I was in Costco. So many stories could start this way. In produce, a balding, middle-aged guy walked toward me - back when you could walk both ways down an aisle. I don't know why I noticed him, but I remember subconsciously acknowledging his "Dad bod". He looked like most middle-aged guys. I quickly dismissed the thought and kept filling my cart.
The next time we passed each other it was his t-shirt that caught my eye. It said "CrossFit Hyannis". Woah! My mind started racing! WHAT IS THIS DUDE CAPAPBLE OF???? Does he crush wallballs? What is his deadlift? He must be crazy disciplined. He must have a fierce mindset.
Immediately I apologized to him in my head for underestimating him, and I gave my CrossFit brother an imaginary fist bump.
I'll never know if it was a hand-me-down, free t-shirt, or if he is at his box 6 mornings/week, taking names. The point is that I looked at him differently because I thought he did CrossFit.
So back in June when the founder and CEO of CrossFit exposed a toxic culture at headquarters and there was so much pressure to de-affiliate from the CrossFit name, I was angry. I was upset personally because CrossFit is part of my identity. I didn't want to lose that. It was unbelievably stressful as an affiliate owner. What do we do? How can we afford to rebrand after being shut down due to COVID-19? How do we describe who we are now? I was irate that one man could affect my business, and my identity, in such a way. It wasn't right.
When we were going through the difficult decision of de-affiliation, I had many conversations with members. One went straight to my soul. A woman in her 40s told me that doing CrossFit makes her feel "badass" and she was sad to lose that. How could he take that away from her? How could I take that away from her? Everyone should have something in their life that makes them feel invincible, even just for an hour/day.
Ultimately, it was the right thing to do to take a stand against the path that CrossFit Headquarters had gone down because it brought us great change. Now, returning to the CrossFit brand under the inspiring leadership of Eric Roza makes me so excited. I have a renewed energy and passion. The future of CrossFit is stronger than ever before, and it would not have happened without thousands of affiliates leaving as we did.
The new CrossFit mission statement is "to be the world's leading platform for health, happiness and performance". Roza really gets it. CrossFit is so much more than physical fitness. The changes in your body composition and health are visible and undeniable. But CrossFit is also mental health. It is resilience. It is discipline. It is learning new skills. It is doing what you didn't think you could. It is getting better all the time. It is strong friendships. It is support. It is defying age. It is confidence. It makes me happy. It is the best hour of my day.
I am proud to be CrossFit again. I am proud to be CrossFit Medfield. I love looking at people and wondering what they are capable of, and every day getting to see them push, support and inspire each other.
What if we looked at everyone, CrossFit t-shirt or not, with a "What is this person capable of" lens? It's really fun to do, and it reinforces respecting one another and looking for talents instead of faults. Try it. Oh, and also try CrossFit. :)
I can't wait to see what Eric Roza is capable of.
I wonder if that Dad bod has a sub 3 minute Fran time....
- Coach Amy
amy@crossfitmedfield.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete