Start Where You Are
By
February 10, 2016
100 Double unders
400m Run
50 DB Snatch (45/25lbs)
400m Run
50 DB Snatch
400m Run
100 Double unders
I talk to a lot of people that "want" to start CrossFit or "ought to" start exercising. It usually comes up at a social engagement or casual conversation when someone asks me what I do. Depending on the context, I often say that I get to help people change their lives through exercise, accountability, and community. I always get a kick out of people's response to my answer. Some people start telling me about how they "used to be really fit" while putting out their cigarette and stashing their drink, and that they are going to get back to it when things settle down a little bit. These people somehow want my approval but are not yet ready for change having convinced themselves that health and fitness are luxury items that will always be there for the asking. These are generally short conversations.
Every now and then though, someone really lights up when I tell them what I do. They ask questions like, "do you think someone like me could ever do that?" Then they tell me about the injuries that have held them back or the illnesses that they've fought or are fighting. The setbacks have a million different shapes and sizes, but they are all real and often they have taken a serious toll on the life of this person. All they really want is to be healthy again, but their fear is very real. These are longer conversations. Sometimes, they are the catalyst for a change that has been brewing for months or even years. Sometimes they are the very beginning of a new journey.
But let me tell you what is really interesting about these conversations. There is no way to tell which category a person is going to fall into without talking to them. I guess incorrectly about as often as I get it right; and I do this a lot. That's why I love the story in today's video. Someone made the effort to welcome an unlikely taker to their CrossFit gym and a life was drastically changed because of it. I think that is pretty cool.
Thank you for always welcoming any face that manages to make it through the front door and giving them a reason to come back.
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