Since I was a kid, all the way up to 16, I was always either a competitive cheerleader or a competitive gymnast. My strongest skill set was tumbling. I was powerful and could get a lot of air when running across a spring floor to tumble. I spent so many hours of my childhood and teenage years on a spring floor flipping around as much as I could. When I was 16 I had a fall that caused a mental block I never thought I would get over. I was too scared to even do a back handspring with a spot. I completely stopped tumbling and gave up on myself. Life went on and I accepted that I would never do a back handspring, back layout, or even a simple handstand again. In college I gained weight and started to come to the conclusion that I wasn't an athlete at all. Without cheerleading or gymnastics, I didn't know what sport could fill that gap. I accepted that I wasn't athletic and that I would never be that person who would run on trails around Austin or lift weights in a gym.
When I joined CrossFit City Limits over a year ago as I write this post, I was 24 and in the worst shape I had ever been. I had no idea what a power clean or snatch was. I didn't even know the proper form to do a squat. Luckily, the environment at CrossFit City Limits is all about accepting people with open arms no matter your skill set or knowledge. A year later, at 25 I did a back handspring for the first time in 9 years. CrossFit City Limits not only helped me build muscle, but it helped me mentally believe I could accomplish anything. I started to realize I could be that person who can run trails around Austin and that I could push myself to lift heavy weights. It has been the most life changing experience for me in the most positive way. I went from accepting that I would never even do a handstand again to believing that I could even be better that what I was at age 16. CrossFit helped me fight my fears from 9 year ago and now I have the confidence I never thought I would have again. It is a slow work in progress since nothing changes over night, but one step at a time CrossFit has helped me feel more confident, healthier, and stronger than I ever would have believed.
