Meet Delia Moises, a 16-year-old superstar who is as humble as she is accomplished. Delia is a CrossFit athlete who has achieved great things in the few years she has been competing.
THE PATH TO FITNESS
Up until sixth grade, Delia was a runner, participating in races from 5Ks to half marathons. After suffering some difficult stress fractures, her running career was sidelined and she looked to other sports to stay fit. Her mother Jennifer used CrossFit as her athletic outlet and Delia gave it a try. While regularly attending CrossFit classes, Delia also developed an interest in Olympic weightlifting and began working with a coach to improve her weightlifting skills. In 2019, she began focusing primarily on CrossFit, which also includes a weightlifting component. In 9th grade, she joined Buchholz’s weightlifting team and will likely compete with them again this year.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Under the tutelage of her weightlifting coach, Delia competed twice in the USA Weightlifting National Youth Championships, the pinnacle of the sport.
In CrossFit, Delia has competed in several competitions around the country. This includes local competitions like Down for Donuts, larger scale events such as the Atlantic Coast Classic (formerly known as Bacon Beatdown), events in Tennessee, Michigan, Wisconsin and more. Delia competed in the No Bull CrossFit Games in 2021, the highest level of competition. She finished Event 1 (3.75 mile run) in 5th place. In 2020, the Teen division of the CrossFit Games took place in Michigan at the U.S. Army CrossFit Elite Teen Throwdown. Delia competed there in 2020 and 2021 and says this is her favorite competition because it is all geared towards teens. Competitors have their own athlete village away from parents and spectators and it provides a great opportunity for the athletes to form friendships.
Delia also received the Spirit of the Games Award at the 2021 No Bull CrossFit Games. According to CrossFit, the “Spirit of the Games Award [is awarded] to those who embody CrossFit’s values during the most difficult of competitions — those who exhibit the character, commitment, and camaraderie we seek to cultivate in our training and our sport.” Receiving this award for her division spotlights that Delia is not just a fierce competitor but an outstanding representative of the sport. According to her mother Jennifer, Delia is a true leader amongst her peers.
As if all of those athletic and character awards weren’t impressive enough, Delia does all this while maintaining a straight A average in school. She is the true definition of a student-athlete.
LIFE IS ALL ABOUT BALANCE
Even prior to COVID-19, Delia was interested in attending Florida Virtual School. She likes the flexibility and the ability to work at her own pace. On a standard weekday, Jennifer will drop off Delia at Risen Strength, her local gym, on the way to work. Delia will typically workout from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. with her coach David Tate and spend some time doing her 10th grade school work before going home to have a nightly dinner with her family.
The Moises family (Jean – father, Jennifer – mother, Delia, and 12-year-old sister Payton) have a great system that allows them to balance family, work, school and sports. Jean and the girls take turns making dinner throughout the week and they make a point to have regular family dinners. Jean has a flexible work schedule and is able to help drive the girls to their activities. Payton is also heavily involved in athletics as a first degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do as well as playing softball on a community team. This family is busy but they do it all as a team effort.
When asked what the most challenging part was about parenting an athlete with such a demanding schedule, Jennifer says, “Not making life all about her. We can’t drop everything and cater to her.” Jennifer also advises other parents: “Don’t get so lost in your child’s life that you don’t have your own identity.” According to Jennifer, Delia is very self-sufficient, which helps with family balance. In fact, there was a competition in Tennessee that Delia wanted to attend and arranged on her own to get a ride there, arranged lodging and all the logistics.
Jennifer advises other parents of athletes to “Find a village! It is helpful connecting with other elite teen parents and seeing what’s normal/not normal and how they handle situations compared to their peers. It’s helpful to connect with the coaches as well. It’s important to find a community – people who understand your children.”
While Delia and Jennifer are the primary CrossFitters in the family, Jean and Payton will participate during special events. The whole family enjoys the competitions and the atmosphere. They are a great support team for this motivated teen who completed her rigorous workouts alone in her garage from the start of the pandemic until January 2021.
Delia advises other youth to “Prioritize your time. If it is important to you, you will make time for it.” Words of wisdom from an impressive teenager who fits in school, exercise and time with family and friends.
Jennifer says it’s important for kids to find their “thing”- the activity that lights them up. “Delia thought it was running, but through not being able to do that, she found CrossFit.”
Delia is an impressive athlete and a great role model for other youth. Her commitment to school as well as her sport demonstrates a strong work ethic that will help her achieve success in school, sports and life.
Amazing Feats:
- 75 bar muscle ups unbroken
- 5th Place Event Finish on 3.75 mile run at the 2021 No Bull CrossFit Games
- 36:02 Murph time
”Murph” is a CrossFit hero workout named after Lt. Mike Murphy, a Navy SEAL who died honorably in Afghanistan in 2005. The workout is a 1 mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, another 1 mile run, wearing a 20 pound weighted vest.
Fun Facts:
Favorite School Subject: Reading
Favorite Foods: Oatmeal, Bagels, Cottage Cheese, Vanilla Frozen Yogurt, Sweet Potatoes
Nickname: “D” (used by her spectators)
Favorite CrossFIt Movement: Devil’s Press
Least Favorite CrossFit Movement: Thrusters
Biggest Strength Athletically: Endurance events, Delia loves longer workouts!
Hobbies: Cooking, Meal Prepping, Energy Ball Side Hustle
Want to learn more?
Follow her athletic feats on Instagram : @_delia_elizabeth
Order healthy energy balls: dishesbydelia@gmail.com or follow her Facebook page “Dishes by Delia”
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