Carol-Ann Reason-Thibault demonstrates the beauty in power
By Sarah Mo
Photography by Samuel Tessier
Some new and very inspiring vocabulary has been entering conversations surrounding the topic of beauty lately. Being bold, confident, and healthy are welcome additions to a topic that has been an harmful obsession for many.
Carol-Ann Reason-Thibault is an accomplished athlete who is challenging the tired beauty narrative. Hailing from Quebec, the 29-year-old competes in CrossFit™, a form of exercise that requires athletes to perform a variety of high-intensity exercises including weighted vest runs, handstand push-ups (Reason-Thibault’s personal favourite), kettlebell swings, and other activities.
Ten years ago, Reebok recognized the hard work and talent of these athletes and created the CrossFit® Games, a worldwide competition designed to “find the Fittest [athletes] on Earth.” Since then, the sport has rapidly grown, with 13,000 affiliates to date. This year, Reason-Thibault is adding to that number.
She’s already crushed the North-Eastern Regionals, ranking first in her division and winning three out of five of the qualifying events. She’s come a long way since her first performance back in 2013, when she placed 48th.
When asked about her strong performance in the North-Eastern Regionals, Reason-Thibault says she is happy to have improved on her personal bests from previous years. “Winning regionals was just a bonus. It’s always an honour to share the floor with other great athletes,” she relates. While her victory may have been a bonus, it definitely wasn’t won by chance; Reason-Thibault trains passionately year-round—and it shows. Her physique is the result of a strategy she’s put in place to keep challenging her personal bests. She rarely takes a full rest day and will include a swim or cycling session on days when she’s not training more intensely in the gym.
“I train five days a week, two to three times a day. I also take one active recovery day, which includes running and swimming, and one rest day where I do a light swim or assault bike session,” shares Reason-Thibault.
This exercise regime may sound like hard work, and that’s because it is. Reason-Thibault describes herself and her parents as competitive, so it’s only natural that she would push herself. Plus, when you take into account Reason-Thibault’s five-year Olympic boxing background prior to her career in CrossFit®, it’s clear to see that she’s always aiming for a knockout performance.
For Reason-Thibault, this type of training isn’t gruelling work: it’s a necessary step that brings her closer to her goals. With or without the accolades, Reason-Thibault is grateful that her body keeps improving and adjusting to the challenges she throws its way.
This shift toward goal achievement as criteria for beauty is a wonderfully refreshing change from the more antiquated concept of beauty as demure innocence. Reason-Thibault is anything but that. Her body exudes power and confidence, her tattoos display a flash of her personality, and her smile lets you know that she loves the work she is doing.
Physiologically, we know that we appear more attractive when we look healthy—so why not embrace that? The CrossFit® community certainly has. This is another reason why Reason-Thibault enjoys the world of CrossFit®—it embraces and celebrates strength, regardless of gender.
“Crossfit® gives the opportunity to prove that women and men are equal and can do the same things, although with different weights. It is totally acceptable in the CrossFit® world to be a woman with a lot of muscles—I like this message,” Reason-Thibault explains.
While Reason-Thibault is extremely dedicated to her goals, she will still indulge in some ice cream and Nutella every now and then. She reminds young women aspiring to get into CrossFit® to “have fun and to play every day.” She continues, “Don’t see your training as work. It’s work, but it has to be fun.”
This truly is sound advice to anyone looking to start any type of exercise regime. Even outside the realm of personal fitness, a little fun helps to lighten the load when taking on large endeavours.
As for the future beyond the 2017 CrossFit® Games, Reason-Thibault sees herself coaching athletes. She’s already done some coaching and programming, but is looking to continue the work as a full-time project after she’s done with competing. She wants to help others achieve their dreams and goals—and who better than an individual who knows intimately about the slow, steady, determined road to success?
Anyone who has hit the gym knows that biceps aren’t built overnight. Reason-Thibault certainly knows this. She’s spent hundreds of hours behind closed doors grooming herself to achieve her goals. She’s enthusiastic and her performance is the mark of hours spent, sweat earned, and goals achieved. We can all agree that is what beauty truly is.
Reason-Thibault’s story is a testament to how determination can transform not only a body, but also a life.
