LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN CHANGED BY CROSSFIT

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CrossFit seems to be more than just a sport. People connect with it on a spiritual, emotional level. Lives have been changed by CrossFit.

 

There is a bad aspect of that fact. It’s why us CrossFitters are known to ramble on and on about our latest WOD times and the various benefits of medicine ball slams.

 

Because we feel so deeply connected to the sport, we have trouble removing it from our minds for more than a minute or two at a time.

 

Like a dog with food, the thought of more CrossFit is always somewhere in our mind, patiently waiting for the next chance to make itself appear.

 

But the good CrossFit does for us greatly outweighs the bad. For many of us, it is a fun, intense form of physical activity that we do a few times a week in order to stay in shape.

 

Some of us find CrossFit is at the very core of who we are, so inextricable that we cannot imagine going more than a day without visiting our CrossFit box.

 

For all of us, CrossFit has changed our lives in one way or another.

 

It can be a physical change, or an emotional one, or one that changed the way someone looks at life. Wherever the change may be, CrossFit has helped hundreds of thousands of people through the years.

 

Below is a collection of lives that have been changed in various ways by the power of CrossFit.

 

People coming to terms with the fact that their physical health was in their hands and people battling through a haze of depression.

 

Take a look at their inspirational stories.

 

Patrick James: The Fork Lift

According to Patrick James of Crossfit PeachTree City, there was only one lift he was truly exceptional at before he began CrossFit: the Fork Lift.

 

No, not using a high-powered machine to lift heavy bundles of materials, but using a fork to lift copious amounts of food into his mouth for long periods of time.

 

It all started in college, where James played on the offensive line for the varsity football team. As an offensive lineman, he had some extra heft on him, but the high level of physical activity through practice and weightlifting kept him in good physical shape.

 

After college ended, Patrick James’ appetite stayed the same, but his physical activity levels severely dropped off.

 

He packed on more and more weight as his body continued to demand more food for a sport he no longer played. According to James, his “mind writes a cheque (for football) that your body can’t cash”.

 

How CrossFit Changed Their Life:

According to Patrick James of Crossfit PeachTree City, there was only one lift he was truly exceptional at before he began CrossFit: the Fork Lift.

 

No, not using a high-powered machine to lift heavy bundles of materials, but using a fork to lift copious amounts of food into his mouth for long periods of time.

 

It all started in college, where James played on the offensive line for the varsity football team. As an offensive lineman, he had some extra heft on him, but the high level of physical activity through practice and weightlifting kept him in good physical shape.

 

After college ended, Patrick James’ appetite stayed the same, but his physical activity levels severely dropped off.

 

He packed on more and more weight as his body continued to demand more food for a sport he no longer played. According to James, his “mind writes a cheque (for football) that your body can’t cash”.

 

Monique Martin: CrossFit Saved Me From My Depression

Monique Martin had a paralyzing life. Her depression and anxiety made it hard to get out of bed, hard to remove her blanket, hard to even open her eyes.

 

Anxiety added another level to her depression. It constantly told her that if she didn’t get out of bed and do something with her life she was useless. She was in a perpetual mental fog.

 

Then her phone lit up. A reminder about her daily WOD followed by a short list of exercises. An automated CrossFit message.

 

She wasn’t a lifelong CrossFitter. Before ever stepping into a CrossFit box, Martin hated it.

 

She said it was a cult and a fad. Her mom – who recently joined CrossFit – annoyed her with her constant pushing to give the sport a try. For months, Monique said no.

 

Finally, with her depression and anxiety mounting and desperate for any escape, Martin relented to her mom. She went to CrossFit.

 

How CrossFit Changed Their Life:

A Saturday class and she was hooked, even while fighting for breath and feeling like she was going to faint. She was addicted, but in the healthy way that someone floating at sea would be addicted to a lifejacket.

 

Martin saw CrossFit as a way to make her stronger – both physically and mentally. She saw CrossFit as a way to push back against depression.

 

Martin describes her first few weeks in the CrossFit box as a struggle. She couldn’t do what the other participants – ever her MOM – were doing.

 

Exercises such as jumping onto a high box and repping out burpees seemed impossible. She didn’t even know what a burpee was! But she struggled her way through the first workout, and then the second, and on and on.

 

Along the way, the CrossFit community was constantly lifting her up. They told her everyone started somewhere. It wasn’t when you took the first step that mattered, but that you took the next step.

 

She was so exhausted that she could barely stand, but she kept on pushing herself to take that next step.

 

Nobody laughed at her or mocked her. They continued to offer her a helping hand and cheered her on.

 

Martin credits CrossFit and the people in it for saving her life without even knowing it. When she was at her lowest and wanting to give up – in both CrossFit and life – they were right there.

 

They always supported her and invited her to continue fighting along.

 

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Gabrielle Kassel: CrossFit Combats Loneliness

Gabrielle Kassel didn’t join CrossFit because she wanted to lose weight or get stronger. A rugby player in college, she was used to intense physical activity. Plus, she was in great physical shape through a combination of Zumba, weightlifting, and marathon running.

 

When she moved to New York for her dream job, Kassel was at a high. Half a year later, she got let go of at her job. Because she had worked so hard to make it in the big city, she had failed to make any friends.

 

Late office nights replaced going out, and incredibly late nights at a near-empty 24-hour gym became her main outlet for exercise.

