PARSONS, Ks. – Autumn Sands used to describe herself as shy, but now at 14-years-old, she is anything but that.
“I feel like with CrossFit and being out on the competition floor I’ve really learned to become my own person and be a lot more confident with myself,” Sands says.
Sands began CrossFit training about six years ago.
“There was a lot of strong women in our gym that worked out and I just wanted to feel strong and be strong like they were,” Sands says.
This past year, she took up weightlifting to help compliment her CrossFit training.
“There’s a lot of barbell work and a lot of heavy lifting in CrossFit, and it helps to build that efficiency with the barbell so you can have more speed during the workouts,” Sands says, “With weightlifting there’s a lot of stereotypes that it’s for guys, but being a girl, and being able to empower young women and inspire others is awesome.”
She has quickly risen to the top. Sands competed at the USA Weightlifting National Youth Championship for the first time this past June and placed 2nd.
“I did not expect to excel as much as I did in the sport and to walk away with second place with not much experience was pretty crazy,” Sands says.
Sands has come a long way, both competitively and personally. The competitions that once intimidated her, she now embraces.
“I love stepping out onto that competition floor for the first time because you’re so nervous but yet you’re so excited for what’s about to go down,” Sands says. “I definitely feel a lot more confident and ready for anything else that comes my way.”
Sands is currently training for an upcoming CrossFit competition. She’ll be in Michigan at the Elite Teen Throwdown over Labor Day weekend.
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