Dianne is by far one of the most genuine people I have met in my life. Always ready to sacrifice her time to help others.
Dianne was awarded 2016 member of the year based on several things.
Besides her obvious overall improvements the things that has captured me the most is her Spirit and attitude towards CrossFit and our community, something that everyone should take example from.

Below is Dianne`s journey in his own words.

Tell us about your CrossFit story from the beginning.
My fitness journey began right after returning from my honeymoon in May 2012. I was going through some kind of personal life crisis. I was newly married, I wasn't happy with me. I’d seen the proofs of the wedding. Things needed to change within. One Sunday I signed up to a year’s membership to a boxing gym close to my workplace.

After 6 months I had lost 3 dress sizes, and discovered a love of fitness, but I was quite skinny and not very strong. I started researching. I don't remember how I stumbled across Crossfit exactly, but I knew I wanted to try this thing out.

I found a month's unlimited trial membership at a box a drive away, but due to the distance and traffic, I found it quite difficult to commit to more than 2 days per week. But, I’d fallen in love. I remember the first time i stepped into the box, a group of girls were doing rope climbing drills, they looked badass and fierce. I too wanted to learn. I kept the group boxing training for another year after, but I wanted more.

Since my second year of boxing membership was up, I decided not to renew again and try someplace/something else. This was around the time I walked into Metal Therapy. Everyone was quite welcoming to me. After a month trial of “spying”, I’d signed up. Now the coaches cannot get rid of me!

What was it about CrossFit that got you hooked?
Definitely the community. Everyone is supportive and encouraging at Metal Therapy. It is essentially my fit family.

You have undergone a huge physical transformation. Can you tell us about it?
With any change, no one else can make you do something you do not want to.

I had already decided that it was too much pressure to do something about it prior to the wedding. On the return from our honeymoon I was motivated to keep to the promise to myself to do something about it. I signed up and the next day went to my first group 30 min training session. I’d eventually became fit enough to tackle a double class 6 days per week and on occasion 90 minutes. It seriously was a lot of cardio. I’d also found a free meal plan online with helped with the food side of things.

I ended up losing 3-4 dress sizes, probably around 20 kg, but I'd never weighed myself in the beginning. My husband has, and is very supportive of me and I definitely wouldn't be able to, and continue to achieve my goals without him by my side.

When you first started at Metal Therapy you were very quiet. Coach actually thought you were a spy. But not anymore. Tell us about the CrossFit community and how it has shaped you?
I’m generally quite reserved around new people and different environments, it takes some time for me to open up once I start getting to know you. Interestingly, my colleagues noticed a change in my confidence around the laboratory around the time I lost weight.

You were chosen as Member of the Year for your consistency, focus and determination. Can you tell us a little about your mindset and the way you approach your training?
Ever since I started my fitness journey I was quite consistent with my training. It was my 30 or 60 minutes of "me” time away from work pressures and an outlet for my work frustrations. I've always given myself mini goals towards a larger goal I set my mind to. I don't cherry pick wods, I just rock up, maybe have a small whinge, and then get on with the work set out for us.

You cried and made us all cry when you received your award. What does being Member of the Year mean to you?
How embarrassing!
Well, when listening to explanation of the traits of the member of the year, I had already discounted myself. Names of fellow athletes were running through my mind. Of course deep down I would love for it to be me. So it was a complete shock to hear my name called out! I am very humbled to receive this award in recognition of my efforts this past year.

You have some super strength inside of you and an engine too and have known to smash your previous benchmark scores out of the ball park. Tell us what you've been focusing on in 2016.
2016 was my year to focus on Olympic Lifting classes. Snatches have always been quite a strange movement to me, and I had attributed this to not doing them enough. So by giving me a goal to attend 75% of classes for the year would give me more exposure to this movement. I now feel more comfortable with snatches within a WOD. Over the winter months I was doing the pull up program, too, and had lots of gains.

We have so many quirky stories about you. From being pantless or appearing out of nowhere in bushes to serving up shots for breakfast at Regionals. What is your favourite memory from your CrossFit journey?
It would have to be Haley’s 30th birthday after party. It was the origins of “no pants” and probably where I ended up gaining most of my nicknames that night. We ended up listening to cool Sunday tunes at the local Hungry Jacks the next morning. Fun times.

