A HUGE congratulations to our April Athlete of The Month, Gabby Averill. Gabby is an all around outstanding young lady and athlete. She is always the hardest working one in the room and a true leader on and off the field. Its been amazing to watch her journey over the last year. This is her story...
My name is Gabby Averill and I am a senior at Oakdale High School. I plan to attend Mount St. Mary’s University next fall to play Division 1 lacrosse. I began training at PFP in the fall of my sophomore year with the Oakdale girls lacrosse team. I honestly had no idea what to expect going into it, given I had never weight trained before and I could barely do a pushup. I was definitely intimidated, to say the least, by the upperclassmen who were stronger and more advanced than me. The first time I walked in I was greeted with hugs and smiles from people I had never met before. I was overwhelmed by the positive and uplifting atmosphere of the gym. We continued to do preseason training the following year when I was a junior, but I would just go through the movements not really pushing myself as hard as I could have. I was able to get stronger, but definitely not to my fullest potential. Then, quarantine hit, PFP closed down, and my junior year lacrosse season was over. With all of the time on my hands, I began working out in my basement even though I only had a few 25 pound plates and 12 pound dumbbells. Luckily, we were able to do virtual PFP sessions and that is when I began pushing myself. I was beyond excited when they opened back up and the team started going in again because I knew I wanted to become stronger and take lifting more seriously in order to compete at the next level. Over the summer and into the fall, I was able to build relationships with Travis, Andrew, and Ben who helped push me to not only become a stronger athlete, but a stronger leader and teammate. I am so grateful to have them, and the rest of the pfp staff, to look up to as mentors. Travis and Ben came to my National Signing Day at Oakdale High School when I committed to Mt. St. Mary’s. Just like family. Over the course of the past few months I have increased my days and I go into PFP about four or five times a week; those days are truly the highlight of my week. I have seen exponential progress in my strength and speed and it is all thanks to the PFP coaches. As soon as I walk into the building, I feel so motivated and inspired by the staff and the other athletes around me who feel like family and push me to do my best. The staff gets as excited as I do when I hit a personal best. The staff at PFP have thoroughly prepared me to play Division I lacrosse and compete at this next level. My strength and endurance will allow me to approach my Freshman year at Mount St. Marys with confidence and assurance. I can’t thank them enough for pushing me to be my best.
