MEMBER OF THE MONTH - CATHY

Meet Kea’s Member of the Month - December 2024

Cathy Orava: Fitter at 65

Recently, when Cathy Orava was visiting her 68-year-old friend in California, a package arrived.

It was two fairly heavy, cumbersome night stands.

Cathy’s friend looked and her and said, ‘Well, I guess you’re going to have to carry these up the stairs.’

At the age of 65, the 5-foot-8 Cathy didn’t hesitate.

“I bent over, did a proper deadlift, you know, braced my core and carried them up a few flights of stairs,” Cathy remembered.

She credits this to CrossFit, and to the coaches at Kea Athletics. Because at 65, Cathy said she is stronger and fitter, and more confident in what her body can do, than she was 10 years ago.

“I had to bite my tongue when my friend told me I would have to carry the night stands. I wanted to tell her she needs to do CrossFit. I just wish more women in their 50s and 60s would try CrossFit, and not be too scared because anybody can do it,” she added.

Cathy’s Story

Even though Cathy had been into sports her entire life, she was that scared woman in her 50s before she decided to try CrossFit.

Growing up, Cathy was into synchronized swimming and big into water polo, and as an adult she got into aerobics in the 80s.

In her 20s, she was heavily into long-distance running, even doing half and full marathons. After that, Cathy dabbled with lifting weights at the rec center on and off, got into spin classes for a while, and TRX classes at another time.

In her 50s, Cathy was into cycling, even doing a 200-km bike ride race one time.

“I have tried it all,” she said.

Still, the thought of CrossFit scared her.

“I heard about CrossFit from my physiotherapist and he said he thought I’d like it, but I was afraid to go for years and years,” she said.

She was scared because, back in 2012, she underwent back surgery and thought CrossFit might aggravate the injury.

But when she finally decided to take the plunge six years ago, the opposite happened. She became stronger and her back pain all but disappeared.

“Since doing CrossFit, my back has been so good,” she said.

And at 65, she’s still improving.

When Cathy started CrossFit, she would use 15 to 20-pound dumbbells for dumbbell bench press repetitions, and now she’s using 35-pounds dumbbells. Further, six years ago she couldn’t even squat to full depth, and now her heaviest back squat is 135 pounds.

Her next goal: To get a pull-up.

Even more than her physical fitness gains, though, has been how CrossFit, and the Kea community, has helped Cathy mentally and emotionally through life’s ups and downs.

“I went through a bunch of family stuff, and it was so good for my mental health when I was going through it. It kept me going. For an hour, I was able to just it off,” she said.

“When I leave the gym, even thought it’s a grind in there, there’s always a sense of lightness when you’re done,” she continued, adding that Kea community has also helped her make connections with people “who have become lifelong friends.”

Today, not only is Cathy fitter and mentally healthier than she ever would be without CrossFit, but she’s also more confident in herself.

At 5-foot-8 and muscular, Cathy said she always felt uncomfortable in her own skin.

“I wasn’t like the slim, tall one. I was the more solid one,” she said.

And even at 65, these thoughts don’t just go away, she explained.

“For my generation of women, I still have friends I speak with who say they don’t want to be too bulky or muscular,” Cathy explained.

Finding CrossFit, thought, helped her abandon all these negative thoughts, and has helped her realize that not only does lifting weights not make you bulky, but that strength is something to be celebrated. Especially at her age.

“I want to be able to put my suitcase in the overhead bin in an airplane. I have been on airplanes and I have had to put other women’s suitcases in the overhead bin for them. And they look at me and they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re my hero,’” she said, laughing.

Cathy’s Message

“CrossFit can be for everyone,” she said. “Everyone is there supporting you, no matter how fit you are, and no matter your age.”

And although when it comes to fitness, Cathy has “tried it all,” she feels like CrossFit is here to stay. For as long as she’s able to do it.

“As they say, it’s better to be the oldest person in the gym…than not to be there at all,” she said.

written by: Emily Beers