Before I get into my experience with Crossfit, I want to tell you about my life before I started. Rewind to my childhood. I always played sports, some sort of sport. I had a hand in soccer, gymnastics, softball, basketball, volleyball and just about anything I could try. The problem? I am a bumbling awkward athlete. I was not the kid who excelled, I was more of the kid who you regretted passing the ball to.
Let’s move forward a little. From grade 9 to grade 12 I never really played any sports. Most childhood rec leagues quit at that age (or at least that’s what I told myself) and I wasn’t competitive enough for the teenage level sports. I think the badminton team was the only high school level sport that I couldn’t get cut from the team.
In grade 12 I discovered rugby. Thanks to Laurie, or LT as she is commonly known for. I fell in love. It was a sport that you could play no matter what shape or size you were because every position catered to a different body type. I played rugby for 9 years, and coached for 4 of those years. In 2011 I started playing football with the Vakyries. I blew out my ankle in the first season, but continued to play for another two years. I quit because I was worried about how the blows to the head would affect my brain, which I need for my career as an engineer.
So when did crossfit come into play? October 2012. That’s when I fell in love with a new sport. The sport of fitness. Super cliché, I know. LT nagged and convinced me to finally go to a class with her. I was hooked. I loved it the same way I fell in love with rugby. It didn’t matter the size, the ability, or who you were, there was a place for everyone there.
I went to gyms before. Where I felt like that kid playing sports again. Bumbling, awkward, what is that machine for?! Where you feel like you are being judged for your size and your ability. Crossfit was different. SO DIFFERENT. I was slow and unsure learning many of the basic movements. But no one ever told me that I shouldn’t be there because of that. There were high fives and cheering no matter your time or what you could lift. You showed up and that dedication is amazing in itself. I spent my first few months attending the 7 am classes with Rebecca. Rebecca helped me to develop and move forward in my capabilities. She is probably one of the most warm and loving coaches that you could ever have. That isn’t to say she won’t help you push past your weaknesses with a little tough love. Any time I thought I was at my limit, she made me push further and increased my limit a little more each time.
When I finished school in 2015, I dedicated more time to crossfit. I spent the first four months of the year training with Rebecca again. It was a great way to reestablish myself where I started. Once I started working, I began attending the afternoon classes with Jason. Like Rebecca, Jason saw a lot of potential in me. He has seen where I started and where I am now, and constantly pushes me to be a better athlete. Whether I like it or not J. Regardless of what I can or cannot do, I never feel like there is something that I can’t achieve thanks to the positive coaching and the positive class atmosphere.
Coming at least 4 times a week. A lot of my skills vastly improved. I finally nailed double unders. My lifts were getting better, and heavier. I am pretty sure I PR’d every one of my lifts at least twice in the past year. In 2013 my deadlift was 305lbs. That is pretty stellar right there. At the end of 2015 I hit 376lbs! What I love about crossfit is that you are constantly improving in some form or another.
In November of 2015 I decided to make another change in my life. My eating habits. Rebecca tossed out the idea of doing a group Whole 30 challenge. I decided to sign up because I needed to treat my body better. It was one of the most amazing challenges that I have ever taken part in. I am currently halfway through my second round of it. In just under three months I have lost 20lbs and have gained so much more in confidence and self-respect.
I am so grateful for crossfit and the opportunities it has given me to better my self worth and myself as a whole. I am so grateful for this amazing sport that introduced me to things I never thought I was capable of, and some of the most amazing and supportive people that I have ever met. Every day I am so happy to go to the gym and see these amazing faces that help me push through some of the toughest work outs and some of the toughest mental battles.
Thank you Reebok Crossfit 306 for being one of the best places I could go to!
*Results are not guaranteed, individual results will vary.