I wanted to get this posted much earlier in the week, but life gets in the way sometimes and tonight is my first chance to really sit down and write. SO here goes… It was an overall inspirational past weekend for those in the CrossFit community. The 2014 CrossFit Games were on and allowed the world to watch the best of the best in this sport. There were amazing athletes competing with amazing determination, I absolutely love watching! I have not been able to attend the Games in person, but I can only imagine the energy and feeling of actually being there. It is definitely a goal of mine to be there one day, it’s going to happen!

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I have made it to watch Regionals in person every year, and always leave with a great sense of inspiration and appreciation for the athletes and the hard work they put in to get where they are. One of my favorite things about CrossFit is the fact that it is so all-inclusive in the sense that every CrossFitter can do these work outs. Maybe not as fast, or with as much weight, but are able to do it all the same. If you are motivated and committed, you’ve found where you belong. Doesn’t mean you can clean 300# or have a sub 3 min Grace, but we’re all there with the same goal. That alone is inspirational enough. We are surrounded by like minded people, and we all share a similar goal.

I personally look up to this amazing athlete, 2014 Fittest Female on Earth, Camille! Am I a Camille? Not quite…but I can sure as hell try to be! (Really, you have to be amazing to smile in the middle of this workout.. although if I could go unbroken I would be too 🙂 )

The Games are super inspiring but one of my newer athletes said something to me that really knocked me off my feet, inspired the heck out of me, and reminded me that it doesn’t take Games level athletes to inspire others. Naturally, as a CrossFitter, we can’t stop talking about CrossFit. So it’s not unusual to have conversations that last a couple hours about every aspect of CrossFit you can think of.  I was reminded of the power that every single person in that gym (and out of the gym) can have. He said “…there are people who are very shy at our gym and have low confidence, even after all the great comradery in the environment, who find inspiration from others but keep it a secret because they maybe embarrassed or whatever. So when I do anything now, I always go 100(%) because even though I (am) new to the scene, someone else who’s new to the game may be inspired by me. so even if I’m weak, ill still give it my all. If I didn’t puke, pass out, or die, I keep going.” I took this opportunity to tell him how awesome he is, and he came back with another text, “It was you, the coaches, and all the member(s) at OSCF that helped me realize that about myself.. It’s thanks to you guys that I’m awesome and I’m why everyone else we meet will be the same. Haha like ‘Fran’ said, you just attract awesome. 😊” With all the craziness of life that can get in the way, having this said to me was a huge wake up call. It reminded me that not only do I teach people how to “work out” I can be a role model, someone that people look up to.

It is a big part of the job to see someone at their best, even when they don’t. To see how strong they are deep down, even when they’ve forgotten or don’t know it yet. It’s a win for me to help them to see what I see. But this is something in addition to that. This lesson is about trying to be your best for those that are silently watching and taking notes so they can get to the point where you are.. the point where because of watching you push through, they can too. While they may have given up and gone home, but decided to stay after seeing you fight through it.

This doesn’t only apply to myself. It applies to every single of you, in and out the gym. You never know who is watching; who you could be inspiring. It motivates me and inspires me to want to do better, to be better. If you ask yourself, “If you knew you could be inspiring someone at any particular moment, would you try harder?” what would your answer be?

Wake up.

Kick Ass.

Repeat!

-LKN