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Oakley Woodhouse, Owner of Forest Flow CrossFit
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Oakley Woodhouse is a powerhouse of a human. She owns the incredible Forest Flow CrossFit in the UK, is a member of the CrossFit Seminar Staff team, works for The 180 Project non-profit bringing fitness and health to at risk and vulnerable populations, and is a highly accomplished athlete. Who Oakley is, though, is far deeper than her accomplishments. She is an incredible soul whose energy is contagious, story inspiring, and is certainly leaving the world a better place than she found it.
Check out Oakley at @ojaywoodhouse
Forest Flow CrossFit @ForestFlowCrossFit
The 180 Project @180ProjectUK
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Transcript
Introduction to Oakley Woodhouse
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome to the Between the Ears podcast. This week we had the pleasure of chatting with Oakley Woodhouse. Oakley is the owner of Forest Flow CrossFit in the UK and also works on the CrossFit seminar staff team as a level one instructor.
00:00:18
Speaker
She's also a competitive athlete, very high level CrossFit Games athlete, and is part of the Noble team of athletes.
Oakley's Work with the 180 Project
00:00:28
Speaker
She also works for the 180 Project, which is an amazing nonprofit that uses fitness to engage at risk and vulnerable community members who are, some are in recovery, some are actually in prison. They also have a program for young people who are in very challenging situations.
00:00:47
Speaker
And they're changing lives through fitness and life coaching and just all of the good things that a health and wellness practice should include. And while all of that is impressive, it still doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of who Oakley is as a human being. She is a powerhouse of a woman.
00:01:09
Speaker
whose story is fascinating and definitely inspiring.
Forest Flow CrossFit and Social Media Insights
00:01:14
Speaker
On this episode, we dive into her background as an athlete, which, by the way, is a world champion BJJ black belt and how that influences her current self, her current view as an athlete and some of the stuff that, you know, she works through with both her own athletic endeavors and her clients.
00:01:34
Speaker
We dig into her dose experience talk about her incredible affiliate forest flow CrossFit, which is honestly just like so cool Not only because of their workouts or their equipment But you're just gonna have to check it out. You can check that out at forest flow CrossFit on Instagram and Oakley Woodhouse will have those links in the
00:01:57
Speaker
bio, check out what she's up to. It's impossible not to root for her. It's impossible not to be inspired by her. And this conversation was truly a pleasure to have and we hope you enjoy. So without further ado, here's the show.
00:02:45
Speaker
Hello. Hello. Hi. That's our, um, our little hellos are our intro and it's always funny to see what people, some people, it takes them like a few minutes and they're like, Oh, Hey. Um, so we are here with Oakley. We had some, um, technical problems, but she was very patient and her backdrop is tell us, tell us Oakley where, where you are in the world. I am in the island sky in Scotland.
00:03:15
Speaker
Yes, and it's really beautiful. When I see your pictures and videos, it reminds me of Lord of the Rings. Did they film Lord of the Rings there?
Oakley and Noble: Branding and Authenticity
00:03:24
Speaker
That's a great suggestion. Did you know what? I don't think they did, but every time we drive along the roads, that sky's known for it.
00:03:31
Speaker
It's large bouncing and it's backdrop and it's scenery and Lord of the Rings is definitely something. And like also dinosaurs, you can, you can see both. Yeah. Yeah. Just waterfalls and all sorts of, when you go on your run, you really like, I know you're involved in, in Noble. Um, I was like, I think, are you one of their athletes or are you? Yeah. And you're, you could like just be running there.
00:03:58
Speaker
advertisements, because you'll hold your nobles up with the background. I'm like, I want those shoes, but I think I actually just want to wear them in this environment, but they do really... Well, we are very excited to have you on. You and I met... I don't even know what... Yeah.
00:04:22
Speaker
And I just remember having a chat with you. I think the most we talked was at the airport leaving the games. Thank you. All right. Yeah. You sat on the table and chatted it up. But obviously, you live in the UK. And so we haven't had a chance, even when I worked for CrossFit, to really cross paths too much. But I do recall, even from that conversation, and I think talking to Carl Stebman, he said it best that you're like,
00:04:52
Speaker
this old soul. And you're an old soul, but when I started following your stuff, I just was inspired. And there's an authenticity to what you do. And yeah, I find it really, like I said before, you sort of have a very colorful life. And you seem to be involved in a lot of different things.
Rehabilitation through CrossFit: The 180 Project and Delta Fox
00:05:21
Speaker
untraditional CrossFit gym. And so I thought this would be a kind of a good, a good conversation. Hopefully. Well, thank you for that. Cause it's, um, yeah, I guess everyone's got the journey and like the social media I don't find is a easy thing to handle a lot of the time. Um, sort of in and out with it. So it's the, one of the biggest things that for me anyways, that people know that it is authentic or feel that. So I really appreciate you saying that. It's nice to hear.
00:05:51
Speaker
Yeah, it is good to get that feedback. And in your case, sometimes you don't want to depict things that are inaccurately beautiful, but you do actually. It's probably accurate. So tell us a little bit about what you do, what's your day-to-day, what are you doing these days?
00:06:15
Speaker
So I do own my gym, which is called Forest Flow CrossFit. And I'll be honest, I probably got that to, well, I have got that to the point now where I never wanted to be like the forefront of the gym, like the only person that kept it together or that was known for that. So it is very much a group effort. And in order for the gym to function, Forest Flow, like I'm so grateful for the coaches that I've got because
00:06:43
Speaker
they are also what makes the gym, the gym. So as much as I used to coach there, like 24-7, it's now at the point where I do a couple of classes a week at the gym and then I'm in the background, running everything else. And it has also allowed me the opportunity then to look at other avenues that, because I opened the gym back in 2020, which was really great time in surrounding COVID.
00:07:09
Speaker
But it is what it is. And I guess since then, like, everyone grows, everyone evolves. And I have been quite wonderfully pulled into other avenues as well. So I work for a charity called the 180 Project. And the majority of my time now during the week is spent going into prison. So we go into a prison local tours and soon to be a couple of other prisons as well.
