Here’s my story: Kay C.
I have always struggled with weight my entire life. I was the chubby band kid that was on the honor roll, but struggled with getting bullied so I pretty much kept to myself and my small circle of friends. I was diagnosed with asthma at a very early age, so physical activity was always a struggle. Outside of school, I had additional struggles, my home life was inconsistent and I never knew what I would be coming home to once I walked through the front door. This experience turned me into a person I didn’t even recognize anymore.
About 12 and a half years ago, I had decided it was time to stop blaming everyone else and outside circumstances and it was time for me to start making changes. This is when I started to get into working out, rock climbing, hiking, and making a big lifestyle change. I loved how it made me feel and the positive energy and impact it made on my day and my attitude towards others. It was the first time in my life that I felt good about myself and was excited about the results I was seeing in myself both physically, mentally and emotionally.
Six years ago, I ended up herniating a disc in my lower back and getting left sciatica. The nerve pain was so excruciating that getting to and from work felt like a huge workout in itself. It was a huge setback for me, I was no longer able to do any physical activity and was in constant pain. Six months passed and after a few emergency room visits, the doctor informed me that I had “the mother of all herniated discs he had ever seen”. The doctor was amazed that I was even able to walk. The pandemic hit and my medical case was presented to a medical board because they were only conducting emergency surgeries during that time, the board decided that I needed an emergency surgery on my back. After I had the surgery, I felt instant relief, I was able to move around without the nerve pain shooting up and down my left leg. I couldn’t wait to get back into physical activity again, my neurologist informed me that I should not lift weights for a while and I needed to take it easy. I slowly got back into things, but had this fear in the back of my mind of re injuring myself so I stayed away from weight lifting.
I moved here to the Pensacola area a little over two years ago. I was excited for the new adventure, but was sad because I had to leave my friends and the community that I had built in Colorado. I joined a local gym and started getting into using weights again, but kept the weight low. I was still missing a sense of community though and the gym was not providing that for me. I started searching for other gyms in the area and came across SRC Fit. I informed them that I was looking for: motivation, a community, and I wanted to get stronger again. I let them know about my previous medical history, where in the back of my mind I thought they would send me away, but this seemed to not even matter in any of their eyes.
I felt overwhelmed and questioned myself daily. I would see the workouts on the board and think to myself, “I can’t do this”. Then I would finish and would be amazed at how I was capable of so much more than I thought. About six months after I joined, someone asked for me to fill in as a partner and I competed in the “Jingle Bell Jam” CrossFit competition. I have always struggled with not feeling good enough and I finally built up the courage to go against everyone else. This was the game changer for me, this is when I realized how strong and capable I was. The competition for me, was about proving to myself I could finish it without time capping and to not come in last place, which my teammate and I did achieve. It was a year and a half ago that I started my CrossFit journey and I still continue to amaze myself, I walked into cross fit not even being able to hang from a bar, squatting 85 lbs, and not even being able to jump onto a plate. Today, I am squatting 185, completing jumps on a 20 inch box, and super close to achieving my first pull up, it is nothing short of a miracle when I look back.
Crossfit has changed my life and has made me realize quite a few things. First, the people you surround yourself with matters, make sure to pick the people that motivate and support you. In most cases, these people believe in me more than I do myself, this includes the coaches and members. I used to be this person that would push myself too hard, now I find that after my surgery I hesitate to push myself harder because I still have that fear in the back of my mind of re-injuring myself. Second, CrossFit is my motivation. My CrossFit community pushes me to my potential, I may complain and kick and scream along the way, but I have never been known for backing down from a challenge. In addition, I enjoy helping them stay motivated as well, if I see them getting tired or wanting to give up, I root them on. It is a two way street, we are in this together and help each other get through every workout. Third, I don’t have to be the best, I just have to continue being the best version of myself. I have always thought I had to be the best at everything I do, so when I came into CrossFit, I quickly learned that I was nowhere near the best or strongest there. I then learned to just stay in my lane and I aim to be stronger than I was yesterday and celebrate the small progress I make from week to week. Fourth, injuries and physical disabilities do not define me. If I want to see changes, then I need to get up and take action. When I started out a year and a half ago, running 200m was a struggle and I was not able to complete it without taking a break and puffing on my inhaler. Now, I can complete 700 meters without a break and without using my inhaler. My back has not even been an obstacle, it turns out I was my biggest obstacle. Lastly, CrossFit is the support system and community I have been searching for. I look forward to each class and get excited seeing everyone. I consider them my family of choice. There have been many days that my Crossfit community has helped me get through, I love them all so much. It is a place I feel I can truly be myself with no judgment.
Kay is a pillar of our 5pm class here at SRC FIT. A coachable and hardworking athlete who has improved so much and has an infectious spirit and positive attitude.
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-Coach Chandler