Our next High Riser has worked her way through the ranks of college participating in Cheerleading, Acrobatics & Tumbling all the way to CrossFit and Olympic Weightlifting. Whether she’s participating in competitive dance, soccer, or cheerleading, Marly Campos has always been training to get better. Marly’s journey began in Newport Beach, California, where she was born and raised. From there, she went on to Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas to be on their competitive cheer team. After being recruited to Kennesaw State University in Georgia, she decided to head back to the west after being invited to be part of the University of Oregon’s inaugural Acrobatics and Tumbling team. In her second year, the team won the first Acrobatics and Tumbling National Championships.
Marly’s journey, however, is just beginning. She’s working her way to becoming a top 5 nationally ranked Olympic weightlifter, and her profession as a CrossFit coach and personal trainer is a big part of reaching those goals. She began CrossFit by chance after running past her local CrossFit box on her way home. “I decided to walk in and see what all the loud music was about. It was just a big open space with barbells, weights, and rings hanging from the ceiling; I didn’t quite understand. I spoke with the owner, he told me what CrossFit was all about and I just had a feeling that this is something I needed to be a part of,” she told Rise Bar of her journey to becoming a CrossFitter.Not content with just CrossFit, however, Marly signed up for her first weightlifting meet in March of 2014. After qualifying for nationals, she decided to refine her focus and found a coach to take her all the way to the national competition, where she placed in the top 15.
Besides CrossFit, coaching, and weightlifting, Marly likes to enjoy country music and dancing. “I absolutely fell in love with the south,” she said. But she balances out the South with some good old California fun. “But if I’m not in cowboy boots, you can find me at the beach,” she admitted. Her advice to others is to try everything and get past your fears. “Don’t be afraid to try. You don’t realize how much you are capable of, you just have to take that first step. You’ll be very glad you did!” With the multitude of sports Marly has excelled at, she definitely knows what she’s talking about.
Marly’s diet is based on macros and structured meal plans. She gave up the paleo diet after realizing it was wrong for her and her goals. “I began eating rice, lots and lots of rice, in order to get enough carbohydrates, which was something I was seriously lacking with paleo,” she cautioned. Diet trends don’t always work for every person -- it’s important to find what works for you.
Marly also uses Rise Bars while she trains for Olympic weightlifting. “I find myself getting extremely hungry in the middle of my lifting sessions and Rise Bars, especially the Almond Honey, are not only delicious, but are extremely easy on the stomach and give me that extra boost of energy I need to finish up my programming,” she shared.
Tags: competition cheer fitness sport variety excelling diet macros crossfit
