D1 Youth Athlete of the Month: Lyndsey Ahrens

Story by Liesel Schmidt  |  Photography Courtesy of D1 Training Alexandria

As someone who has danced since she was three, Lyndsey Ahrens has always been athletic. Adding hockey and softball to her repertoire increased her desire to strengthen her body and improve her fitness, so the 16-year-old focused her training at D1 Training Alexandria over the past year.

Ahrens’s first experience with D1 involved improving her hockey skills by focusing on specific off-ice workouts. That sense of gain led to a desire to continue training with the pros at D1. “My workouts consist of lots of focus on building leg muscles to skate faster and stronger,” says the Woodson High School junior. “All D1 workouts finish with cardio—usually running—and that has really helped me improve my stamina, which helps with skating for extended periods of time during games and practices. I have also noticed improvement in my arm muscles, which translates into having a stronger shot in hockey.”

As she continues training, Ahrens’s goals for the future are to build her upper body strength as much as she has strengthened her lower body. “I also want to be able to better balance being muscular and strong for hockey and softball, while being lean and fit for dance,” she says.

With 13 years of dance, a decade of softball and six years of hockey, Ahrens has balanced a busy schedule for much of her life; but her passion keeps her driven, despite the long hours she puts in. “I'm passionate about sports because it can be a release from the world where I can push myself and have fun with my teammates,” she says.

Ahrens is the middle of three children and comes from a family that is extremely active and involved in multiple sports. In her free time, she plays guitar and loves to hang out with her friends. She works as a lifeguard during the summer, but usually spends most of her time at her assorted sports practices. Her favorite subjects in school are American sign language, ceramics and personal fitness.