This article was written by my sister Ellie Crenshaw. I asked her for her story after one week. I didn’t do it after a month or two months because in 3 sessions of CrossFit she was a different girl. She comes into the 6am classes. She has a glow about her. She is happy and I couldn’t be more proud of her. She is an amazing woman and she is day by day taking hold of that. She has been eating Paleo for 2 weeks as well. She was allergic to wheat but never knew it until CF. Now she feels good everyday, she is not sick or having headaches. She is an INSPIRATION to me daily, she also INSPIRES so many people in the gym. She is touching lives and doesn’t even realize it. She is my best friend and I love her with all my heart….READ ON to hear her story.
Before Crossfit my life was hard to look
at and be optimistic. I was in a deep
depression. I would only leave my bed
for work and my weekly counseling
appointment. My life had been a struggle
and I was angry all the time and with
everyone.
I had just had a miscarriage and
was starting the grieving process. Though
I wanted to be happier I really didn’t know
how or what else to do. Throughout my life
I had also struggled with my weight. Though
I was born in a family of athletes I had struggled
with overeating and bulimia at different phases
in my life.
My sister asked me to take a short road
trip with her to a soccer game she had and I was
more than willing to get out of town for the day.
On the way home we had a conversation that wasn’t
very different from ones we’d had in the past. Again,
she was telling me she wanted so badly for me to
take her up on her training and get in the gym.
She kept saying she had a gift for me and I just needed
to accept it. Again I was just waiting for the conversation
to end. I never liked having that discussion. I knew
I was unhealthy but I wanted to just sweep it under
the rug instead of confront it. I was having serious
health issues after the loss of the baby and was terrified
I was going to die soon.
Not long after that conversation with my sister I
decided to try one of her classes. Why not? Maybe
she’d drop it if I just did it once. The whole way there
I was thinking how much I didn’t want to do this. The
class started and I felt like there was no way in hell
I was going to make it through the warm up let alone
the work out. This voice in my head kept saying
“you can’t do this.” “You’re too fat.” “They’re all making
fun of you”. Through the voice I started to hear someone
cheering for me. “Good job Ellie!” “Keep pushing”. The
positive voice became louder than the negative. The voices
that were cheering me on was actual people in class.
They weren’t making fun of me, they were actually quieting
the voice. I finished the workout and was so proud of myself
I wanted to do it again. Each day the Crossfit family taught
me something new about myself.
One day I was on my last 400 meter run of the workout and
I had made up my mind that there was no way I was going to
be able to run any more. One of the ladies that had been in
Crossfit longer than me came running up along side me. She
was done with her workout and tired but wasn’t going to let
me quit. She ran the whole lap with me telling me that it get’s
better and more rewarding the more I come. I walked into that
first class feeling like the new kid in school and left feeling
like they were all old friends. I WAS HOOKED. From that day on
the only thing that came out of my mouth was about Crossfit
and how it was changing my life. It was better than any
counseling session or any night out with my friends. I had
discovered the key to my happiness. It was not letting go of
all the things I’d been through but taking all the energy I was
putting into me being a victim into FINDING MY POTENTIAL.
I surprised myself because there was more there than I expected
to find. In my first week I cured so much heartache and
depression that had been growing from so many years
of being torn down. I felt at home. Crossfit killed that
voice in my head that told me I couldn’t and I wasn’t
good enough.I feel that this has truly shown in
everyday life, not just in the gym. Crossfit IS a way of life.
I’ve come out of my first week a stronger and more
confident person. I have my sister to thank. Crossfit
saved my life and I only hope someone reads this
and decides that they need to better their situation
even if that voice is telling them it’s too hard.
DECIDE.
