Sport is amazing and I believe essential for every person. The lessons you learn about selflessness, teamwork, patience, communication.. The list can go on and on. CrossFit and the community that has evolved from it has revealed these qualities to so many. Today, I want to express how CrossFit has taught me how to be a better and more selfless person and husband.
John, Chapter 4:7, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love."
I have been involved in athletics since I could walk. Team sports helped me through adolescence, guided me in my turbulent teenage years, and focused me during my development in my 20's. But it was my first day in CrossFit, when I was broken down to a point where my mind was telling me to just quit and leave that I 'saw the light' in the faces of everyone I was working out with. The charged me with inspiration and pushed me to keep going. This was love. This set a blaze inside of me.
Many of you know this feeling. You have been down, you have wanted to quit.. But the love and compassion of your friends in CrossFit have kept you going. Powerful.
Years have passed and my role of athlete have transformed into role of mentor and coach. My goal is to now be the front line face to love, compassion and teamwork for my community. This has involved not only personal work inside the gym but outside the gym, staying conscious and developing my loving relationships with my wife and kids. It is hard as you all know. To constantly being a beacon of compassion and guidance is exhausting and many times you want to just shut down and hide instead of giving one more ounce of passion to others.
But the work must go on. You must constantly and unceasingly strive to develop the love for one another. CrossFit classes are the perfect opportunity for you to practice. I have found few other places where your chance to strive to be better is more accepted than in a CrossFit gym.
The result of spreading compassion and love through sport not only has profound effects on the individuals and community you are a part of but personally you will be elevated spiritually, emotionally, and of course physically! The work continues today with you. Every moment, every encounter you have. A chance to spread the love for one another.
If you can devote your life to bringing others up, it is much more rewarding than bringing yourself up.
THIS WORKOUT TODAY IS DEDICATED TO THE LOVE OF MY LIFE CRISTIN BOTSFORD...
BASELINE:
Mobility; Lat Band/ Relative Hip Flexion
25X
Samson Lunge W/ Pass Thru
Frog Jump Lateral
Reverse Hand Push Up
Skill Development:
Power Clean
5-5-5-5
*Building + Touch and Go
WOD:
'Cristin's Birthday WOD'
7X :30 @ each Movement
Power Clean 135/95
Wall Ball
Toes To bar
Rest
*Score is total reps completed.
