Arianna Sisto
Arianna Sisto fell in love with CrossFit in 2012 after giving birth to her third child, completing her first workout in a new CrossFit gym in Rome.
“I was immediately hooked when I saw people doing handstand push-ups. I thought,’I have to learn how to do that.’ And I never stopped training since,” she said.
Three years later, realizing how CrossFit could make a huge difference in people’s lives, she opened her own affiliate in Rome—CrossFit Trastevere—in 2015. Six years later and Sisto says every time she shows up, “no matter how tired or stressed I may be, I have a smile on my face because it feels like home,” she said.
“The box is where you can change people’s lives for better and nothing is more valuable to me than that,” she added.
Today, not only is Sisto a gym owner, but she’s also an integral member of CrossFit’s Level 1 and 2 Seminar staff in Europe.
“It’s a privilege to me. I am the only woman in Italy (on seminar staff) so far,” she said of the experience.
Q&A with Sisto:
How do you take your coffee?
Sisto: “I only drink espresso. It is faster and more effective.”
What do you love about being involved with the Seminar Staff in Europe?
Sisto: “It is a game changer. Thanks to the feedback we provide, the participants are able to make significant improvements (right away). This isn’t always easy. Sometimes feedback isn’t well received, especially coming from a woman, but I love the challenge of having to adapt my style of coaching and how I give feedback according to the person I have in front of me.”
What does a day in your life look like?
Sisto: “I wake up early and make sure the kids are ready for school. I prep the lunch boxes and all the bags needed for their sports and mine. I take the kids to school and at 8 a.m. I am at the box. I meditate for 20 minutes in my office. I workout at 9 a.m. and I coach from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. I have a 30 minute break for lunch when I’m lucky. At 4:10, I pick up my daughter and bring her to soccer practice. While she is there, I study and work. The days she’s not practicing I spend with my kids. At 7:45 p.m. I am back home, have dinner and by 10:30 p.m. I am in bed.
Mondays to Thursdays are like this. On Friday, I work half a day at the box because in the afternoons I’m typically traveling somewhere for a seminar. I work all day Saturday and Sunday (at the seminar) and get back home on Sunday night.”
What’s your advice for up-and-coming women looking to pursue a career in the fitness space?
Sisto: “Continue studying and developing yourself in all the fields. Knowledge is a very powerful tool.”
