Friends and Neighbors: Hicks teaches cross-fit classes in both Kimball and Sidney

Many 17-year-old seniors are contemplating how to spend the last year of high school.

However, Potter-Dix High School senior Regyn Hicks is not. Hicks is teaching adults how to live a healthier, more active lifestyle through cross-fit.

"I started doing cross-fit a few years ago," Hicks said. "I went to a real cross-fit gym last summer and I fell in love with it."

Hicks decided she wanted to continue the cross-fit program for herself and traveled to Denver this past winter to become certified to teach others. She attended a seminar to learn the totality of the program as well as effective cross-fit teaching skills.

"It was a cool process to go through," Hicks said. "In two days they go through the basic movements and the nutrition and they teach you how to better teach others."

Hicks tested at the end of the seminar. Within two weeks, she received an email stating that she had achieved her goal – cross-fit certification.

"I was so excited!" she said.

Hicks did not immediately think of teaching others right away, but rather had planned to do so further down the road – perhaps during college.

"I didn't really know what I was going to do with it," Hicks said. "I kind of thought I might use it more in a bigger city with an actual cross-fit gym."

A Potter-Dix teacher suggested that she begin teaching the program in Kimball, and then Hicks expanded to Sidney as well. That same teacher got the word out for Hicks through Facebook and Kimball Event Center Director Dorothy Griffith advertised for her to increase her class following as well.

Though she is the leader of the class in Kimball, she is the youngest person in the room. However, that fact does not intimidate Hicks, but instead motivates her.

Hicks said she has the space for up to 15 in her local cross-fit class, which she teaches three days per week. She currently she teaches about 10 people in all fitness levels.

"We will modify the workout. I've had people work from the very bottom to where they are learning more and accomplishing more each day," Hicks said. "It is really cool."

The program includes cardio training as well as strength training.

"It is a combination of cardio, plyometrics and weight lifting all together. We call it the gymnastic, the weight and the mono-structural movements. Put it all together and that is cross-fit," Hicks explained, even though the program does not use the equipment.

In addition to the movement of cross-fit, the program also explores nutrition. It differs from other fitness programs in that there is no routine.

"Cross-fit focuses a lot on functional movement and making sure it is never the same. You never want to have a routine, because that makes it boring and repetitive," she said. "It is constantly changing and it is always something you will use in life."

Though she is a volleyball player and she participates in track, Hicks said she plans on teaching classes throughout the coming school year as well.

"I am sure that for late game night, I will have to work something out for the next morning," Hicks said. "As for just being able to come teach and then go to school, I think I should be able to handle that."

Hicks said her future is not fully decided, but she will probably continue teaching and certainly using cross-fit.

"I haven't exactly decided yet. I might pair it with physical therapy, because I think those two go hand-in-hand in understanding how the body moves," Hicks said. "It would be interesting."

Though she would not have described herself as a morning person, Hicks said she has really become energized and motivated to continue teaching the program in the near and far future.

"I think that everybody can make their own mark, do what they love to do and make a difference," Hicks said. "If I can help ten people be happier and healthier in their life, I have done what I want to do, I have accomplished my goal."