Ashley Marie Kelsey Interview
For people who may not know who you are can you tell the readers a little about yourself?
My name is Ashley Marie I have been working in the entertainment industry for about 3 years now. I first started out as a cast member of the Real World and that has progressed into what I do now which is hosting and reporting, which I love. I have also been doing print and commercial work which has been a lot of fun!
You were on the Real World: San Diego, and the Challenge: Battle of The Seasons, which your team won. What motivated you to audition for the Real World?
I actually didn’t audition for the show. Yes that is usually surprising to some but I had a casting director come into my work when they were casting for the Vegas season and asked me if I wanted to and I said no. I was in college at the time and wasn’t going to drop out of school for a TV show plus I wasn’t really interested. Then about a year later after I had graduated I was emailing back and forth with that same casting director and he said we are already at finals for the new season, if you want to do it I will fly you out to LA. I had just graduated and I thought to myself why not, it could be a fun way to spend my summer.
How do you think living a healthy, fit lifestyle helped you on the Challenge?
When you are competing, it helps to already be in the mind set of I know what it takes to win and I also believe working out and maintaining a healthy lifestyle allows you to do that. It takes self-control and patience to both live a lifestyle like that as well as win a challenge. Being fit obviously gives you an advantage because you have higher endurance and usually are stronger than your competitors; this helps a lot with the physical challenges as well the final, which involves A LOT of running–3 days worth to be exact! haha
What did your exercise routine consist of around that time?
Right before the challenge I was working out twice a day. I did strength training in the morning then extra cardio at night. I’ve never been a great runner because I have asthma so I knew I had to build up my lungs for the final. Something most people don’t know, because I didn’t talk about it on the show, is 3 weeks before I left for filming I had a tumor removed from the left side of my neck. I was supposed to have a week and a half of recovery then my doctor told me to slowly start working out again. Now, this wasn’t going to work for me because I didn’t want to take any time off, so I went back to the gym after three days and was back on my regular workout routine in about a week. I feel like in life if you push yourself hard enough, you can get through anything!
Has your exercise routine changed since then?
I’m heavy into Crossfit now so the biggest difference in my routine is that I do a Crossfit workout once a day then I like to follow it up with some type of cardio whether that be taking a cycling class or going on a hike, I like to be adventurous and try new things. Working out is supposed to be something you enjoy, so trying out different types of workouts is something I love to do.
When did you start getting involved with CrossFit, and why?
I started getting involved with Crossfit right after I got home from the challenge. Frank had been doing Crossfit before the show and would put our team through mini workouts in the house and I loved it. I had also seen what it did to Frank and his body and thought hmm maybe this will be a good change for me.
Have you ever considered competing in any CrossFit competitions?
Speaking of competing, I just recently signed up for the Crossfit open at my gym. To say I’m a little nervous is an understatement! I honestly just wanted to do it because it looks like a lot of fun and I wanted to challenge myself a little more than usual.
What’s your favorite WOD that you’ve done so far?
I love when we do partner WODs or HERO wod’s. It’s always fun to do a partner workout because you have someone there pushing you to be better and if you fail, then you have someone else to blame! Haha Just Kidding! I love the Hero WOD’s too because they are extremely challenging and allow us to honor and remember fallen soldiers, which I think is a very powerful message.
What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses when it comes to CrossFit?
I would say my strengths at Crossfit would have to be my level of endurance and my form. I danced all my life so I have great form in my lifts. My weakness would be my strength. I’m stronger than I think but I don’t like to just throw a ton of weight around because I don’t want to hurt myself. I think this is smart because in the end it wouldn’t be worth it but it does hold me back from progressing and getting stronger.
What are your long – term (fitness) goals?
I workout because it makes me feel good and I love challenging myself and trying new things and I believe fitness is a great way to do so.
Do you follow a particular style of nutrition?
When it comes to eating I just try to eat clean. I don’t eat any processed foods and even at restaurants I try to order only healthy items on the menu and alter them to fit my eating patterns. I removed dairy from my diet so I always ask for my food to be cooked with oil instead of butter. Also substituting milk with coconut milk is amazing, if you haven’t tried it yet, you are missing out.
Are you open to doing another Challenge or are you focusing on different aspects of your life right now?
Right now I am focusing on other aspects of my life. I feel very blessed and lucky to have had the opportunity to do a challenge because it was a once in a lifetime experience and was so fun. Would I ever do one in the future, well like Justin Beiber says I will never say never. haha!
Lastly, how can people reach you if they want to contact or follow you?
Well you can follow me on twitter at ashleymariemtv or check me out on instagram at ashleymariekelsey. Also I’ve been working on a blog for a while now and hopefully that will be out soon!
