I am so grateful to my husband, Jon, for encouraging me and supporting me to start (and maintain) CrossFit and to the 7220 community that I’ve felt welcomed into. I’ve battled several mental and physical obstacles the past. Shortly after the birth of my son in January 2012, I was diagnosed with a variant of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. At the most challenging stage of this I was unable to move the muscles of my jaw, close my eyes completely, or raise my right arm above chest height. I distinctly remember at one point during my hospitalization only being able to walk about 500 feet without being totally fatigued and in pain. As a result of the treatment that I received for the GBS, it caused irreversible kidney damage so that my kidney function is only about half of what it was prior to the treatment. During the past years I’ve lived in fear of having a reoccurrence of symptoms similar to the GBS, fear of possible progressing kidney disease, fear of not being able to run, play, jump, and cuddle with my children or not living the active lifestyle I’ve always maintained.

​Cue CrossFit…… My husband, knowing me better than I know myself, signed us up for the Level 1 Trainer course in 2013. I reluctantly attended, fearing I would hurt myself or be so out of shape I would be intimidated. The opposite occurred. I felt truly motivated to make dramatic changes in the way I move for the first time in a year. Shortly after, I joined 7220 and have allowed myself to break down all the physical, but more importantly, mental barriers I created. I find myself no longer fearful of the future but find myself able to focus my mental and physical strength in the present. I thank the coaches for their watchful eyes and encouragement and my fellow athletes for the healthiest competition I’ve been involved in. The CrossFit lifestyle, and in particular our 7220 community, embodies so much of my core beliefs and I am honored to be able to share this with other like-minded individuals. I thank you for “forcing me” to goal set and keeping me accountable.

Thank you, thank you.