From the Coaches:
Lori was one of our original members when we opened our doors January 2014. Since then, she has been coming consistently at 530AM pretty much every morning. She definitely embodies the ‘Rise and Grind’ mentality. Even though she walks through our doors each morning fresh out of bed and still sleepy, by the time the timer ticks down to 0 she has left it all out on the floor and is now ready to start her day. Her dedication is inspiring as she always gives full effort and we have seen her grow tremendously as an athlete. She has now competed in multiple CrossFit competitions and we are proud to have her represent Team Manta Ray. Even more importantly than being a strong athlete, Lori is a strong and dedicated mother and friend. As coaches here at Manta Ray, we are blessed to know people like Lori who remind us why we do what we do, and make it that much more rewarding.
Lori Milo
First off let me say I was shocked when Coach Sebastian asked me to be the AOTM for May… Y’all, seriously shocked.
So here we go… I started with CF Manta Ray in January 2014. Of course it was time to make some changes and what better time than January with New Year’s resolutions and all. I had gone through a horrible divorce the previous year and found myself making daily appearances at Marker 8. I was depressed and not happy with who I was turning into, especially with 3 awesome kids looking up to me (and when I say I was a hot mess I mean it.)
I came across a Groupon for Manta Ray and thought let me give this a try. I have several friends who do CrossFit and love it. It was so tough in the beginning given what I was putting my body through but I continued to go and eventually looked passed the pain and enjoyed going. I’ve been “addicted” ever since. My new addiction is much healthier and comes with the best family/community a girl could ask for. People who genuinely care for one another. When I almost lost my mom, the care and concern I received was overwhelming. I can’t even put those feelings into words.
I go 4-5 times a week when most people are still asleep. I get home in time to get my kids off to school and myself off to work. Now my kids can look up to me as a strong, badass mom, which is an awesome feeling.
As for our coaches… They have picked me up more times than I can count. After my first competition, War On Wall Street, I was so frustrated with my Snatch that I punished myself by not going to the box. I had a talk with Coach Chris and he reminded me of how far I’ve come and how much more I will learn and/or master. Coach Chris and Coach Sebastian (as well as all of the Manta Ray coaches) are the most amazing and supportive coaches.
I love my box.