00:07:39
Speaker
and we teach the lads in there. We teach them CrossFit and it is CrossFit. We are affiliated, but I say that because it's so much more. It's more so about building and changing community because our prime focus is to help people going through drug, alcohol, mental health issues, which
00:08:00
Speaker
Any people maybe don't understand, but is literally the vast majority of people in prison. So we've got, so we're in there pretty much every day. And I then help the program because the big thing about the program is that the lads come out into our outside program. So we're connected to different services. So we've got a women's program. We've also got a guys program and I'm not part of it, but the charity itself has got a young offenders program as well.
00:08:27
Speaker
where they come to do CrossFit three times a week and have therapy, different sessions and so on. But then- This is all done at Forest Flow? Sorry, what was that? You do this at Forest Flow, CrossFit? You do this at your gym? This is, so the prison is actually about 20 minutes from the gym, but the actual charity they set up years ago with a CrossFit gym, which is about 40 minutes down the road from where mine is,
00:08:56
Speaker
with the sole function to be a sort of rehabilitation place through movement. I know it's amazing what they've done, really, really special. So they set up and their sort of ethos was to have the prime focus of the space be used for rehabilitation. But alongside that to try and cover the cost was to be a fully functioning CrossFit gym. So that's actually called CrossFit Delta Fox.
00:09:24
Speaker
So I work alongside them and the hope is that, well, I think next month we're going to have a group of people that are obviously not in prison, but on the outside now that have come to us and reintegrated or hopefully changing that community. They're going to be coming up to me for sort of days at a time so that we can encompass the running outside. We can encompass the late dips and so on because
00:09:51
Speaker
Delta Fox is very much your usual industrial space. They've not really got that access to outside. But yeah,
Therapeutic Practices: Cold Water Dips
00:10:02
Speaker
so. Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah. That's great. Yeah, so you guys, I mean, that part, what got you
00:10:12
Speaker
Like I guess what part of your experience with CrossFit and people had you be interested in getting involved in that? And also sort of, because I've seen that was one of the things that I noticed right away that you guys did the, I know there's like the mental health swims and you were sort of involved, but you guys on your own go and do dips, like kind of before it was cool. When it was cold.
00:10:41
Speaker
When I was just like, hey, we're just getting in this lake and there wasn't the tub as we do. But what inspired that or what was that about that part of? It's a really interesting one actually because it's evolved that one. When I first started, it was very much a thing for me to reconnect with my mind in the sense that
00:11:06
Speaker
you know, whenever you get into cold war, so the first thing your head says is you're gonna die, get out, oh my gosh, you can't do this. Well, that's just what my head says anyway. And it was the knowing that I could do something that my mind didn't want me to do or that that safety mechanism in my body that was so ingrained is like, now it looks like you shouldn't be doing this, but if I could show myself there
00:11:34
Speaker
I could control the thoughts which then affected my body, my breathing, my temperature. Then why couldn't I control those thoughts elsewhere such as saying a workout or when pushing hard and so on. And I quite liked it for that. But then as I think it was probably around the Covid time that it started to evolve into something a little bit more. So versus just showing myself that I could do that, it was
00:12:04
Speaker
a really deep connection with nature. So like, I prefer dipping in a lake because it forces me to get to make the time for it, to go outside, to connect to, gosh, there's especially when just to look at how wonderful it is and to just be completely and utterly like cleansed
Forest Flow: Philosophy and Mental Health Integration
00:12:26
Speaker
from being in something so lovely. But yeah, that's how it evolved.
00:12:33
Speaker
Yeah, that's beautiful. And that's kind of your gym. I mean, you guys are in nature. I mean, so that seems like that's been important to you, even in the CrossFit setting. Yeah, it was a... What's the meaning or the significance or the inspiration behind the name Forest Flow?
00:12:55
Speaker
It's a great question. So it took me a long time to come up with that name. And I actually had a long time to figure it out because I waited because I obviously, well, I know you guys know, but others might not. I teach for CrossFit as well. So I teach the level ones, level twos and kids courses and have done now for just over six years. And I think I've been doing that for about three or four years before I was like,
00:13:24
Speaker
I want to open my own space, but I didn't want it to be a space that was, I guess, your normal industrial unit. And I just remember the amount of times I'd be working in a gym and it'd be so dark. And I'd be like, I just can't, this isn't very, very nice to be in, especially for coaches and all day. Like your soul is being pulled. Like to your bones. Yeah. Like when it's time to move at lunch, like I just want to go lay under that blanket.
00:13:54
Speaker
He's like, wrap me next to the radiator, please. So my landlord, my now landlord, I met him by chance and he said, I will build you a space. I'll make it work on this random country park, which is where we are now. And it took him about nine months to actually find us something.
00:14:16
Speaker
So in those nine months, it was okay, well, what is the name? What is it? And we were meant to originally be in a forest, and we're not far off that, we're not quite in a forest, but obviously we've got many trees around. So that was where forest came from. And then flow, because for me, it encompasses, I guess, every aspect of life. And it's something that, and I know this goes against everything that flow is,
00:14:45
Speaker
I wanted to say striving for, but then we're obviously not in flow and we're striving for something. But it's just that reminder to be that rather than pushing for something just to allow whatever comes to come. And I thought for me that that was something that I missed in many different gyms when the effects of training were so profound in more than just the physical aspect, but what the mental aspect brought as well.
00:15:12
Speaker
I was like, these two things can't really be separate. Like we need them together. And if I'm going to open a space, they are going to be together. So that's the name. Wow. Do you find that, um, like you, so you were working in gyms, you know, teaching a lot of traveling coaching. Do you, did you find that sort of being in flow, the experience of flow?
00:15:40
Speaker
was, and agree, not easier or more difficult, but perhaps more natural when you were more closely connected to nature versus a more urban or city type of, or just industrial thing.
00:15:56
Speaker
what do you see as the connection? Cause you're obviously, um, you have like a large spectrum of environments that you perform the same thing in, which I think is interesting. Anything from like, yep, a prison to the forest and in between, how do you find that your environment connects or, you know, allows for this experience of flow?
