“This is my life ... I want to make sure I’m setting a good example for our members.” ~Emma Moburg-Jones
Photos courtesy of Christopher Parr
Kristin King and Emma Moburg-Jones competed at the North Central Regional in 2011 and 2012, and King was also a part of the field last year.
2014 will be a new experience for the married couple and co-owners of CrossFit So Ill in Carbondale, Illinois. Although both performed well enough to qualify as individuals, they will travel to Chicago to compete in the team competition for the first time. And they’ll have some company: their 6-month-old son, Jack.
New Adventures
Given all the changes they’ve seen in the past year, the couple said there’s a new level of excitement as they prepare for their trip to regionals. King finished in sixth place in the North Central Region after the 2014 Open. Moburg-Jones—six months after giving birth—finished in 28th place.
Both women are quick to credit their CrossFit community with making it possible for them to train, coach, run their business and raise their son. The added responsibilities of being new parents makes this year’s results that much sweeter.
“I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to qualify if not for our members,” Moburg-Jones said adding that another gym member was entertaining Jack during the phone interview. “I know it sounds so cliché, but it really does take a village to raise a child. But I would have been totally screwed without the help from the people (at CrossFit So Ill).”
This will be King’s fourth trip to regionals. She said it feels special this year of the journey to get there. She said she’s most impressed with Moburg-Jones’ drive to return to form so soon after pregnancy.
“I’m so proud of her,” King said. “She has been and always will be my favorite training partner. Even when she was pregnant, she was pushing me to go hard. So I’m really excited for her because I’ve seen how hard she’s worked to get back.”
Prior to the Open, the group from So Ill decided they would compete as a team if they qualified. Adding to the excitement, some athletes will now get their first taste of the regional experience.
King’s competitive side comes through when talking about goals for the trip to Chicago. Last year, she finished 25th.
“That would be the polite thing to say,” she said when asked if she would be happy to just have fun. “But I have high expectations for our team. Obviously, it’ll depend on the workouts and if they play to our strengths. But this will be a completely different experience, going with a team. We have a really good dynamic and I’m excited for the people who are going for the first time.”
Partnership
Both women said being married and business partners works well for them, and they complement each other.
King and Moburg-Jones opened CrossFit So Ill in 2010. Moburg-Jones runs the box and coaches, while King coaches when she’s not at her full-time job as a human resources manager for a local hospital system.
Both women are dedicated to CrossFit, so they aren’t worried work will interfere with their relationship.
“Honestly, I think of it as something that’s of very high importance in both our lives,” King said of CrossFit. “Sometimes in a relationship, one person might be really into it while the other is just along for the ride. We both have a passion for this, and we’re able to filter that energy into something that’s healthy. If we’re not at home, we’re at the gym. That’s our social circle, and we couldn’t be happier.”
When the couple decided they were ready to start their family, Moburg-Jones said she was looking forward to having a baby and taking on the pregnancy, but that meant her training would have to be scaled back. Still, she continued to work out up until the day before Jack was born.
“It was difficult because I knew fitness would have to take a back seat,” she said. “But my goal was to be even better after pregnancy.”
And now that Jack is in their lives, they’ve had to make further adjustments to their schedules. Luckily, Moburg-Jones said they have plenty of eager helpers at CrossFit So Ill.
“This is way harder than I ever could have imagined,” Moburg-Jones said. “I have to work around nursing and nap time. And Jack requires a lot of entertainment. This is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But Kristin is the best support system I could ask for and everyone here is always willing to pitch in.”
While the two push each other to be better CrossFit athletes, they also strive to be role models for their community. Part of the responsibility as co-owners of an affiliate means training with a purpose, Moburg-Jones said, even if you’ve just had a child.
“This is my life,” she said. “This is what I do all day. I don’t have another job. Well, I have a child now, so I have the parenting thing to do. But I want to make sure I’m setting a good example for our members.”
