December AOTM: Clarissa

Clarissa (she/her) joined Solcana in late 2024 through EMPOWER during a period of major life changes. She was looking for a gym that offered inclusivity and a safe space to engage in movement while managing a back injury. “I wanted to increase my strength slowly and focus on technique,” she says. “Solcana was the best place I found to learn to lift safely and just be myself.”

Her journey has been full of milestones. When she first started, she was not able to bench 35lbs. Today, she can bench 90 lbs.!! (WOOHOO!) Deadlifts that once worried her are now exceeding her expectations, and she has discovered a real passion for Olympic weightlifting—snatches, jerks, and cleans. “I feel powerful doing Olympic weightlifting, and it’s something I genuinely look forward to,” Clarissa shares.

“I love having Clarissa in class! She is so tuned in to her body, what it needs, what it can do. She works with so much intention, with an eye to both where she's at and where she's headed. I love her commitment to excellence, her grounded confidence, her dry wit. So glad to share space with her!” -Coach Rachel

"Clarissa is such a wonderful athlete to coach! She is quietly hilarious and brings a gritty determination to each movement, pushing herself to play, try, and grow.” -Coach Anna

Reconnecting with her body has been transformative. “I enjoyed relearning how to connect with my body, believe in my body, and then do cool things with it again. I remember not being able to and in general lost some body coordination. Now I can do a body wave without pain, I can stand for much longer, and can twerk again!” Since coming to Solcana, she has been more confident to engage with other activities that require focus and learning because it's something she has to do in the classes. “I am even excited to learn to be active in the winter but I will see if that goal will happen once the snow comes in,” she mentions.

Clarissa’s biggest motivation was gaining strength back after the injury and being able to keep up with her family. “Doing one push-up, holding myself up on a bar, and running have brought me to better mental and physical health,” she says. Joining Solcana was the best decision she made, she shares. “Because it made me re-engage with my body and go back to the basics of eating fibers again, sleeping well and hydrating. This helped me feel connected to myself.” Now she wants to improve her technique with Olympic weightlifting and continue to improve her core strength to support her back.

Clarissa also loves the Solcana coaching environment. “The coaches are amazing because it feels like I have a mix of support and encouragement to improve technique. They check in, give feedback and positively yell for me. Doing this for a year has been great, and I look forward to what I will be able to do next year.”

“Clarissa is such a great person to have at Solcana. I see her making connections and friendships that support her in her athletic journey. She builds a community around her and gives that support right back making everyone around her stronger. She asks really good questions and is very interested in growing as an athlete, which she works really hard at. She is fun to have in class and brings great energy into the gym to share with those around her.” -Coach Garrett F.

“Clarissa is awesome! It has been amazing watching her progress through Empower and now continuing to crush it in group fitness. She is so attuned to her body and works really hard to make sure she is doing everything correctly.” -Coach Kaitlin

Outside the gym, Clarissa enjoys eating good food, traveling, cycling, listening to music, and taking naps. She also shares this important observation: “I believe that we need to bring back dancing in clubs with no cameras because why are you filming me!?” And with a family scattered across the globe, their WhatsApp group is busy 24 hours.

Looking ahead, Clarissa’s goals include refining her Olympic weightlifting technique and continuing to build core strength to support her back. She would also like to share that “The devil’s press is for the devil, I hope it never shows up again.”

Solcana has given Clarissa more than strength, it’s given her confidence, health, and the joy of moving her body again. We are so lucky and happy to have the amazing Clarissa in our Solcana community. Thanks for being you, showing up and working hard!