00:16:24
Speaker
And that's also a great question as well, because it's an interesting one in that. From that, I took it was along the lines of. Is there a greater connection to nature and is there a greater connection to flow? Sorry, when being closer to nature? And I'd say that that might be different for everyone. And I know there's many people that I've met that can be just as easily in that state, but in your urban environment, I think that probably
00:16:54
Speaker
is connected to who you are as an individual. And as a result of that, I'd say that that flows maybe coming back to rather than the environment more about knowing yourself to know which environment suits you. However,
00:17:08
Speaker
coming back to the fact that I do have the profound opposites of in a prison environment, we can't go out in without keys.
Impact of Nature on Flow and Well-being
00:17:16
Speaker
In addition to that, if we want daylight in the sports hall, we have to open the door, but it's connected by a, you know, like your normal prison door, which you'd imagine with the bars coming down, it's connected with that. There's like grass and the funny thing is
00:17:36
Speaker
you walk through the yard and there's ducks. So like there's ducks in the main prison yard and like, well, nature definitely finds a way to survive anywhere, but the change in environment, I think, gosh, this might be a bit much, but for me, I'd say it's more about the energy surrounding that environment than the environment itself. And the energy in the prison, for example,
00:18:03
Speaker
It was hard to coach initially for me because there's so many residual energies, so many other people in there, so many other feelings that it was more about creating that space and setting the tone there versus the actual environment itself as being the building and the prison and so on. But that being said, I think it's just a bit easier for me going to somewhere that is more connected with nature to find that, to create that.
00:18:32
Speaker
It doesn't take as much work to create that safe space. Yeah. When you're describing this to me, it's almost like flow is nature in the sense and like modern living disconnects us from it, which isn't to say that it's impossible to experience it. Like, but it might take more of that concerted effort.
00:18:58
Speaker
But it is part of like the human experience now. It's pretty known. What is the biophilia is like that the relationship of humans and Nature and so there are studies that show like even if you have a photo of a tree in your office or like a plant Like there's a there's a that's a better that's a more healthy thing than if you didn't which is crazy like that's how
00:19:27
Speaker
strong that connection is and all the Japanese things of forest bathing and they have a culture where they bring people who have high blood pressure and different issues out and just sit in the forest and it actually impacts their health markers. We live right by Manhattan and we're not really big city people.
00:19:51
Speaker
And that's like an understatement. And when we come back, it's like our entire system. I think people adjust and adapt to your point. So you kind of have to find a way probably to find peace, but I don't know that it's
00:20:08
Speaker
maybe ideal. Um, so that's really amazing to like create what you wanted and like to have sort of said like, this is what I want that to be and to bring that to your members.
Isle of Skye: Oakley's Airbnb Adventure
00:20:21
Speaker
That's really amazing. Um, so you're right now in your Airbnb. So you guys have an Airbnb and that's like, how far is that from your gym? That is a seven hour drive.
00:20:37
Speaker
Oh, wow. Yeah. So you got to like work to get there and you just drive there. Yeah. It's an effort. Yeah. And what was the intention? Cause you guys have spent some time there as well. Like you don't just always have it rented out. Like when, what was the, so you went from like a beautiful place where you have your gym to now like another, um, beautiful place. Yeah. So it was always something we'd wanted to do.
00:21:06
Speaker
And it was, if anyone out there is considering an Airbnb, I'd say think twice. It seems really easy and really simple and maybe isn't quite, but we were quite, well, I was quite spontaneous, especially in our relationship. I am probably the most spontaneous one and I'll make it work and it'll happen. And my husband is very much the how, what, when,
00:21:38
Speaker
Happy to know it's not. Let's do it. There's a will, there's a way. Exactly. I agree. But I guess we need that. We need someone to help ground us. And we did the North Coast 500, which I don't know if you've heard about, but over here, there's a road that goes along like the North of Scotland, and it's called the North Coast 500, and it is.
00:22:02
Speaker
Absolutely beautiful. Like the beaches are beaches that you'd think you'd see in the Mediterranean or something crazy like that. Usually a lot colder, but it's beautiful. And we did that last May and the sky where I am now was our last stop off. So we thought, well, we'll stop off in sky. We'd never been before. And we were both, we both just knew. We were like, yeah.
00:22:28
Speaker
This is the place. We spoke about an Airbnb for years. If we're going to do it, this is the place.
Mental Resilience in Workouts
00:22:35
Speaker
And we'd found this house, which we would not, when we saw it online, we were like, oh no, we'll go and view it just in case. And we viewed it and the views, we were sold straight away. The pictures just didn't do it justice. And we were like, this is,
00:22:55
Speaker
This is the place. And then we bought the house come August. Wow. There we are now. Yeah. Amazing.
00:23:05
Speaker
So you did your workout there today. I saw your photo. So we have been having this thing where we have our guests or we invite them. We don't make anybody do anything, but we invite them to do a workout and sort of to your point before about, you know, the
00:23:26
Speaker
workouts or gyms being about more than just the physical, you know, that's kind of that is between the ears, like, you know, the workout is an excuse to practice something that's much deeper, or, you know, a mindset. So it was funny, because when I sent you and there's the dose online, I saw you went
00:23:49
Speaker
you went in and checked it out you know it's funny because every week we only post that weeks and so like the others disappear and one of the reasons for that is people that. Do it every week you know trying to keep it from being this like pile on my gosh last week I still like to do that cuz then it becomes.
00:24:08
Speaker
this stressful thing. And it's just like being in the moment. And this is the weeks. And if you do it, OK. And if you don't, OK. A new one comes up. But so I had sent you one. And it wasn't like a good fit equipment wise. And so then I sent you a different one. And then because you're up there, you didn't have a bike. And it was funny because your question being like, is that OK? It's like, of course. And it sounded like that was sort of a freeing answer for you. It's really awesome.
00:24:38
Speaker
Yeah. And it's just, it's cool cause we've had different people do the same one and often people will come on and be like, did I, did I do it right? And it's like, there is no right, you know, and it's like more about just what the experience was. So I think the one that you were doing was like the every minute on the minute, the, the fire plunge, which is kind of funny because you do the, the cold plunges and we had started doing cold plunges.