What is your most loved movement and why?
It is a tossup between deadlifts and cleans. Deadlifts because I love picking up heavy shit. Cleans because they kind of come naturallyish to me. Oh! I also love rope climbs, because I feel badass doing them, I'm not fast at them and I tire easily, but I can do them. Running also, since I taught myself how to run some distance without stopping. Wall balls and burpees because I am semi sadistic.

What movement makes you groan at the thought of and why? What do you do to move toward loving it?
Toes-to-bar and handstands are two movements that fall in this category.
T2B Coach Gab has given me some accessory exercises to strengthen my core, got no abs.
andstands I think it is just more confidence kicking up into it. It is a struggle most definitely. Gymnastic movements I have to work very hard for. I wish I was more flexible. YAY for yoga in 2017!

What demons have you faced in your CrossFit journey? And how have you overcome them?
In the beginning, had a fear of box jumps. At my first Crossfit box we jumped onto tyres laying on their sides, I started on a smaller tyre and built myself up to 20” box height. Recently I had a small slip, definitely stunned me. I was back jumping up on boxes the next box jump wod.

We love you for your community spirit around the box. Organising KK, Christmas parties, Spartan races etc. How important is the community of CrossFit to you?
Well I understand the the coaches are busy coaching and family life and they have other things on their plates, sometimes it is nice to do something outside the box, like an obstacle race to challenge ourselves with the tricks we learn inside the gym applied to other situations. The community vibe is what you make of it. If you want to do something, chances are someone else would also like to do it, so create an event and they will come. That's my motto. The other person was probably afraid to do it.

 

You are undoubtedly our most stealth member. So, let's dig a little deeper into the mystery that is Di Hillsley.
.... what's the nerdiest thing you do in your spare time?
Hahaha! So I don't like being stuck inside the house for extended periods of time, I get bored then get self destructive, but I also need a purpose of going out. Now most people know I’ve been playing Pokemon Go. (As much as Coach Gab does not want pokemon inside his gym, they are there!) But I also play Ingress which is another location based augmented reality multiplayer game you can play on your mobile device, and it is what PoGo is based on and it has been around for a few years now. Simplistically, it two factions, blue vs. green to capture portals (real life places of cultural significance like public art, statues and monuments) and linking them together virtually to create triangles or “control fields” to control the world. If you’re going to join me, pick blue! But before that it was Geocaching, which is a worldwide treasure hunt seeking containers hidden at marked coordinates all over the world. I still play this occasionally, generally when I visit new places on holidays.

.... you wouldn't be caught dead, where?
My past. I have already lived through it and it has shaped me into whom I am now.

.... if you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be?
1- World peace. Less fighting, more loving and acceptance;
2- to travel the world seeing the sights of nature, experiencing different cultures and tasting traditional foods;
3- To be able to eat anything and not put on weight.

.... if you had to change your name, what would you change it to?
I’m not sure, I have grown to love my name.

.... if you were told that in 24 hours the world would end, name 3 things you would do in those 24 hours?
24 hours is not a lot of time. It would have to be three extreme things, like skydive or bungee jump, deep sea dive, and hot air ballooning.

.... what do you want to be remembered for?
For being a good person.

.... would you rather wear pants or no pants?
Haha! Goes without saying, no pants!

.... if you were invisible where would you go?
Go sit in every Cirque Du Soleil show, gymnasts are amazing!

So, Di Hillsley in a year's time... tell us about her.

I would hope that she will be able to kick up into handstands first go, be able to link toes-to-bar with no scaling and have a 45kg snatch. Get abs, even if they are.. erm, a little padded. Lose some of the padding. Have realistic expectations, be kind to myself and express gratitude more. Generally keep progressing forward getting PBs in whatever form they arrive.

In the middle of a WOD, what animal would best represent you?
A tortoise. I may not be the fastest, but I’ll get it done.

You've been asked to write a sales pitch for CrossFit. How would you pitch it?
Crossfit isn't as scary (and dangerous) as it is portrayed by the media. Everything is scaleable to a progression fit for YOU. Come down and have a play, experience the community for yourself.

CrossFit Inc. decide to name and design a WOD in your honour. What would the 'Di' WOD be?

For Time:
21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Power Cleans 40/60
Wall Ball Shots 6/9
Burpees Over Bar