1) Who is Leilani Lopes? (where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc)
I’m from a small town in Oregon an hour south of Portland called Molalla where I have lived almost all my life. My dad’s side of the family is Hawaiian, which is why I have my name. I played I used to play competitive club soccer for about six years until I hurt my knee and tore part of one of my ligaments. I decided it was time to end that part of my life so I wouldn’t have to have surgery. I tried track and field and lacrosse in high school but fell in love with CrossFit and Olympic Weightlifting. I’m 19 years old and am currently attending Portland State University double majoring in Biochemistry and Spanish. From there I plan to attend medical school and become a cardiothorachic surgeon.
2) How many years have you been training?
Competitively for about two and a half years.
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)
Last year I hurt my knee again (my good one this time) warming up for 17.3. I couldn’t squat for about 6 months and wasn’t fully healed until the end of November last year. My head was not in a good place those months - I was so frustrated with myself and felt like I had no control over my body. It was actually the best thing that could have happened! I fixed some major imbalances and got a lot stronger on things I needed to work on. Now I’m just focusing on building my confidence back up for next year!
4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like?
Usually I have school or work, and I have to plan my training around that. I try to get in two sessions, but on days I have labs or long lectures I have to cram it into one which isn’t ideal. I can’t wait for summer where I can just do two sessions and relax in between. My diet is meats, rice, potatoes, and veggies.
5) What new knowledge have you learned over this past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition?
That it should be fun. Having the opportunity to come back to train the way I do makes me feel so lucky after experiencing what it’s like to not be able to do a simple air squat. I think I took that for granted before, I’m thankful everyday I step foot in the gym.
6) Whats your favourite cheat/Treat meal?
Probably @upstaricecream Vanilla Dream or popcorn - I LOVE popcorn.
7) one supplement that you could not live without?
@elivatenutrition Elitrope - it’s a Nootropic that helps with my mental focus during training and is super important for me when I’m studying for exams or while I’m at work.
8) If you had to start out from scratch with your physique what would you do differently and why?
I would take time to learn the basic mechanics of the movements. I see a lot of girls who started CrossFit at a younger age like me that have a lot of imbalances from going too heavy too fast. That’s why I have my teen athlete working mostly unilateral to build that needed strength in both sides of the body.
9) Who do you look upto in the fitness industry and why?
I’ve always looked up to Regan Huckaby. She is such a great mentor to her kids and is the most kind, hard-working, down to earth person you’ll ever meet. She’s also so freakin strong! Goals.
10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be?
Find a coach that knows what they’re doing. Have them watch your movements and make sure you’re moving with good mechanics so you don’t get injured. Also - ANYONE CAN DO CROSSFIT. There’s such a big misconception that you have to be “in shape” to start CrossFit. My dad lost almost a hundred pounds since starting CrossFit and is one of the top guys in his age division for masters.
11) What new goals are on the horizon?
I’m planning on going to Granite Games this year most likely as an individual and Wodapalooza on a team. It’s my first year out of the teen division for these competitions so I’m excited to see where I stack up. After that it’s the West Regionals.
12) Where can people find you? (website, social media accounts)
Leilani Lopes: @leilani.lopes on instagram and Facebook!