00:25:05
Speaker
in January. And so Bill came up with this fire plunge, which maybe, I don't know if it was part of this, but we were doing the cold punch for maybe initially two minutes. And then I did the bike one. And after like two minutes, a minute and then a minute, I was like, this is
00:25:23
Speaker
so much more painful than ice water. So I think that's where the name kind of, OK, well, that's a cold plunge. This is a fire plunge. So I think that's the one you did. And the notion is every minute and you're getting to some number. And challenging is sort of the thing there because it's about your tolerance. So tell us kind of what you did and what came up for you. That's really cool.
00:25:53
Speaker
Whether I and this just shows my I guess preconditioning with the programming that I've done in the past but whether I did this correctly or not and I so I didn't have a sled so I did have a dumbbell so I switched it to
00:26:09
Speaker
either moving with the dumbbell and doing lunges or running with the dumbbell on my shoulders. I thought well it's not quite the same as a sled but it's as close as I can possibly get it and I'm moving a load so I'll stick to that. And then the second minute was burpees and
00:26:27
Speaker
I went with the suggestion of doing two and adding two every minute. And then the third minute was rest and it was for 60 minutes. So the way I did it was I kept to the lunges and I made sure I kept to the same number. So as my burpees increased, I was trying to hold myself accountable to not letting that slip. And then I added two every reps for the burpees. And then I got to 22 and I failed my 24. So then I went back to two and then went up again.
00:26:55
Speaker
Was that, and then on the last, you're a very good athlete. You're fit. It feels like, wait, I'm sorry, what? Okay, so then you went back up. Yes. 22, 46,000. We don't have a count in that.
00:27:15
Speaker
So you went back up. So did you get back to 24? Did you exceed 24? No. So I got to 24 and then dropped it back down. And then I think I got back to 18 as I was going back up, but then it came to the 59th minute. And I know it said on the 59th minute, go for what you didn't complete. So I did, and I didn't complete it in the minute, but I did it. So
00:27:44
Speaker
Yes, that is what it is. But yeah. So that's awesome. And that's, I mean, I am sure, you know, and that's obviously you probably, the mindset for that one, which is, was kind of, I thought a great one, like seeing it through, like, because a lot of people who have done that, there's this, the beginning, there's a lot of time, because it's a death by and so you're sort of my experience of it. I had a lot of
00:28:15
Speaker
projections about what was going to come. How was that experience of sort of the progression? And I guess it sort of makes it worse, even though you're doing less work at the thought of what your mind's projecting versus just being with it. It definitely relates to that. Yeah. So what was the beginning of that like for you? What was the beginning? Because this is an interesting kind of theme, I think, that
00:28:46
Speaker
When I did it, I was experiencing, you know, it took, it was the, let's say maybe the second round. So five or six minutes in and you do the sled push. Okay, fine. And then you do like one burpee. I did one cause I'm well, cause you're way less fit than me. And then like two. And then it's like, it's, it's almost like this like agitation that
00:29:12
Speaker
Like I could be doing literally anything else right now. And this is, this is stupid. This is silly. You know what I mean? Like this is, I'm doing two burpees. Yeah. And so what was that like for you at the beginning?
00:29:27
Speaker
So I'm sorry, before I answer that, I just feel I've got to say thank you for sharing that because I have for many years thought, what is wrong with me? And I mean this in the sense that I genuinely have where people that I've trained with and the people that I have trained with and spent time around have been people that have been very focused on getting to say the CrossFit Games or get into a very high level in competition with CrossFit.
00:29:57
Speaker
and in the sessions that they would do or I would do alongside, I am an individual known for going in and getting it done and getting out.
00:30:09
Speaker
And it's a, I don't dally around. If there's a rest period, I don't like doing the rest period. I'll maybe do it every minute on the minute of heavy snatches instead of two minute rest. They're like, what's wrong with you? It's like, just take the rest. So the fact that someone else feels that agitation, it makes me feel a lot better because I've felt the same way.
Oakley's Competitive Journey and Self-Discovery
00:30:32
Speaker
In this workout, it was, oh gosh,
00:30:36
Speaker
If it was any other day, other than today, I'd have probably felt more agitated because I'd have had a list of things to do that I was like, my attention's needed elsewhere versus giving myself the attention of, no, sorry, giving myself the ability to basically give myself attention.
00:30:55
Speaker
if that makes sense, like doing the workout as prescribed and not taking away the rest. But for today, I like, you know where I am. I've purposefully not given myself any things to do. And as a result, it was it was genuinely pure enjoyment in doing the workout that I was giving myself the opportunity to take as long as it needed, whereas
00:31:25
Speaker
That is not something that I've often done in the past and still practice to do now.
00:31:33
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, there's a, it's just amazing how similar people are with categories of folks and, you know, CrossFit, functional fitness, high intensity work, like this type of physical expression is typically not one for the person who likes to avoid doing difficult things.
00:32:01
Speaker
And yet, for many, the three of us in different ways, the most difficult thing sometimes to do is just not do anything. And the mind starts to
00:32:15
Speaker
whisper little things that become more and more convincing or then turn into shouts. And it's like, okay, well, let me just scratch that itch. So I avoid or ameliorate this unpleasant experience.
00:32:35
Speaker
But it's like, yeah, but you're somebody who is also enjoying unpleasant experiences because of their cathartic, challenging, transformative nature. But it's just an amazing thing how sometimes the hardest thing is not doing anything. Or the hardest thing is, like you said, inviting and allowing yourself to be able
00:33:02
Speaker
to be with yourself and to have that just for the sake of enjoying. It's a wonderful thing. Yeah. And that was sort of, I think, the interesting mindset, like the seeing it through for me that was because I also probably fall into that category of efficiency or I don't need that time or just the discomfort of the thoughts starting to wander. And then it is funny because you're at the end
00:33:32
Speaker
holding these very challenging rounds. And you're like, remember back when I was just standing there? Like, OK, but this is really uncomfortable. So just learning to appreciate not projecting and not anticipating and not just being where you are in that moment. And obviously, presence is a big thing for people in today's
00:33:55
Speaker
environment that can be challenging and the hard stuff will come and it's there, but just knowing when to give yourself a break, maybe, and when to push. Yeah. You were saying that some of the programming you've done as a competitor, so you've competed
00:34:19
Speaker
in at like the, the semi-finals and mostly you've done some individual and some team. What's that? Yeah. So I, I was on a team that went to the games quite a few years ago now. And then since then in all honesty, after the games with the team, I was like, do I want
00:34:45
Speaker
Is this what I really want to do? Because we definitely sacrificed a lot leading up to that games experience. And I think it probably for me came down to the actual experience of the games of like, was that worth it? Which was a hard question for someone at my age to ask myself.
