Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Figurski.
Hi Alexis, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My story starts in a CrossFit gym on the other side of the world, Okinawa, Japan to be exact. This is where I’ve been training and working for the past five years. My sport was initially CrossFit until another coach convinced me to try an online weightlifting meet the summer of 2021. I competed in the 49kg weight class, all of it just for fun. I qualified for the North American Open Finals (AO Finals) to be held in December of that year, and Nationals in June of 2022. Initially, the game plan was to compete in both. This meant I would have to travel back to the states. Come November, time to fly out for AO Finals, and my flights were canceled due to strikes within the industry. I never made it in time to compete. It was devastating. However, I continued to hold out hope that I’d make it in time for Nationals. I didn’t have much guidance in training at the time and ended up with a few minor injuries. I knew if I wanted to work through them and do well, I had to find a coach to help me. I ended up connecting with Coach Rob Ronan, owner of Austin Barbell Club, not long before Nationals. He agreed to help me during the meet although there was nothing for him to gain from it. When we got to the meet, Coach Rob took care of everything and had the patience to teach me all I needed to know about competing in the sport. The passion in which he spoke with was nothing short of inspiring. I was a better athlete because of him, even though we had just met. This sparked an impromptu trip to Austin, Texas, to train with him and his team at Austin Barbell. I stayed there for three weeks and competed at Austin FitFest as a 49kg lifter, where I ended up coming in first for senior women. However, the highlight of the trip was training. There’s a community at Austin Barbell that’s unlike any other. Every single person there wanted to see each other succeed and was there to help them do their best. Between the coaching and the athletes, the energy during sessions is indescribable, something you’d have to see for yourself. When it came time to leave, there was no way I was letting this community go. I stay connected as a remote athlete with the team and occasionally creating content for the gym’s socials. The hope is to travel back as much as possible to work with Coach Rob and the team at Austin Barbell Club!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nothing worth doing is ever easy. There are always obstacles, and weightlifting is no exception. In training, there are always highs and lows. Sometimes everything just clicks while other times it feels as if I’ve never touched a barbell in my life. Exactly one month to the day before I hit the national platform, my back gave out while I was warming up to squat. I couldn’t even walk across the room, much less lift a barbell. Safe to say, I was out completely for the next few days and didn’t know if I’d be able to compete. Coach Rob was able to program around the injury, avoiding anything that would irritate it. With a lot of patience, we were able to rehab it and be ready to compete in time for Nationals. This is just one example of the many obstacles I have faced within weightlifting. I can’t stress enough how hard this sport is but also how equally rewarding it is.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a Fitness Trainer and Athlete! I have passed the CrossFit level 2 and USA Weightlifting level 1 courses, among various other specialty courses from gymnastics to nutrition. I work mostly in person but also program workouts for remote athletes. I can relate to my remote athletes, being one myself. What sets me apart from others is my unique personal experiences in each aspect of fitness. I grew up as a competitive dancer with a passion that stemmed into a general love of movement. Since then, I’ve been trained as a competitive gymnastics coach, competed in CrossFit around the world, and most recently, had a deep dive into competitive weightlifting with Austin Barbell Club. Throughout all of this, I’ve been able to make connections between each aspect of fitness. Mental health, proper nutrition, and the importance of the people you surround yourself with are all examples of similarities within sport. However, I think I am most known for or as The Barbell Ballerina. This is my Instagram account where I share training videos, updates, and random [mostly fitness] thoughts.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My advice for finding a mentor and networking, in general, is to keep an open mind, take every opportunity, and never stop being true to yourself. There’s no way to tell what will come of any given opportunity. If it aligns with who you are and want to be, go in with an open mind and willingness to learn. Try to see things from a different perspective even if ultimately you don’t agree. Connecting with the right people will be easy if you’re not trying to be something you’re not. All of this can be summed up to getting out of your comfort zone!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: thebarbellballerina
Image Credits
6 for 6 Media (@6.for.6)
John McCord (@analogasshole)
Demi Jaramillo (@lenbydem)
