Senior iOS Developer Beverly Massengill has worked on countless development projects at Metova including work for Sirius XM and a running stride optimization application that used sensors to track a runner’s movement. In addition to being an amazing developer, Beverly spends her free time doing an impressive amount of high-energy activities including boxing.
We asked her more about boxing, other fun activities and why she inspires custom “Beverly icons” and Memes.
Who do you envision when you hit punching bags?
Heh, I’ve definitely pictured a number of people during my boxing classes, (it’s a good way to vent frustrations, for sure). But I’m usually more focused on technique – there’s alot that goes into boxing that most people don’t realize (I definitely didn’t until I got into it). Very little power comes from your arms, and if you find yourself swinging your arms alot – you’re probably doing something wrong. All the strength in a punch comes from positioning your feet and turning your core – the arms basically just do the aiming. There are other things to consider as well: squeezing your fist just before impact to help absorb the blow, keeping your wrists straight so your punches land right on the front of your first two knuckles, turning your feet to protect your knees, keeping your hands by your face and your head and feet moving (since, presumably, in a real fight, your opponent will be trying to hit you back), and exhaling with every punch. If you’re doing it right, it makes for some very intense cardio, so while I may start the class angry about something, by the end of it, I’m just happy I’m still breathing 🙂
How long have you been with Metova?
7 years now – I started in January 2012. The company has changed quite a bit in that time, but I still love what I do and enjoy getting to work with a great team of people.
What are some interesting development projects you have worked on?
SXM iOS was definitely the largest project I’ve worked on, and had the best team by far (our Hipchat room had the best memes too).
The most interesting project I’ve built would have to be RunRite – that one was a Windows application that integrated with two 3-space sensors to track how athletes moved their legs while running. The app would then diagnose any misalignments in their movements and prescribe exercises to help them run more efficiently.
Another interesting one was InvisionHeart – they had a portable BLE EKG machine which we integrated with to display heart-monitoring data on an iPad.
When did you get in to boxing?
A little over two years ago. I’m definitely in the best shape of my life now thanks to that.
What other activities do you enjoy?
Running (I do at least one 5K every year), hot yoga, learning German (ich spreche nicht sehr gut Deutsch, aber ich lerne), and napping in a hammock on sunny afternoons 🙂
What is it about you that has inspired others at Metova to create custom “Beverly” Slack icons?
I’d say it’s my charming personality, but it may actually be because my face gets weird when I’m annoyed. :bevstare:
