
The most recent adversity I’ve faced was my injury at the Games. It was a freak thing, it was something that was completely out of my control. I wasn’t in pain, I Just had no function of my tricep, due to a pinched nerve. This was very hard for me because i had trained so hard all year for that weekend and I couldn’t showcase the work i had put in all year.
4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like?
My day starts early with some morning conditioning, coaching class and then breakfast, then I train 8-11 am, post workout shake and lunch, coach, train 1:30-5, then another shake, coach, eat dinner and decompress, then bed!
5) What new knowledge have you learned over this past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition?
I started following Crossfit weightlifting and have learned a lot from Sage!
6) Whats your favourite cheat/Treat meal?
FRO YO, or anything sweet!
7) Whats one supplement that you could not live without?
Highly branched cyclic dextrin
8) If you had to start your Journey from scratch with your health & physique what would you do differently and why?
Have Crossfit when I was in college or high school!
9) Who do you look upto in the fitness industry and why?
Michelle Letendre
Cassidy lance-mcwherter
Chris McDonald.
10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be?
Patience, enjoy training, prioritize recovery, ease into higher volume, work on the mental
Side of sport!
11) What new goals do you have on the horizon?
Get to the West Regional and go back to the games 2018
12) Where can people find you? (website, social media)
Instagram: @teamcarleen #teamcarleen
Twitter: Teamcarleen
Facebook: Carleen Mathews