00:35:11
Speaker
Because how old were you? I think I was 19, 20 or 19, somewhere around there. But it was everything I thought I wanted. If that resonates where it was, this is everything that I've been working towards, building towards. And it was a bit of a, oh, maybe not quite what I expected. And then since then it was
00:35:38
Speaker
can the competitive side still allow me to shine through as me? Or in order to be a high level competitor in some format, do I have to lose parts of myself in order to get there? And that was, I guess that's probably been the journey since then. And so I went into the individual side after quite a little bit of
00:36:05
Speaker
like trying to figure that out and trying to gain a little bit more self-awareness surrounding that. And I guess not really come to an answer with it, but again, just trying to go with the flow of it of sometimes, potentially, other times, that's not what I want, but that's okay to not be what I want as well. But yeah, so many different programs and different experiences within that.
00:36:34
Speaker
Yeah. I really appreciate you saying that because I think it speaks to, well, there's a lot of value in there, but I think one of the things it speaks to is that we have this little thing that if the degree to which you're training can kind of be, can be a measure of it can be the degree to which you're sacrificing. If there's no sacrifice, you're not training.
00:37:05
Speaker
You might be doing a lot. Doing a lot is probably not the best training because you're trying to do everything, right? Exactly. And as an athlete, as like a capital A athlete, there will be a time where there will be parts of you, characteristics, personalities, interests that need to be sacrificed or perhaps muted a little bit.
Transition from Jiu-Jitsu to CrossFit
00:37:36
Speaker
Yeah, that was a really good way. And I'm curious to know if that lesson as 18, 19, 20-year-old Oakley wasn't quite learned, like you didn't know that, but the process of getting to the games might have kind of crystallized it or shown you. Because you said, hey, it was everything I thought it would be, but then all of a sudden you get there and you're like, ugh, wait a second.
00:38:05
Speaker
This isn't everything I thought it would be. So would you mind digging in a little deeper to your, you know, knowing yourself, process, athlete, train, like, cause I think this is, yeah. Well, so there was that and it was the, I think it was track for me personally. And this, there was a lot of things that came up because I feel like we, what you've mentioned there about the lesson was probably that at the time,
00:38:35
Speaker
the lesson itself in its core was something that I was learning and had come to fruition following the games, the feelings that came up. But I think since then, it's continued to be a lesson that hasn't necessarily stopped because the competitive side of CrossFit has still been something that I find certainly interesting. And more so recently, I think part of it has come down to the fact that due to
00:39:05
Speaker
And I think a lot of the things that whether, sorry, this is just my opinion, but a lot of the lessons that come up, maybe due to things that have happened in the past to us, maybe due to perceptions that we've maybe not realized we employ, but have been encouraged by whether that family or society and the lessons are a way for us to regain our focus and to reconnect with ourselves. So the way that I've found recently is when I was younger,
00:39:34
Speaker
And this is definitely not a bad thing at all because it is a lesson. But my grandma got me into jujitsu very young and she had me doing jujitsu from like the age of five. And bear in mind, it's only recently I've put this together after years and years of trying to sort of understand this process. And then it suddenly clicks when it's meant to click. And she had me competing in jujitsu around the world at the age of like 12.
00:40:01
Speaker
So the competition aspect and working hard and sacrificing has always been known. It's always been a, and that's something that's definitely followed me through in other areas of life, which is probably why I am at the point where I am, where I own a gym, I guess a Flowmaster on staff. Like if there's something that I envision is something that I'd like to get, I will work hard for it. I'll work my ass off, whatever that is.
00:40:29
Speaker
which is something I'm grateful for my parents for, because they've obviously helped me along better in understanding that. But that sacrifice was always known. Like, oh gosh, I used to train from like 15, I would be at jujitsu four times a week whilst other people were going out and eating and drinking and so on. And it's because we had like the British championships coming up or something like that. And so for me,
00:40:55
Speaker
I'll be honest, I don't think I ever gave myself the choice of what I wanted. And then I got my black belt in Jiu-Jitsu and I'd won, like, I'd always be British champion, world champion. There wasn't anywhere else to go. And that's when I found CrossFit. And it just pulled me into the same experience, I suppose, where it was, okay, well, I don't know anything else,
00:41:22
Speaker
competition, strive hard, work hard, be the best that you can be, compete against other individuals, and that was it. And for me, going to the games, because probably of the sacrifice, it made me question my why, and I couldn't tell you. I didn't have a genuine, why am I doing this for me, other than it being potentially because it's something that I'd learned growing up and never giving myself the opportunity to
00:41:51
Speaker
or never realized that it maybe wasn't something I wanted, but potentially what someone else had wanted for me. That's not to say that I haven't enjoyed and didn't enjoy the training and the experiences that I've had, but as time's gone on, I've realized that moving my body and training is something that I feel I'll always enjoy.
00:42:19
Speaker
but the sacrifice that you've got to make to be a high level athlete means I can't work in the prison and help these lads rehabilitate and find new communities. And I can't be an affiliate owner that is there every weekend helping my members along, being part of the community that I've created. And I was like, and it's taken me a while to get this, but it's not a lesser of a thing to want
00:42:46
Speaker
to do those things over being an athlete. Like they're both great. It doesn't make you less of a person, but it's just a decision. I found that coming back to what you want is the most important thing that you can have to drive those decisions. But yeah, so that was rather a long winded answer. I think it's a beautiful answer. I think it's a wise answer. Yeah, that's your answer. And that's thank you for sharing. Thank you.
