12 Questions with CrossFit Coach/Athlete Tia Wright

1) Who is  Tia Wright? (where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc)

I am from Seattle Washington area, where I grew up absolutely hating school and wishing being athletic could actually benefit my career. We were always an active family, and I did gymnastics and every possible sport when I was younger. Played high school sports and even went to play in college. The summer after high school graduation a friend introduced me to CrossFit and it truly changed my life. I knew I had found exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

I’ve been doing CrossFit since I was 18 years old, and coaching since I was 19 years old.

But CrossFit wasn’t my whole life, I still loved all the hobbies my parents introduced me too as a kid: water skiing, snowboarding, knitting, and just learning new things all the time.

I’m not sure how the world perceives me, but I see the world as a place for people to experiment. We are all here to learn and grow, fail and succeed and become the best we can be. This life is not for the faint of heart or the weak minded.

As a coach and athlete I do have a huge influence on health, fitness, lifestyle, and mindset and over the years that mindset piece has really been my largest passion.

My 20’s were all about disproving false beliefs & creating truer beliefs, digging through my own trauma, learning to truly see people for their different views, and understanding that this life isn’t a race or a competition. This life is just to learn and enjoy.

2) How many years have you been training? (Including how you got started, etc) 

I found CrossFit in 2010 through a friend. When I walked in and they were using barbells I knew I had found a home because I had a physical education teacher that also taught a few of us volleyball players how to Snatch and Clean & Jerk.

I remember thinking when I was younger that I had only discovered 50% of my inner athlete. And I knew in my core that CrossFit would help me discovered ALL of it.

I even quit college sports because I knew CrossFit was more my thing.

I qualified for my first regionals in 2012 and never missed a qualifying spot until 2020.

Between regionals I was competing in weightlifting and in 2015 qualified for my first American Open. I continued to qualify for AO and Nationals till 2017.

2016 Regionals was my debut and it was so unexpected. I was backfilled from the Open (did not do well) but I was graduating college, my sister was getting married, I also bought a house…

It was the most surprising weekend. I was in first after day 1. Top 5 all weekend, and lost my shot on the legless rope climbs in the final event.

A huge let down.

2017 Regionals was a athletic highlight for me. I wasn’t sure if 2016 was a fluke so I had to prove to myself I belonged. I took 1st in two events and still…. The last event crushed me and I lost my spot.

2018 Regionals I took very seriously and wanted to finally punch my ticket to the CrossFit Games. They had consolidated our regions and I was now among the most competitive region in the world. During the 5 week Open I ended in 3rd place and stoked.

But between the Open and Regionals life’s stresses got a hold of me. And it was the perfect storm. I was over trained and had peaked early, my coach couldn’t come, my best friends were there, and I just did NOT handle that well at all.

After that I took a break and put my life back together, Covid happened, and here we are.

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) 

The most challenging parts is looking back and seeing all the opportunities I had and yet I never punched my ticket. Call it regret or whatever you want, but it lends a great lesson. ALWAYS take the opportunity and learn how to be insanely present in every moment.

I thankfully didn’t have any injuries that hindered me, but my lifestyle was interesting. I look back and still wonder how I did it.

I trained from 8-930 am, when home ate and walked the dog and then went back and trained from 12:30-2:00pm and then worked at the gym all night till 9:30pm. I pushed myself so hard. Each moment of training was very important.

I overcame my false beliefs. I didn’t think I belonged at the top or that I didn’t fit in with those girls. Learning otherwise was a huge hurtle to overcome mentally.

4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like? (With any particular protocols you rate).  

When I was competitive I ate constantly and to be honest it didn’t matter was it was.

Now, I’m an under-eater.

I will say though, the gal I worked with for my maintenance and nutrition taught me that the body is always changing and I was constantly adding and subtracting certain foods from my diet. Keeping my gut in perfect health was VITAL to my recovery and performance.

5) What new knowledge have you learned over this past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition? (And How has it changed your focus for the future) 

Pushing yourself when you’re not ready is like asking for injury.

And mentally pressuring yourself to do something g you’re just not ready for is abuse.

I’ve had ALOT going on and I just backed off from CrossFit and Weightlifting and instead did 2 Ironman’s. But didn’t train much.

And getting back into training has been a journey of listening to my body.

My lifestyle has finally settled into consistent and healthy again and I’ve been training again which is amazing.

6) Whats your favourite cheat/Treat meal?   

I love Mac n cheese.

I love Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.

I love CHICK FIL A.

I love some good potstickers.

I’m actually a closet junk food junkie. 

7) Whats one supplement that you could not live without? 

Tissue rejuvenator by Hammer Nutrition

8) If you had to start your Journey from scratch with both your health & physique what would you do differently and why? 

Nothing. Thankfully my parents fed us really healthy when we were younger and we had a good foundation of sports.

The mental aspect though,

I would stand up way more for myself, and I wouldn’t listen to what others said about me as much.

9) Who do you look upto in the fitness industry and why?   

I don’t think I have a mentor in this industry. I just always respected those who work hard, and don’t let their excuses hold them back.

10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be? 

TAKE YOUR TIME.

And don’t take it so seriously.

Trust that achieving your goal is almost inevitable that way you can relax and roll with the punches in time.

11) What new goals do you have on the horizon? 

I would love to qualify for regionals one last time. I think I might have it left in me. But to be honest Im just going to get back to working out and lifting and see where hard work and follow through takes me.

12) Where can people find you? (website, social media accounts) 

IG @tiawright06

FB @tiawright06

Twitter: @coachtiawright

Website: coachtiawright.com