Community Spotlight: Meet Lois Smith

Last Friday, I headed north to spend the day with one of the newest members of the WIT Coaching team, Lois Smith.

A familiar face in the training community, Lois wears a lot of hats: athlete, mum, lecturer, CrossFit coach and now, she’s also officially part of the WIT Coaching team. Alongside Liam Cheesman, owner of CrossFit Hull & Humber, we spent the day exploring their three gyms, meeting the community behind them, a very sweaty class and hearing more about the work they’re doing to bring people together through training.

The visit also gave us the chance to chat about an exciting upcoming event WIT will be supporting later this July, The Toughest Mile: a challenge designed to test fitness, grit and teamwork, while bringing the local community together

We caught up with Lois to talk about coaching, community and what being part of the WIT team means to her.

Est: For anyone who hasn’t met you yet, tell us a little bit about yourself!

Lois: I'm just an ordinary (and slightly ageing!) girl trying to fit as much as possible into 24 hours. I'm passionate about fitness and training for health, longevity, and performance. I've been following the CrossFit methodology for the past 14 years, and what started as a workout quickly became a way of life. The training keeps me challenged, but it was the community that hooked me from day one!

Est: You’ve competed at a high level while also being a mum and working full time - what’s something people don’t see behind the scenes?

Lois: Aside from about six different calendars and several apps telling us where the kids need to be and when, the real behind-the-scenes hero is my husband. You probably don’t see enough of him, but he genuinely makes everything possible. As a retired (Olympic) athlete himself, he just gets it… the training, the commitment, and the sacrifices that come with competing at a high level while juggling family and work. We're a great team, and there's no way I could do it without his support. I'm incredibly grateful for him!

Est: What does being part of the WIT Coaching team mean to you? 

Lois: It's really exciting… having the opportunity to work alongside a team of passionate, knowledgeable coaches who genuinely care about helping people become the best version of themselves is something I’m incredibly proud of.

What I love most is that WIT shares many of the values that are important to me… education, community, performance, and lifelong health. It’s a place where coaching goes beyond simply delivering a workout; it’s about supporting people, building confidence, and helping them realise they’re capable of more than they thought possible.

Est: You’re an athlete, mum, lecturer and coach - how do these different parts of your life influence the way you approach training and coaching?

Lois: Being a lecturer in Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences has a huge influence on both the way I train and the way I coach. I'm a strong believer in evidence-based practice, so I love helping members understand not just what they're doing, but why they're doing it. Spending time breaking down the science behind training, movement, recovery, and performance is something I really enjoy. Seeing that moment when something finally clicks for someone, and the confidence and happiness that come with it, is one of the most rewarding parts of coaching.

I also try to lead by example. I approach my own training with resilience, consistency, and confidence, because I want my children to grow up believing in those qualities too. They’re both amazing little sports stars already and love being active. I spend plenty of weekends watching rugby, football, and jiu-jitsu, but there’s a special sense of pride when I see them thriving in the CrossFit Kids classes at CrossFit Hull. Seeing them develop confidence, learn new skills, and generally boss things is incredibly rewarding and reminds me exactly why I love the methodology so much.

Est: What key things do you want to make sure people know about the Toughest Mile event?

Lois: The Toughest Mile is an exciting endurance challenge consisting of four gruelling 400-meter laps on a running track. 400m burpee broad jump, 400m lunge, 400m bear crawl, 400m run.

Est: Tell us a little bit about The Toughest Mile. Where did the idea come from? 

Lois: The key thing I’d want people to know is that The Toughest Mile is for everyone. Whether you want to take it on as an individual or share the work with a partner, there’s a place for you. The event takes place on 31st July at Costello Stadium, Hull, and while there’s no time cap, there’s definitely a maximum amount of encouragement!

You don’t need to be an elite athlete to take part - just be willing to give it a go. Whether your goal is to compete, complete, or simply do something that pushes you outside your comfort zone, you’ll finish with a huge sense of pride and achievement.

Est: What can people expect when they take part in the event?

Lois: People can expect a fantastic community atmosphere from start to finish. There’ll be plenty of encouragement, great music, and lots of opportunities to capture the experience with event photos along the way.

Most importantly, they can expect WIT! We’ll be there bringing the energy, support, and enthusiasm!

Est: For anyone sitting on the fence about signing up, what would you say to them?

Lois: You should absolutely get involved. It’s a community-focused event that welcomes people of all abilities, whether you’re a seasoned athlete or taking on something completely new. The support, encouragement, and atmosphere is set to be ace, and there’s something really special about challenging yourself alongside others who are all working towards the same goal.

Most importantly, crossing that finish line brings a huge sense of pride and achievement. It’s an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone and prove to yourself what you’re capable of!

Est: Finally, what’s next for you? What are you excited about over the next few months?

Lois: I’m really excited about our family holiday next week… it will be the perfect way to kick off the kids’ time off school and spend some quality time together. It’s also a big milestone year for us, as my eldest son starts secondary school in September. I think it might take me the full seven weeks of the summer holidays to come to terms with that!

From a sporting perspective, I’ll be dialling in my training over the next few months as I prepare for two major competitions. First is the European Masters Functional Fitness Championships at the end of August, followed closely by the English Rowing Championships at the beginning of September. I’ve set myself some ambitious goals for both events, so I’m looking forward to seeing what all the hard work and preparation can produce.

More than anything, I’m excited for the challenge, as always. Balancing family life, work, coaching, and training isn’t always easy, but I genuinely enjoy the process!

To Lois and Liam, thank you for looking after me last Friday! I’m excited to be back for the Toughest Mile on 31st July. 

WIT has always believed that fitness is about more than the workouts themselves. It’s about the people you meet, the communities you build and the moments that happen outside of the score sheet. We know that Training Changes Lives. 

Spending the day with Lois and the team at Hull and Humber was a reminder of exactly that: passionate coaches, committed athletes and communities that continue to push each other forward.

We can’t wait to see what The Toughest Mile brings! We will share more info ASAP.