Two weeks ago, Will sent an email thanking Jarret for encouraging him to do lateral jumps over a bar. He'd had a double-hip replacement, and thought he'd never do lateral jumps again.
He did.
He signed up for the Open. Before 13.1, he mentioned to Mel, "I haven't done 95lbs over my head before." Mel told him to try it anyway.
He did.
It's hard to call a bald guy in his 50s a wunderkind, but if you know Will, you know what I mean. Clever, funny, and outwardly calm, Will brings a LOT to the noon group. This is his story.
What brought me to CrossFit
in the first place? Maintaining a good level of fitness has always been
important to me. Martial arts, running, cycling and just participating in
"bush" work, kept me fit and alleviated the stress of everyday work
and life. Several years ago I began to weight lift enjoying the physical
challenges greatly. As I grew older (not necessarily wiser), I found that
I had to start to change my routines to facilitate my changing body (and major
operations on hips) , and felt that although I still had strength my physical
endurance was lacking. At that time, my long-time workout partner and I
briefly investigated CrossFit training as a true total body experience.
Geography stopped us from trying CrossFit since I worked out in Michigan
at that time.
In January, changes in work schedules greatly
reduced our workout periods. Maybe those who have had great workout
partners would understand the grieving process that takes place when routines
change but the change was difficult. To combat this, and to fill a
burning desire to keep fit, I finally contacted the CrossFit gym here and began
to work out. I am still a neophyte in the gym, being shy and often
confused by the acronyms used but working out. I am amazed at the support
and friendliness in the gym.
I joined early January,
2013 with my trainer Melanie Rose taking me through the first routines and
familiarizing me with the facility. After attending several CrossFit
classes at different times, I am now pretty comfortable with each class.
Presently, I am trying to develop a routine of classes and free gym to
better experience CrossFit and meet my goals. As important, I have
convinced my workout partner to cross the bridge and try out CrossFit knowing
it will really benefit him.
Recently, I have began to
be able to finish each class. My aerobic capacity has really increased.
I have experienced weight loss with the diet and increased physical
strength already. There is a lot to learn and I am trying to great it all
in. I am trying to lift weights more correctly and gain upper body
strength. To this goal, I try to practice each lift as
"homework" each time I am at that gym. Getting into a correct
routine is my first goal right now; the most important point here is to be
comfortable enough to do the daily workouts on my own! I am getting
there. Remembering names has always been a problem with me, faces I can
recall, names not so good. To repay all those who have helped me in the
gym, I am concentrating on knowing all those names.
Two years ago I had my hips replaced along
with many warnings about what not to do in life. Each class in CrossFit
brings with it new surprises in mobility which I thought I would never have.
The box jumping was the best so far! One routine had us side box
jumping. Never would I have thought that I would be able to do this; I
was genuinely frightened when I stood beside the box thinking of the
consequences of smashing my hip. It was like looking down at the water
trying to get up the nerve to jump off one of the cliffs into Lake Superior.
I did it and it felt so good! Maybe those around did not realize
the significance of the jumps but I did; it gave me the greatest smile.
Right now I want to get more fit and try more things, challenge my body
and mind. I may be getting older but I am not going to be one of those
Ontarians who spend the last 10 years of their life in illness.