A Brand-New Start!: The Open!

Hi!

It's been a while and things have been nuts! The CrossFit Open is over (sad face) and I find myself a little sad on Thursday nights at 8pm! I'm still amazed that there were NO BURPEES!!! Definitely won that one haha!

Anywho, CrossFit HQ recently announced an essay contest having to do with the open, and how community is a huge part of it. While I was not chosen, I still wanted to share my story with you all. I've said it a million times, but there is nothing quite like the feeling of the box during the Open wods- it's electric. I would be lost without the amazing support of the whole Bare Cove crew! Much love! Without further adieu, here it is!

The CrossFit Games Open is an exciting and challenging sporting competition that CrossFit enthusiasts all over the globe look forward to every year. After intense training sessions throughout the year, CrossFit athletes convene at the Open and measure their fitness by competing against each other to determine the best athlete in our sport.

As an overweight woman, I never envisioned myself participating in an event like the Open. I never felt like I could be a part of the CrossFit community. But, two years ago, I plucked up enough courage to join Reebok CrossFit Bare Cove in Hingham, MA. Head coach, Mike LeJeune, calmed my fears of inadequacy by assuring me that all movements were scalable and that even "I" would be able to compete in the Open. Mike, along with my other coaches, have always encouraged me to try new movements

even if I didn't get them on the first try. During one of my first Open workouts, getting one 20in box step up was an obstacle for me. Despite the encouragement of my judge, Lenore, I was unable to conquer the box. Tears streamed down my face. Another coach, Lauren, suggested I approach the box a different way and before I knew it, I was on top of that box! Once time was called, I was met with cheers and claps from my coaches and other members of the CrossFit community.

I am constantly reminded and surprised at what I am able achieve with hard work and effort. I can't help but feel a sense of community and belonging when complete strangers gather together at this event and cheer me on as well as each other. Because of my efforts and their support, here I am, in 2015, participating in my third Open.

This year, just as in years past, the energy at the box is electric during the Open. There is an air of anxiety and anticipation on Thursday night before the WOD is released.. I wait patiently to see THE Dave Castro step out on to the competition floor. He announces the WOD and relief rushes over me when I find out I don’t have double unders! Saturday morning, we are all dedicated to the Open workouts. I take this opportunity to chat with everyone there, from the retired Marine, to the mom of two, and ask what their

approach is going to be to get through the WOD. The coaches brief us and give us their tips and tricks on how we should go after it. Though we all have varying abilities and are competing at different levels, we are all coming together for the same reason: to achieve something greater than we achieved yesterday. That’s what the Open is all about. It’s about striving to be better. It's about overcoming fears. And, it's about harnessing the energy, support, and encouragement of our CrossFit family from near and far and

using it all to propel us forward. We band together and "embrace the suck." We root for each other and relish in our great accomplishments.