00:43:16
Speaker
Thanks for listening. I do have to ask a question. Do you still do jujitsu? No, I do. I've been back on the mat a few times and I have loved it. It's like a piece of me comes back because it's so much enjoyment now. But the reason I don't is because or haven't, not don't, haven't in the past is
00:43:41
Speaker
I couldn't let go of that athlete side, the CrossFit side. I just couldn't because I think it was such a big part of my personality and this is going a bit bigger, but it was so connected to my worth that I was like, oh my gosh, if I'm not competing, is anyone even gonna want to come to my gym? Is anyone gonna want to listen or like be a part of the things that I put out? And for me, the athlete side was what gave me worth
00:44:10
Speaker
getting to do the things that I wanted to do the most because that's what I believed people would respect more than actually putting who I was as a coach out there and if coach is the right term but
00:44:27
Speaker
But the jiu-jitsu side is now, sorry, going back to it, I didn't do it because I didn't want to get injured. And there was a lot of possibility of that happening when you're rolling on the floor and so on.
Balancing Competitive Drive in Sports
00:44:40
Speaker
But one of my members is actually an ex-cage fighter. And I moved about 45 minutes up the road six years ago now to move in with my now husband. And so I moved away from all of our dojos and training
00:44:58
Speaker
And he was from the area and he was like, oh, so is this place like you need to get back on the map? So he sorted out a gym social for us.
00:45:06
Speaker
and we went and he was like, right, come on then, let's go, me and you. It's like a common banter thing, like, yeah, she can't do that, like, she's too nice. No, I can't imagine her just like tapping someone out. And it was the best thing ever, but I tapped him out. I was like, he's still there.
00:45:33
Speaker
Hey, what do I look like when there's no more blood going to your brain? I'd like to, you know, like, you just. It was great. It was fun, but no, not quite the same as what it used to be. Sure. Yeah. I had a difficult, I have struggled with that since I stopped playing soccer slash football. Um, I couldn't turn it off. Like I, if I put cleats on,
00:46:03
Speaker
And if I stepped between white lines, I changed. Yeah. And I was playing in this little league. And it's been. We tried to do like, there's a league. So we recently sold our CrossFit gym. But it's kind of fun now because we.
00:46:22
Speaker
go there more just to participate now. Like we participate in the open and we are there for open gym and people are like, this is like a Renaissance. I'm like, it is. So it's nice to be part of something and not just be like, but it's, you know, such a great community. And I guess a couple of Springs ago, there's like in that town, there's like different leagues. You can, there's like a club thing that... Like adult leagues. Yeah. They organize these adult leagues. And it's fun. And someone
00:46:48
Speaker
who also had played soccer. There's a couple ex footballers and they're like, let's get a team together. I'm like, Oh, that's perfect. You know, Bill, Bill can play. And he played a very high level and it did not, it did not go well. I mean, what happened? Well, first of all, I like pulled my hamstring.
00:47:15
Speaker
You know, I remember one game where it started getting chippy. And. There's just a lot of reasons why I don't want to be a form of myself that I was. And. I don't I never liked the. Like the the the mouth thing that, you know, basically people who suck
00:47:44
Speaker
take out their aggression of not being well through cheap little fouls, little chips. When it matters, competition, certain levels, I get it. It's part of the deal. On a league, on a weekend league, it doesn't matter. And I had my kind of glory days
00:48:07
Speaker
that were very, that were glorious, that were really amazing and were awesome. And those are done. Like I've heard my final whistle and I'm good with it, you know? So I understand not everybody had that, but like, I also don't, yeah, like I just, nothing bad happened really, but like there was a couple of times where it's like, all right, I could,
00:48:35
Speaker
possibly injure this person if I act naturally. And I don't want to do that because that's not appropriate and all of that. My senior year of college, we play in the fall. And that's when our season finishes up. In the winter, there's indoor leagues and stuff because where we live, it's snow and stuff.
00:49:04
Speaker
And the company that I was eventually, that I signed a contract with, like a corporate company. For finance, like for a job. Yeah. I interned there the junior, my summer before my senior year and they're like, Hey, you did good. We want to hire you. Just don't fail out of school. So like right on. So going into senior year, I was like, this is great. I'm just playing soccer and you know, pretty much stress free.
00:49:29
Speaker
So one of the dudes emails me or I was like, Hey, we're doing a summer league or a winter league. Once your season finishes up, that'd be cool. Like, you know, we're good for networking, you know, good way to meet people at the firm. And I'm like, yeah, right on. Like that's, that's cool. Well, I had a great senior year, but like the way it ended was rough, like just gutting and
00:49:56
Speaker
So it's like, okay, fine. And that ends in maybe November and December this winter league starts up. Okay. This is like a corporate, like against other companies. And there's a couple of people who can play. Well, this one person is like chippy and like cheap. And I'm like, Hey, so I go up to him and like, you know, there's a dead ball. They get a foul called and I'm like, Hey, I'm like, just fucking stop. Like right now, like just stop, you know, and he's like, you know, mouth and off. I'm like, okay.
00:50:26
Speaker
He gets a ball next and I just like lay him out and I leaned over to him and was like, do I going to have to ask you again? Like just, just fucking stop and he throws the ball at me or whatever. And I take him and I just like throw him like kind of like hitting the chest, but like a throw and then start stepping towards him. Cause like starting a little fight.
00:50:52
Speaker
And it was like, there, it was just a lot of rage and anger. And I'm really like not actually proud of it because it's pretty pathetic actually. And the guy, the guy who, oh no, no, no. He fouled someone else. That's what he fouled. One of my teammates, like, like cheap. And that's where I just went up. I was like, fuck you. We're done. We're going. I'm a 21. I'm like, I'm a kid too. And the dude who asked me to play was like, Hey, Hey, like you're super loyal. That's like awesome.
00:51:21
Speaker
And, uh, yep, that dude at the firm is a partner and that's great that you're protecting him. But just remember, like he's also a partner and you're sort of representing like price of warehouse at this point, like this is not the fuck down. I'm like, Dan, I think I'm going to not play. Yeah. And so anyway, that, but that to your point too, like just, I don't know how to turn, I didn't know how to turn
Embracing Authenticity in CrossFit Open
00:51:49
Speaker
that off.
00:51:49
Speaker
Yeah. That's cool that you could engage with that fun side. And that is part of who you are. It's great to see that you could tap into that a little bit with your members and share that with them, but still in a healthy way. My dear, my dear, it was. Yeah, it was on the line. You're probably like, yes, it was a fine line.
