July Featured Athletes - Candice Reeves & Richard Hernandez

1. Where are you both from?

Most recently, we lived in NYC (Sunnyside, Queens) for a number of years, and we both grew up in the suburbs of NYC.

2. What brought you to Ithaca?

We came to Ithaca for Candice to get her MPS in Natural Resources at Cornell.

3. Do you plan on sticking around? (Please say yes.)

Yes! (for now). We will be in Ithaca for at least one more year :)

4. What are your athletic backgrounds prior to coming into Pallas?

Rich - I've been doing strength training regularly since college days and then got more into running heavily after meeting Candice. After a few years of marathons (and a couple ultras), I was over it. I worked with a trainer for 6 months on Olympic lifting, then started doing CrossFit via CompTrain programming in 2018.

Candice - I've been a hardcore runner for ~15 years, doing (too many) marathons in her 20s and a couple ultras. I suffered a pretty wretched back injury that killed my running career (for now), and doing Pallas workouts have been tremendous in helping me avoid back pain.

5. What brought you into Pallas?

Rich - I did a couple of drop-ins during the spring of 2019 when we were looking at universities and loved the vibe. When we finally moved to Ithaca last summer, I knew I was already going to come to Pallas!

Candice - Rich tried to pressure me into joining for a couple months. I resisted, but then during the open, I was convinced by Jane Miller that Core45 was not intimidating, and peer-pressured enough by Julie Sahler that I eventually tried it out 😂

6. What are some goals you’ve crossed off the list?

Rich - participating in first full Open, PRs for snatch and C&J, a sub-3:30 Fran time, and competing in first CF competition

Candice - wayyy less frequent back pain 🎉

7. What are some future goals you’d like to accomplish?

Rich - Finish in top 5% of male athletes in the open

Candice - maybe one day do a pull up 😏

8. If you could write a partner workout together, what would it be?

Anything with 1:1 Work/Rest where Rich works and Candice rests 🤣

9. If you were stranded on a deserted island (or in the middle of a pandemic 😳) and could only have 1 piece of equipment, what would it be?

Rich - weight vest. duh.

Candice - my trusty kettlebell

10. Do you have a favorite book or author?

Rich - Hard to choose a favorite of all time, but my favorite that I've read recently is All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr -- Highly recommended!

Candice - No way, I have way too many favorites to choose!

11. Who’s the better cook and what’s their specialty?

Rich - We both cook a lot and are too competitive and prideful to declare that one of us is better. Candice's specialty is any recipe that calls for 50% mayonnaise.

Candice - Yep, that's true.

12. Favorite restaurant in the area?

Gola!

13. Liquor/beer/wine/cider/none/all/some?

Rich - Negronis, hazy IPAs, funky red wine. Candice is pregnant so none unfortunately :/ but otherwise, literally everything that Rich just said. Finally something we agree on!

14. What do you for self care?

Rich - Lay my ass on the couch and watch Netflix.

Candice - Real Housewives, I love nearly all the franchises.

Both - Hiking (when we aren't being lazy AF)

15. When did you get your puppers? January 10, 2015!! 💜 She is the best dog ever.

16. What would you say to someone hesitant about coming into Pallas?

Don't...hesitate. Easily the best part of living in Ithaca has been joining this community.