Preslie Hirsch
“If I can just get on stage and win a trophy for how I look, then I’ll finally be happy.”
That’s what Preslie Hirsch thought when she got into figure competitions.
She committed herself to the cause, but the results weren’t what she was expecting: She won the competition, but still wasn’t happy and found that her eating disorder issues had only been exasperated.
Then she found CrossFit and “immediately fell in love with the challenge. My first workout was Karen. Yikes,” said Hirsch, a lover of technology and now the Software Product Specialist at WHOOP.
Though today Hirsch spends her days helping WHOOP members problem solve, her resume is more broad than her current “nerdy” software job that she “totally loves.” Prior to working for WHOOP, Hirsh owned and ran Preslie Nutrition, which she sold when she accepted the position with WHOOP. She also hosts a podcast—Hey Preslie Podcast—a top-rated podcast that covers mental health, fitness and lifestyle topics that has won Best in Our Valley in Arizona.
Q&A with Hirsch:
How do you take your coffee?
Hirsch: “Iced black Americano”
Tells us more about your CrossFit beginnings:
Hirsch: “The next day (after Karen), I came to the CrossFit gym in the morning for class and then came back at night. That’s when I learned the workout is the same all day. I then dove in head first, got my Level 1 about eight weeks later and have only become more obsessed with the sport and community.”
What does a day in your life look like?
Hirsch: “I enjoy breaking up my training, so I wake up early before work, drink a little coffee and hit class fasted at my CrossFit gym, or do some form of conditioning. I work from home, so then I’ll cozy up in my living room for a day of work, and usually break mid-day for some sunshine. After work, I hit the gym again and usually do some Olympic weightlifting or strength training. I have a lot of hobbies so I sprinkle those in at night, and then do it all again the next day. I’m fortunate to work remotely, so I travel fairly often and mix in a change of scenery in that routine where I can.”
What advice do you have for up-and-coming women who want a career in the CrossFit or fitness space?
Hirsch: “When I was thinking about where I wanted to work after self-employment, I knew I wanted to be somewhere with aligned values…In my opinion, you can learn and adopt skills, but a passion for and genuine interest in the product or service is more inherent and goes a long way. I made a list of companies I already felt drawn to in the CrossFit space and applied to those places directly. So that would be my advice. Ask yourself, ‘What companies in the space do I think are really rad?’ And then see how you can get involved, starting from a place of already being excited about what they’re doing.”
