Annie Sakamoto

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S4EP6: ANNIE SAKAMOTO
Still Nasty

Annie Sakamoto was one of the first women to take up CrossFit and she went on to become a trainer, affiliate owner, competitor, and one of the most beloved icons of the sport. She was one of the original “Nasty Girls”, pushing the limits of human performance not just for women, but humans in general. She placed in the top 10 3 of the 4 times she competed in the CrossFit Games and was awarded the spirit of the Games award in 2011. Most recently she placed 3rd in the Legends division of the Rogue Invitational. In this episode, Annie runs us through her first experience with CrossFit (and consequently her first case of abdo), her affiliate journey, and what she is up to now.

For more info on Annie, check out CrossFit Santa Cruz Central or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

People, Organizations, and Cereal mentioned in the episode:
[03:53]  Everyone’s absolute favorite dessert cereal
[04:39]  Annie’s CrossFit origin story
[04:54]  Annie was one of the original Nasty Girls
[05:16]  Eva Twardokens
[05:40]  Billy Blanks, Tae Bo
[08:14]  Annie’s first tangle with Glute Ham sit-ups
[10:06]  Pukie the Clown
[10:15]  Mark Rippetoe and Kiss the Snake
[12:40]  Annie’s path to becoming a CrossFit Coach
[14:05]  Nicole Carroll
[15:20]  Annie does her first muscle up, having never seen one, on her second try.
[18:20]  Annie opens CrossFit Santa Cruz Central
[18:22]  Hollis Molloy, CrossFit Santa Cruz
[19:22]  Annie’s partners at CrossFit Santa Cruz Central: Rob Miller, Eva T, Jimmy Baker, Michelle Mootz, Helene Bouchard
[22:34]  Annie’s CrossFit Games Career
[24:48]  Chyna Cho tells Annie she better go to the games
[29:45]  Rogue Invitational
[30:46]  Annie competes at the Rogue Invitational with some other legends: Jason Khalipa, Becca Voigt-Miller, Mikko Salo, Kristan Clever, Chris Spealler
[31:20]  How Annie’s training has changed as she’s gotten older
[31:38]  Annie is coached by Jason Leydon
[33:29]  Annie talks about her kids’ fitness routines
[37:28]  Eva T’s accident
[40:18]  What would Annie go back and tell herself in the early CF days?
[43:12]  Annie WOD origin story
[45:53]  Annie’s digits