00:52:19
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, it is interesting the CrossFit stuff and I, as I said, like not in a self
00:52:24
Speaker
I'm not saying this in a self-deprecating way. I'm just saying it in having respect for people who are as fit and accomplished as you. I was nowhere close to your level of athlete, but I still found it hard. And I think I've gotten to a place now where I'm almost there, but engaging with CrossFit even, because you love it for training. You love it for all these things. But there's still that. The open is.
00:52:52
Speaker
possibly one of the most unhealthy things. I love it, but I also get into it. And I'm like, just the unhealthy whatever, that workout, maybe I should redo it, the bar height. And it's like, who even cares? This means nothing. And at a time, there was a time where, yes, redoing something. OK, that would make sense.
00:53:16
Speaker
But why I would redo a workout at this point in my life, but the fact that that's even in there, I hadn't thrusted a barbell in years. And so I was like, okay. And that initially was like, oh cool, let's see what happens. And oh wow, I did 125. That's more than I could have imagined. And then within two hours, I'm like, oh, maybe I could have gone 130. So how does that go for you? I mean, have you found a healthy,
00:53:46
Speaker
Well, yeah, I'd say I definitely have. In the past, absolutely not, though. In the past, no. If I'm being absolutely honest and sharing parts of myself that I hope if anyone does hear this, they do think, oh, thank God, I'm not alone. But especially after we went to the games,
00:54:09
Speaker
we were the first British team to get to the games. And I know it was ages ago now and things have changed, but at the time it was big and it felt big. And afterwards, especially going into the next open, all I could think about was people are going to look and think what's happened to her. Like why is, because I had an injury going into the games with my shoulder. And after the games, I decided to actually spend time looking at it and trying to get things sorted.
00:54:38
Speaker
And as a result, training really changed. But then obviously when it came around to the open again, it was like, okay, let's get ready, off we go. And so those were the thoughts in my head. And it was probably two or three years before I realized these are really, really unhealthy thoughts to have.
00:54:55
Speaker
Like, first of all, what does it matter if anyone else is even looking at where you place in the leaderboard? Secondly, no one's going to be looking highly likely, but also third, why is your performance against other people on a leaderboard more important than your ability to actually be part of a workout and what you can do in it for yourself? And since then, it took me quite a bit of time to go through that and to face that and to
00:55:25
Speaker
I guess, whether like for me personally, I meditate, I journal, I've seen different people, whether that be in relation to energy work, whether that be in relation to like past experiences, different therapists and so on. Because I was like, these aren't healthy thoughts to have surrounding something like this. So if I want to perform better, these need to change. Because at the end of the day, if I'm
00:55:55
Speaker
a constant comparison to something else, then we're never ever going to be as good as I could be. So that was the sort of guide to change things up. And then now it's more about, don't get me wrong, those thoughts come.
Organizing Transformative Retreats
00:56:10
Speaker
Like, I'll be honest, I did one of the workouts and it went really badly. Not for anything other than
00:56:18
Speaker
if I'm being absolutely honest, as a woman, certain times a month, like hit hard and it hit hard, really hard. It was bad timing. And I remember just completing a thruster and then going and sitting in the toilet and like so much cramped pain that my members were like, has she injured herself? Is Oakley injured? I was like, no, guys, this is just real things that happen. And after that, like even the thoughts of,
00:56:48
Speaker
Do I do it again? Like, does it matter? Like, and I think it's just about now, now they come up, it's less about thinking, oh fuck, sorry, but they've come up a more about being accepting of the fact that they're there and knowing that they don't control me anymore to be like, I can recognize you, but yeah, I'm actually not gonna do it again and that's okay. Whereas before they would have all consumed me.
00:57:17
Speaker
Yeah, and I think that's a huge, like, that's such a great point that there are often people I think that believe it's about never having those thoughts or controlling, only controlling your thoughts to be a certain way. And that's just not possible. You can't
00:57:34
Speaker
Control that they're gonna come but you know one of the things bill he works with younger people too and one of the things he described to a younger person was like those thoughts are like people on the street that you might pass and like you don't have to like stop and say hello and engage like,
00:57:53
Speaker
But you don't also have to like totally like turn around and ignore them. You can just like go high and then let them keep going. And I often think about that sort of just as like a visual with the thoughts. Like I said that. Yeah, you did really nice. Yeah. And it's just like, it's good. Like you don't have to engage in them, but the energy to be like, why am I having that thought? I can't have that thought. That's bad. Like that's, that's not healthy either. Um, yeah.
00:58:22
Speaker
Well, I do want to ask you one more thing because personally it's like really like a
00:58:30
Speaker
Yeah, like I'm very interested in it. So you also, so okay, let's, so you were like world-class jiu-jitsu. I'm just, I'm just like accumulating your resume here. Okay. And you're a flow master on staff and you work with the, the nonprofit with the prisoners and you have your own affiliate, but then you also do retreats and
00:58:58
Speaker
That was something like I sort of have dabbled in and that's like a personal just passion. Like, I guess I didn't always appreciate like even just like women's only kind of energy. And then since I have really appreciated that more, it's like, wow, this is really special. So what's that? Where did that start? And kind of what are you doing with that? Just, I guess, just curious. There's trees. Gosh, where did they start?
00:59:27
Speaker
Oh, gosh, it was. It was. So I used to work with Lululemon and they opened a side of the mindset surrounding life that wasn't I didn't have access to before. It hadn't come into like my awareness and it really, really prompted a few things. And they used to do a few like special days where because of like what the brand was, it was more focused on
00:59:55
Speaker
it was more focused around individuals that were like yoga teachers or Pilates instructors and like the intensity side, which tended to be the individuals I was around a lot of the time weren't there. And so the days were very holistic, very focused on wellness. And I remember experiencing a couple of them and thinking, these have been so transformative. I want to be able to like, um,
01:00:22
Speaker
I'd like to be able to do it for someone else, for others that maybe wouldn't find that as accessible. But I'd also like to take into consideration the fact that some of us maybe need that form of intensity. Like that's just, if you imagine a hole in which you can speak to an individual, that's the way that you can connect with them, because it's the way that they understand themselves. So that was where they started. And they massively developed and they,
01:00:52
Speaker
I'll be honest, I've not planned any this year because I did, I took them for granted in how much energy it takes to do and hold a good one or what I deem as a good one. And holding that space for people is just, it's quite big. It's wonderful, but it's big.
