Drinking the Crossfit Kool-Aid
My Crossfit journey started on Ben’s second birthday. I had a handful of friends already immersed in the Crossfit Cape Ann community. I needed a change and Crossfit seemed to be a good fit. They loved it. They were happy and they were fit! Even better. At the time, there was something missing from my life. I was a stay-at home-Mom and spent most of my time at Mommy and me classes. Babies and books workshops. Potty training. You know the drill. I’ve always been involved in sports and competitive in nature. The Crossfit price tag and lack of child care was a major concern. I made a deal with my (then) husband – that I would just try it out. 3 months. That was it. Little did we know that Crossfit would change my life.
I remember my seven-minute intro workout like it was yesterday. 7 box jumps. 7 wallballs. 7 KB swings. It sucked but I was sold. Jon (the owner) snapped my polaroid photo and I joined on the spot. I jumped into the CFCA community with both feet. The day after I joined, I signed up for a Paleo challenge. I didn’t even know what that meant!
Despite leading an active life (I even played softball at the Division 1 level) I have always struggled with my weight. I remember being horrified when I was the only girl in 5th grade that weighed 100 pounds. I was just built differently.
Me (left) always getting after it. Get in Shape, Girl Style.
Big-boned.
Athletic.
Definitely not something a little girl wants to hear.
I just kept showing up to CFCA. It turned into my safe-haven. My marriage was struggling. I was having a hard time being a stay-at-home Mom. I desperately needed an outlet and CFCA was it. I was so hooked that I even became certified to be a Crossfit coach. One of the highlights – my body was changing. I weighed the exact same as the day I got married but my shape was completely different. For the first time in my life, I liked what I saw in the mirror. I even worked up the courage to play dodgeball in a bikini and compete in a few Crossfit competitions. Was I skinny? Nope. And I probably won’t ever be but that is not what matters. I'm living a healthy lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a donut every now and again.
Do you want to know what the BEST thing to come out of joining CFCA is? It’s not a 100-pound snatch or being able to do a dead hang pullup. It is the friendships that I’ve made. I have surrounded myself with people who have the same values and ideals as me. The friends that I’ve made over the last seven years are a huge part of my life. They are my people. My village. They were there through my divorce and continue to be there for me day after day. Even when getting to the gym is a struggle. CFCA is one of the most supportive and welcoming communities I’ve ever seen. Our members are of all shapes and sizes and come from different levels of fitness. We celebrate PR’s (personal records), individual goals and life moments. More importantly, we are always there for each other regardless of how much weight you can clean and jerk.
Just a small snapshot of the lovely CFCA crew.