 

Now she was jobless and friendless in one of the biggest cities in the world, a daunting predicament for anyone.

 

When she came across a job opening for a front desk social media manager at ICE NYC, a Manhattan box, she applied on a whim.

 

How CrossFit Changed Their Life:

She had no previous connection to CrossFit and wasn’t even sure if she liked the sport, but she was desperate. She arrived early for her interview and watched the end of a class wrap up.

 

What instantly hit her was the community, which consisted of people cheering on those who were still completing the WOD and laughing and congratulating those who had finished.

 

It reminded her of the team spirit she had experienced while playing rugby in college.

 

The interview went well and the owner promised her the job on one condition: she would at least give CrossFit a try.

 

While, the decision was an easy one, as Kassel already felt intrigued by the positive social interactions she had just witnessed, and the promise of a job in a workplace that seemed fun and inviting was the icing on the cake.

 

When CrossFit sticks, it really sticks. Kassel initially thought to try the sport every once and a while, but after trying it she felt obsessed.

 

She is now an avid CrossFitter and claims CrossFit improved her life in many different ways.

 

It taught her the value of patience, that winning isn’t everything, and that the mind is a muscle that needs to be trained just like all the rest of them.

 

Making new friends in a positive community doesn’t hurt, either.

 

CrossFit Post Kids

As a mother of two, this CrossFitter had put the idea of a chiseled, lean body behind her. She successfully lost 40 pounds in the past while in college, but the dream of being fit again with the time restraints of a job, 2 children, and a post-pregnancy body seemed to be more of a pipe dream than a reachable goal.

 

She tried running, but that didn’t exactly have the ideal effect. Running for an hour five times a week only made her tired and hungry, and she ended up worn down and gaining even more weight.

 

It became a chore and she was no longer excited by the thought of it.

 

She had wanted to try CrossFit since the birth of her second child, but it had always scared her. Something new where she had no idea what she was doing did not seem ideal. She decided it was time to stop making excuses and to just give it a try.

 

How CrossFit Changed Their Life:

She dove in headfirst, going 5 days a week. After only a month of the sport, she noticed a significant change in her body. Because of the interval training and weights, she felt her muscles building as the fat fell off her body.

 

Due to the constantly changing workouts, she did not feel worn down by the constant monotony of doing the exact same thing every day. Because of the shorter workouts, she had more time to enjoy with her two young children.

 

After almost half a year of CrossFit, she hasn’t looked back or regretted her decision once. When that alarm goes off at 4:40 am, she wakes up excited for her workout, not dreading it.

 

Part of what draws her to CrossFit so much is that the results are directly related to how hard she works. The more she pushes herself in the WOD, the more she sees herself improve.

 

She loves the community at her CrossFit box, which is the opposite of the mind-numbing boredom she felt while on solo runs.

 

A mother getting her life and physique back, all thanks to CrossFit.

 

Mathew Freeman: CrossFit Helped Me Heal Mentally

She dove in headfirst, going 5 days a week.

 

After only a month of the sport, she noticed a significant change in her body. Because of the interval training and weights, she felt her muscles building as the fat fell off her body.

 

Due to the constantly changing workouts, she did not feel worn down by the constant monotony of doing the exact same thing every day. Because of the shorter workouts, she had more time to enjoy with her two young children.

 

After almost half a year of CrossFit, she hasn’t looked back or regretted her decision once. When that alarm goes off at 4:40 am, she wakes up excited for her workout, not dreading it.

 

Part of what draws her to CrossFit so much is that the results are directly related to how hard she works. The more she pushes herself in the WOD, the more she sees herself improve.

 

She loves the community at her CrossFit box, which is the opposite of the mind-numbing boredom she felt while on solo runs.

 

A mother getting her life and physique back, all thanks to CrossFit.

 

How CrossFit Changed Their Life:

The first time he went alone, he felt his social isolation wearing off. The competitive environment helped him open up and start up a few conversations with fellow participants.

 

The gym drew him back. He felt a connection to the people there – similar ages and positive, friendly personalities.

 

He made friends and started to enjoy the time he spent alone at home mixed with the time he spent out and about with his friends.

 

CrossFit helped him open up and feel fulfilled. Mathew no longer felt trapped in an isolated depressive state. CrossFit – and more importantly, the CrossFit community – helped him in ways he can barely describe.

 

Of course, CrossFit is only a part of Mathew’s life, but the lifelong friendships he has made at it saved him.

 

Wrapping Up The Lives That Have Been Changed By CrossFit

All of these stories share one thing in common: CrossFit had an immensely positive impact on their lives.

 

What is important to notice is that the community – one built on friendships, support, and non-judgemental attitudes – had the biggest impact on these people, and not the physical aspect of the sport itself.

 

So whether you see yourself in these stories or not, you are a part of the CrossFit community.

 

That means that while CrossFit may not have saved you directly, you have probably been a part of helping many other people feel the CrossFit Effect in their lives.

 

Keep being you, keep being awesome!

 

While CrossFit is great for individuals, it has also done a great job of giving back to the community.

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WOD RECOVERY © 2020 | 428 Gaslamp, Inc.

Disclaimer: All hemp-derived products contain 0.0% THC

The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All information presented here is not meant as a substitute for or alternative to information from health care practitioners. Please consult your health care professional about potential interactions or other possible complications before using any product. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act require this notice.