Carmen shares her journey: 

I joined Crossfit in March of 2012, so it is not that I am new to this game. I watch the demo portion of class for tips on improving my technique, not because I am unfamiliar with the movements. I have become an occasional regular to Hells Bells, Strongman and Yoga in addition to the regular WODs. When I am introduced to new people at parties it usually goes something like “This is Carmen – she does CrossFit”. I am one of those people who posts about CrossFit approximately once a day on my Facebookpage and even have a photo album entitled “Photos from the Cult”. But, on January 5th, I became a CrossFitter.

In my efforts to continue my transformation from average Jane to full-fledged Kool-Aid drinking CrossFitter, I signed up for the 90 Day Challenge. I thought it would be a great way to get serious about Paleo and to make sure I was getting to the WODs more regularly. I had hit most of the required workouts as part of the WODs but had to make up the 1RM snatch and 7 minutes of burpees. Lynn, Mary and I agreed to meet up on Saturday morning to go through this torturous task together.

Now, aside from the two weeks of On Ramp and my occasional foam rolling, I avoid the double wide. It scares me. It is where the “real” athletes work out. No one has ever said this, or even so much as implied this, but it was as much a fact of life for me as Jay’s headbands and sexual innuendos. It was my own personal No Fly Zone.

When Mary, Lynn and I showed up for our makeup workouts, I was very relieved to find the double wide was basically empty. I scuttled in, began to warm up and even had the courage to hook up Mary’s phone to put on some of our tunes (Read: I was shriek-singing along to Taylor Swift like a boss). As we were working our way up to our 1RM, the double wide started to get a little more popular – the 9:30 WOD had finished, people were foam rolling, rowing and doing their own lifts. Maybe it was the fact that I was already in the double wide, maybe it was the fact that I was in the 1RM zone or maybe it was Taylor Swift, but I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. I felt amazing. I felt like I belonged.

And then I saw her. Walking back and forth, stopping ever so briefly at the door, was a new CrossFitter I had never seen before. I kept working on my lifts but I couldn’t help but think “That was me. That was exactly what I looked like on my first day and also a little bit of what I felt like before I ventured into the
double wide today.” The realization hit me like a 130# stone – I was one of those “real” athletes to this girl!

Dean came over and told us that this new CrossFitter wanted to hit the 7 minutes of burpees before she partook on her first ever WOD at 11:00am. Lynn, Mary and I were more than happy to share the torture of burpees with this fresh faced athlete (Lets call her New CrossFitter or NC for short) and we partnered
up to begin. I was NC’s partner and she volunteered to go first. I found myself telling NC things that had been told to me in all of my most difficult WODs, particularly when it came to burpees: Get down, get right back up; don’t stop moving; keep a pace; you have it in you, I know you do; you got this; 90
seconds left, give me everything you have!

I have zero idea if I helped NC. I hope I did. I hope she realized, as I have realized, that she is now part of a community of athletes dedicated to fitness, yes, but also dedicated to each other. That no one is a stranger when they walk into the box and that everyone wants to help each other succeed. Am I
still intimidated by the double wide? Of course. But I know that no one is judging me when I walk in, because just like every other person in this box, I am a CrossFitter.