“CrossFit changed my life!” you hear people say that all the time. Similarly for me and my family, it changed us– it was a 720 degree twisting back flip (that’s 2 times around!). I say that in fun but in 2009 our family of six stepped out on our CrossFit adventure. As I look back over a decade later, I would not change a thing.
Our journey began in 2009 when we were living in Cedar Park, Texas. Forrest was an 8th grader just about to start High School, India was in 7th grade, Sierra was in 1st grade, and Maya was in daycare while I worked. Meanwhile, Mike worked remotely for a company out of Virginia and I worked for a bio-tech company in Austin. Mike was an avid Marathoner, Ultra runner, and Trail runner. I was a mom and loved being with my kiddos.
Victory 400: Fundraising for Veterans
After many military moves we settled into what we thought was our “forever” home. Little did I know, Mike’s heart was feeling unsettled. He wanted to do something to benefit Wounded Warriors, a cause near and dear to his heart even today. So we started talking about him doing a fundraiser. Mike reconnected with his brother to get information about fundraising with an event called “Fight Gone Bad.”
It does not seem like it but THIS is what started us on our CrossFit journey. Mike’s brother sponsored his fundraising under the condition that he used CrossFit to prepare for “Victory 400” a 312 mile run from Fort Worth, Texas to San Antonio. Mike started CrossFit and fell in love with it. Not long after Forrest was CrossFitting too and Mike asked me to take a beginner class at CrossFit Central in Austin, Texas.
Finding Fitness at 40 years old
As we started our CrossFit journey I was 40 years old and saw myself as a “mom and wife”. There was not any inkling of, “I am an athlete”. As a matter of fact, the coach that I worked with at CrossFit Central kept asking me, “are you sure you have never done this before?” I did not know that in a few years this thing called CrossFit would permeate my family through and through. I feel like it was all in the blink of an eye!
Sure, we were active, the kids played sports and dad loves running and we would go out and support him. But when you say “athlete” you think of college sports, professional football, and the Olympics. I had no idea that one day I would call myself an athlete! I taught my children how to use a barbell, kettlebells, and box jumps! Now I watch my kids do double unders, pullups, and PR their “Fran” time. We have competed side by side in local and regional competitions, we all participate in the CrossFit Open, we have volunteered at the CrossFit Games multiple times, and I have pictures of my kids with the highest level athletes in the CrossFit world.
CrossFit for Life
Besides all that, my kids have mental toughness to meet any challenges in their daily lives, they can interact with people of all ages, and they know what it means to work hard. After living with CrossFit as an integral part of our life, I cannot imagine things any other way. The journey is just getting started and I could not be happier that we are Box owners with two locations, so many lives touched, and the many, many success stories.