Ethos Weekend and Personal Growth
01:01:13
Speaker
But it was, we did, well, held two last year and then pulled one again in June
01:01:22
Speaker
And it is like you just mentioned that I think it's so special, but something I never expected, especially growing up around like guys, like I was the only girl in my family. Yeah, definitely a lot of it. But then being around just females, because I'd never been in a sport team when I was younger, I also didn't experience it there. It blew my mind how powerful it is. But
01:01:50
Speaker
I never wanted to be one of these individuals that was like maybe a bit over the top on in female and empowerment, but it's special. It really is special. Well, they look amazing and.
01:02:08
Speaker
I hear you want like to do it well and like have all of probably your, like I see in even like the food, like having value in quality food and the experience and the ambiance and the setting and the locations you pick and like, it's all just beautiful. And it looks like you also do some weekend things at the gym too, or like one day. Yeah. And that I love seeing that. That's awesome. Thank you.
01:02:37
Speaker
Well, you are always, always welcome. I know. So we are excited. We are, for those who don't know, we're going to come hell or high water. We're coming the end of September. And yeah, the ethos weekend, similarly to what you're speaking of with holding the space, it's, and I can't
01:03:00
Speaker
at all relate completely because really Bill does a lot of the teaching and the leading and he's more in with people's experience. I mean, I'm certainly supporting him, but it's definitely an exhausting thing to be holding
01:03:23
Speaker
That space and that's kind of like an maybe an overused term, but it's true and you don't know what's going to come up for people and just being able to create that safety and kind of guide them through is like a really huge thing.
01:03:36
Speaker
Um, but yeah, so we're very much looking forward to coming in, you know, sort of all the things you've talked about and just where your perspective and your journey is absolutely like to us sounds like that's sort of where I thought it would be such a great, um, yeah, an open community to hosts and have people experience it. So we're looking forward to it. Very much looking forward to having you. I think it's, Oh gosh, it's so refreshing from my perspective to see,
01:04:07
Speaker
people doing what you guys are doing and bringing awareness to a topic that can be so massively affected by what we do in the gym that, honestly, when I saw years ago, I think
01:04:24
Speaker
Before, I think it was Ben Massey that shared something from Bill and I was like, oh my word, that really hits home. That resonates a lot. And I've followed you guys ever since. So to be able to have you come to the gym, my gym and to potentially help and influence or just share and bring it into people's awareness of members in the gym or people that any of I, I'm very grateful.
01:04:54
Speaker
Well, we're grateful to come. And I think one of the, one of the things that actually talked a little bit about this last week on the, like a CrossFit Health podcast that we were having a conversation on as coaches, as leaders, as affiliate owners, as, as all of that, really people who guide and serve others and provide value to others.
01:05:21
Speaker
I would, I would, I'll speak from my experience and tell me if this is deviates from yours, but there's almost this inquenchable drive to accumulate more knowledge and learn more so that you can distill that package it, share it, deliver it and influence others. And we view ourselves almost as these like, you know, uh, just kind of flow through
01:05:51
Speaker
kind of thing. So like, okay, cool. Someone's teaching this. I'm going to take it. I'm going to share it. I'm going to connect it to, to others. And that's a wonderful thing. However, it's also very common that like, we don't necessarily experience or invest in ourselves to the point of today's workout with you where it's like, Hey, I'm going to, like, I'm going to check the box and not to say check the box, but like, I'm going to get it done. Cause I've, I've got a lot of things to get done. Like,
01:06:20
Speaker
like impressive people typically don't do just one thing in the day and call it good. And you know, it's like, all right, all these things. And sometimes you forget to allow yourself to have that experience.
Conclusion and Upcoming Events
01:06:31
Speaker
And one of the things I think that with like mental health and mindset and, and, and identity and all these different things is that it is very difficult to talk about, you know, it's very difficult to have conversation about it. We're limited by just the, just the limitations of language are a thing.
01:06:51
Speaker
And with ethos, one of the things we feel very strongly in is the transformative power of just experience, having an experience and not necessarily so that you can leverage it and be better in class. Yes, of course. That's, that's a, that's a very nice byproduct, but it's not the primary intent and the primary intent is for people to, you know, really have an empowering transformative experience.
01:07:21
Speaker
at a level that's right and true to them. And hopefully through the course of the weekend and the two days and getting to know people and how we've planned it to go, that becomes felt, not just known up in the head, if that makes sense.
01:07:45
Speaker
It's almost like where we started talking about the cold exposure. You started with a very cognitive kind of, oh, this is good for this. And then it became just an experience of being in nature. So sure, you can go on and use that for other things, but just being in the experience and then letting it, of course, influence you. And it's cool to see.
01:08:11
Speaker
people like you who are serving other people all the time, just participate with and go shoulder to shoulder with their members and have an experience and not necessarily, yeah, hand over the wheel and be like, okay. Yeah, like I don't need to, yeah. So yeah.
01:08:34
Speaker
Well, thank you for taking the time, also for being patient and with all of our time change issues and technology issues. But I'm so glad that we did it. And thanks to my wonderful known technological skill that I had us turn off and on the machine. And it worked. And it's cool that we can say, we'll see you within the year.
01:09:02
Speaker
See you soon. So we'll have to offline talk about booking what the reality is of driving to said sky cottage, booking the Airbnb and getting the full experience. So yeah. You're welcome to. All right. Oakley, what's the best place people can find you? I guess social media is the best place unless you are in person. If you're in person, then Forest Flow CrossFit is
01:09:33
Speaker
No way. But yeah, social media. And you're right by Manchester, right? And you're right by Manchester. We're about an hour north of Manchester. OK. Cool. Very cool. All right. Well, thank you. Thank you so much. This was great. This was just a wonderful, wonderful chat. Yeah, thank you. Enjoy the beauty of your scenery. Thank you very much. All right.