Aggie Michelle Leachman runs to the top
As the Fitness Coordinator in the Aggie Recreation Center, Michelle Leachman oversees all 38 instructors and their classes in personal training and conditioning.
She also teaches exercise prescription and fitness assessment for the Health, Physical Education and Recreation department at Utah State University.
“I love fitness coordinating, I love getting to be part of a university and still being around all those students, who still want to learn,” Leachman said. “I can try and coax them towards exercise at the same time and create a healthier mindset for students.”
Leachman says she feels very blessed to be at USU, since there aren’t many positions as a fitness coordinator out there. Much of the draw that brought her to the university was the outdoors.
“I think I was destined to be down in this area because all of the trail running and the beautiful landscape of Utah,” Leachman said.
Leachman loves running and physical fitness in general. She recently ran the Outdoor Obstacle Course Racing, or OCR. Her future plans include attending a marathon in Las Vegas.
She tries to teach other people how to take care of themselves through exercise and proper nutrition, which is something she has learned through her own experience running in the ORC. The OCR is not a simple run, but involves about seventy different obstacles, she said, each as difficult as the last.
Many of Leachman’s current activities evolved from past hobbies. Before the ORC, she competed in Spartan races which led to sponsorships from several different companies. Spartan races range from 8 to 10 miles and involve a series of obstacle courses. The OCR takes the most difficult obstacles from Spartan races to an international level in Canada.
The OCR has greatly influenced her teaching methods, Leachman said.
“It was incredibly intimidating and super out of my comfort zone,” she said. “Like I try to tell my staff and my students, you don’t really grow unless you get outside of that comfort zone.”
On her route to get into the OCR, Leachman has also raced in Tough Mudder, Death Race and Battle Frog.
“Things like the Dragons Back, where you’re jumping out 10 feet to try to catch a bar,” Leachman said. “If you miss it, you fall 12 feet down. “
Leachman doesn’t necessarily promote overexertion, which can happen while training for obstacle course racing. However, she has found a deep sense of accomplishment from competing. These days, she tries to take it easy to focus on her responsibilities and give attention to self-care.
As winter comes, she plans to continuing training for half marathons while looking like the abominable snowman. She’s also believes if she doesn’t run a marathon on Sunday, the Seahawks won’t win.
— jason.crummitt@aggiemail.usu.edu