Our Reppin' My Whey series allows us to highlight members of the EFM community, the fun facts that make them unique and how EFM has made a difference in their lives.
Let's hear it for Morgan, part of the EFM M.A.F.I.A. and one of long-time partners and athletes.
How did you get into athletics/training/sports?
Bro I am the most un-athletic athlete you will ever meet. I ran track in high school just so I could hang out with my friends after school, and I surprised myself by being kind of fast? But it required very little skill, as it was a straight-line run and super hard to mess up. I didn't touch a sport again until CrossFit in my mid 20s, and I was actually pretty good at it. i honestly wish I had been involved in more team sports/athletics as a child because being so involved in CrossFit and Weightlifting has given me the best friendships and experiences of my adult life. I wish I had more of it.
How has your athletic path influenced your career?
So much! I am a full time nutrition coach for performance-based athletes. I work with a company called Black Iron Nutrition, and my department specifically focuses on providing nutrition and recovery recommendations for people looking to train their best. I use my own experiences, history, and anecdotal evidence from teammates EVERY DAY in my nutrition coaching.
How did you find your current sport?
CrossFit baby!!! My one true love!! The workouts I would CRUSH always involved a heavy barbell, so one year I was just like - why don't I only do workouts that I'm good at? And those workouts were called weightlifting.
What is your favorite part of your sport?
The places I've been and the people that I've met! I am so lucky to have 8 years of National competition experience - from Reno to Malta. I have met and seen some really incredible people perform, and I love being part of such a niche community.
What is your favorite part of training?
I love when complexes are in my programming - I think they're a great way to test a little bit of grit, fearlessness, and risk. Give me a 2 RDL + hang snatch + pause snatch complex and I'll be excited to go in and attack.
Tell us about your favorite competition.
Hands down competing for USA in Malta. I will never ever forget the feeling of sharing a stage with Lydia Valentin, accidentally running into Max Lang in an elevator, and hearing the US anthem play because I performed well.
Tell us about training and competing as an LGBTQIA+ athlete.
So, the older that I get - the more I find it important to share that queer is not my ONLY identity. I had a hard time understanding that when I was younger, as I thought pride had to be loud and aggressive in order to be effective. I think occupying so many different identities has actually made me more of a role model, with more relatability to fellow athletes in the sport.
Talk about being a nutrition coach? How did you get into it? What do you love about it?
This is the best job that I've ever had, hands down. I feel like the more effective I am, the more lives I am really changing - and I knew (even from college) that my job needed to have a healing impact. At first, I thought that meant being a women's studies professor. Then, for a while, it meant being a CrossFit and Weightlifting coach. Now, it means teaching people about their food decisions and letting them feel empowered by their relationship with food, as opposed to scared of it. I am extremely proud of the impact I make, every day.
You're moving to MEXICO. Tell us about why and what you're looking forward to.
So I've been Mexican for my whole life (ha) but I've never really felt connected to that part of my family or culture. When I had the opportunity to compete for Mexico last year (and medal) I really wanted to be all in. I made connections with the coaches down there and was offered the opportunity to compete and train with them. That, and my wife and I both being remote workers for the first time in our entire relationship meant that moving was a no brainer. We are headed straight to Mexico City with a one-way ticket and our little chihuahua, but not much else is figured out past that!
Did you grow up with any LGBTQIA+ athletes that you looked up to?
God, no. The trouble with queer representation in sport is that its full of typecasts. I thought that being gay meant I had to wear jeans and baseball hats all the time, and that made me struggle a lot with my own identity as I was coming out. While our larger media idols are slowly becoming more diverse, I know that just by existing authentically, I am creating a larger visibility for athletes like me who love eyeliner and getting their nails done.
Husky Dunker Cookies&Cream Grass Fed Protein
$59.99
What are your favorite EFM supplements?
My all time favorite protein is Husky dunker, but I'm also a huge ZMA fan. I take my sleep very seriously.
Forty Winkz (formerly ZMA Advanced)
$29.99
What's next for competition and athletic path?
I would love to compete in November for an annual event that Mexico has. We are moving in June, so I'm assuming that I'll be in a new groove, a great training schedule, and mildly adjusted to the altitude by then!
Follow Morgan on Instagram here.