MEET DAVE
Broadcaster
Member at SLSC since November 2018
WHY DO YOU TRAIN?
“Why do I train?” Searching for the words to answer what seems to be an extremely basic question. At the core, it would be simplistic and average to say, “I train so I can be healthy, look better and feel better about myself.” However, the real reason I train is to avoid the worse word in that answer… to be average. I believe inside of everyone, there are two innate fires that burn, and those are to be inspired and to be great.
Now, those can be defined individually by every one of us, but I believe those are passions that every human shares. Training empowers us all to push ourselves to whatever goals we are trying to achieve. Not just physical, but metaphorical as well.
Training is a great metaphor for life. Simply put, along the way, life is going to break you down, test you, and flat out kick your ass. You WILL fail time and time again, but if you continue to stand up, push hard and believe in yourself, you will eventually accomplish something great.
Training forces us all to take on our demons. Whether they be of vanity, strength or health, everyone is fighting something. As we begin to crush these negative forces, we become better people for it.
We defeat our demons, and in turn not only inspire ourselves, but those around us as well.
Finally, I couldn’t answer “why I train” without mentioning the community of people I am surrounded by.
Watching people that sweat and struggle next to you every day accomplish things that they have been working towards is one of the most fulfilling feelings you could imagine. Every persons goals are individual to themselves, and the euphoria of sharing in each others success is the truest definition of happiness.
We help each other, push each other and celebrate each other. And in our own ways, we get to share in each others success. So yea… that is why I train.”
WHY DO YOU TRAIN?
“Working out never came naturally to me. Growing up, I never gravitated towards physical activity, but instead, I gravitated towards food. When I was sad I would eat, when I was happy I would eat, when I was anxious or nervous I would eat. I was pretty shy growing up so, I never had much interest in sports because they required human interaction (lol). However, something that I never saw as a chore or workout was walking or jogging. I loved popping in my headphones and going for a run or walk. Later, I realized it helped me clear my head and I would feel better physically and mentally.
Before CrossFit, I was going to a standard gym but honestly, I did not know what I was doing, and I would not see any physical improvements. I would get discouraged which then, lead me to stop going. A year ago, I committed to getting more serious about my workouts and wanted to learn how to “properly” workout so, I decided to join CrossFit. At the beginning, it was hella intimidating however, the price tag kept me motivated to go (also thanks to some members and MaryKay). Therefore, I committed to figuring out how to make this a habit. I learned that if I committed and stayed dedicated to this, for a certain amount of time, that my body would start craving it and so it did! I also started seeing physical improvements which also helped me stay motived and lead me to be more intentional as to how I use my time.
In conclusion, training is now just like any other essential thing in my life. Just like I eat, sleep, brush my teeth every day; some type of physical activity is part of daily routine. Even if I cannot make it to the gym for a class on a particular day, I stay committed to at least doing some type of physical activity that day or week. It’s similar to what they teach us a in class during an interval training: keep moving because once you put that weight down it becomes more and more difficult to pick it up and keep going. “
MEET LUIS
Consultant
Member at SLSC since September 2018
MEET CARMEN
Registered Nurse
Member at SLSC since July 2019
WHY DO YOU TRAIN?
“Growing up I was always a very active kid. Always playing sports, either through school or a club, and in high school I swam and played water polo competitively.
After high school I decided not to continue swimming or playing polo. I felt that there was something missing because I wasn’t really on any sports teams or active like I was while I was in school.
A couple years later my uncle introduced me to CrossFit and I fell in love immediately. The first two weeks I was sore in places I didn’t even know I could be sore.
A year into starting CrossFit I tore my meniscus and had to have surgery. The recovery was slower than I expected and I felt like I lost everything I had worked for in the last year. That’s when I realized I wanted to become competitive. I wanted to be better than I was before my surgery.
I started to look for programming that would push me to new places in my level of fitness. I tried a couple of online programs like CompTrain and The Training Plan, which were amazing and got me to a great place but I felt like I needed more individualized programming to focus on my weaknesses.
Fast-forward two years and I am at SLSC training to qualify for sanctioned events and eventually the CrossFit Games.
Being here with amazing athletes that have the same goals and hunger as I do is incredibly motivating and inspiring. I train because I want to reach something that I never thought I could. I want to be a stronger person, mentally and physically.
And to me, achieving something I didn’t think was possible is affirmation that absolutely anything is possible, you just have to want it enough, work your ass off for it and never give up.”
WHY DO YOU TRAIN?
“I had always been jealous of athletic women—how they looked, the camaraderie they had.
I had done sports as a kid, but they were mostly running sports, or weight-controlled sports where I was meant to be as light as possible. I had never given myself the opportunity to be strong. In fact, my initial goal at CrossFit was to get back to being lighter than I was.
A few months in, the biggest difference CrossFit had made wasn’t my weight. It was that I no longer cared about my weight. I had started learning to use a barbell and progressing toward my first pull-up. I had strength and performance goals in mind, and I was happy to see myself improving.
CrossFit also helped me develop skills for other areas of my life. I write code, which is a field where you constantly have to learn new things. The progress I made at CrossFit helped me to believe that I could grow and improve: that I wasn’t stuck at my current skill level because I was already an adult, and there was absolutely no reason that I couldn’t focus and learn new things that I wanted to be able to do.
CrossFit also gave me the confidence to stick up for myself and my ideas when other programmers tried to make me feel small—and after I got some experience, to stick up for other programmers who needed someone to advocate for them.
I also teach computer science—a subject with a reputation for grueling classes, endless homework, and zero fun.
CrossFit is remarkable in that the workouts are relatively short, and although we love to complain to our coaches, we also enjoy class.
I started thinking about my computer science classes the way CrossFit coaches think about programming: What is the stimulus (the lesson) that I want my students to get out of this assignment? What is the minimum amount of strain (time spent on homework) that I can assign them that will be likely to teach them that lesson?
MEET CHELSEA
Software Engineer
Member at SLSC since November 2017
Meet some of the #peopleofslsc
