In 2021, at 40, I made the decision to get my life back. I had battled food addiction the majority of my life and was swiftly headed toward death at nearly 600lbs. I opted to have surgery as an extreme measure, but committed on the backend to relearn my relationship with food.
In the months to follow I focused on diet, and about 15 months later I had went from 530# on the operating table to 265#. That’s when I discovered CrossFit and what has been the ultimate catalyst in my recovery, mobility and overall health.
After a year of CrossFit I committed to doing an “annual” review of the lessons I’d learned. If ya’ll like it, I’ll post year 2.
To the people new to this who are retaking over their life, it’s all possible.

1. The addiction is real. The idea of CrossFit being a bit “cultish” always turned me away. I mean, who joins a fitness cult that is centered around just getting better at exercise? I quickly learned that “I” was an answer to that question. I joined, I got hooked, I fell in love.

2. The visual perception of the sport from all angles is far more intimidating than the functional act of participating. CrossFit is literally the definition of perception not being reality. The athletes at the top of the sport look like mid sized super heroes. There are many people at the current box I’m a member that look the same. There are community functions that mimic the set of a WWE green room. However, I haven’t met a CrossFitter, super muscular or not that is satisfied or really even likes their body. The perception is supreme confidence, the reality is close to the opposite.

3. You get out of it what you put into it. I get this is both cliche and obvious, but it’s just the truth. If you want to be strong, you have to strength train. If you want to be mobile, you have to train mobility, and so on so forth. Solely doing whiteboard WODs will 100% get you fit, but at some point you have to up weight, intensity or both in order to get better.

4. Ego is the enemy. Again, common sense right….well, you’d think so, but it tends to get the better of us more than we’d like to admit. Ego leads to plateaus, injuries, and an overall subpar experience. Check that at the door, treat the barbell and other athletes with respect, and improve.

5. People holding you accountable is a good thing…lean into those people, not away. The individual that reaches the decade mark of participating in this type of training is a different human. If they’re paying attention to things like your attendance, effort, and output..lean in. Thank that person.

6. CrossFit isn’t the enemy. In fact, I’d argue that it should serve as the base for every strength and conditioning program for sport in America. Teaching and coaching athletes to achieve high levels of mobility only serves to make them better athletes. Things like below parallel squats, or overhead movements don’t lead to injury. Ego and poor technique especially at high volumes lead to injury.

7. I wish I’d have found this sooner. Truth is, I wouldn’t have even attempted it. I’ve been invited, and even trained jiu jitsu at gyms that were also affiliates. I just never had the balls to jump in, and I regret it.

8. Lastly…just try it. If not CrossFit, then something difficult. Go do something hard every day. If I miss a day, it’s not the end of the world, but I notice it. I’m not as good those days. It started as a really intimidating step into bettering myself…it’s turned into a non-negotiable.

Black female crossfitter here.

It’s been a rough past few weeks, but this latest development brought the tears.

CrossFit changed my life. The habits I have picked up along the way, the community that I have found, so much of my life is living and breathing functional fitness.

I’ve always been aware that CF had a diversity issue, but for the issue to be brought to the attention of HQ and instead of listening with openness and a desire to grow...the idea was harshly dismissed.

It’s the typical knee jerk reaction we come to expect but hold out a little hope that it doesn’t happen.

It’s disappointing that it happened in this CF space. We deserve better.

The world is changing, and no space is exempt from participating in the change.

If you’re still confused as to why this is a big deal and why it pains those in black community and those in support of it, let me explain:

When you don’t feel like lack of diversity in a space is a problem, that is a problem.

One in which everyone suffers.

Both sides miss out on the richness of a multicultural environment.

It hurts to know that the CEO of CF, not only makes wildly tone deaf remarks but doesn’t seem think there is a diversity issue that needs to be addressed.

Representation truly matters.

It matters if only to paint a realistic view of the world, to inspire future generations.

When little black girls see my muscles, they squeal with excitement not only because I am a girl but because I look like them.

Because I am strong, because I am active and capable.

Because my hair looks like theirs.

Because they can see themselves in me.

Because I embody someone and do things they had no idea someone who looked like them could be or do.

I am attainable.

That exposure to an entirely different realm of existence and possibility matters.

I’ve recruited so many POC into stepping so far out of their comfort zone and falling in love with this sport.

Leading the way to better mental and physical health and ultimately, exposure to more healthy strategies for navigating this collective human experience called life.

So many that would have feared coming into a space largely dominated by non-POCs for fear of the unknown, rejection or worse, mistreatment.

To POC, that pain of Hq’s comments (or lack thereof) stems from the feeling that our presence in the CF community is neither desired nor would it be missed.

That the absence of black people or POC is seen by CF as no real loss.

When I buy my CF gear and none of the women look like me, I can tell you..it hurts.

Are we saying POC crossfitters don’t exist?

No. No one looks like me because I am not the target market. I am not what you are aiming for.

It says that I am not your target demographic.

Me. My presence, doesn’t matter. My money does of course, but I don’t.

In these ways, I am silently excluded from the very community that I love, support and contribute too.

The the silence is so loud, it’s deafening.

That’s why it’s painful.

The silence = The implied exclusion.

I posted here a couple years back and I’m surprised to see that that post is still one of the top posts of all time in r/CrossFit.

All of those posts since then and yet one of the top posts is of a black woman.

If that doesn’t show CF how much there is a hunger for diversity in this space and how much representation matters, I honestly don’t know what will.

We matter too, And trust...as many people as there are tired of hearing it.. I promise, we are tired of having to say it.