Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.”
June 22, 2012 I found myself living in a chicken coop of pain, sadness, and anger. I found myself covering the wounds of my pain with a bottle of Jack Daniels on the weekends, a pack-of-cigarettes-per-day, binge eating, along with being mentally handicapped by countless toxic relationships. At twenty-four, I was a size fourteen, 194 pounds, a victim of domestic violence, a DHR case, and living in a wilderness of unemployment. I was immobilized by depression and anger.
I began my journey to eating healthier and trying to maintain a weight loss plan with just a basic cardio, low carb strategy. As I began to loose some weight and meet the 5k mark I became bored. I became interested in CrossFit for the same reason any girl would… Rich Froning Jr.. It was through infomercials, ESPN Games, and twitter feeds that the flame was truly ignited. CrossFit was portrayed as a positive. For me, CrossFit was an answer to my prayers. I’m talking part-the-waters intervention. I began praying that God would place positive people into my life to help me change.
I grew up in a family of anger with parents who never once told me they were proud of me. I had countless boyfriends and friends who were toxic to me mentally and physically. I began doing research of CrossFit gyms that were near work and home as well as pocket-book friendly. I had no luck. Then, after praying that if God wanted me to really do CrossFit that something would open up that I would know if it was really something I should consider. A month later, CFA had a ribbon cutting ceremony. I still continued to pray, “God, make this not intimidating for me.” October 8, 2012, I walked into the first Fbox of my life and became a CrossFit Alabaster Athlete.
When I walked into the doors the first person I saw was this little short female who introduced her self as Coach Leigh. My thoughts, ”Answered prayer, not intimidating meat head at all.” The first words out of my mouth were, ” Hey, my name is Ashleigh & I’m ready to join CrossFit- but I’m really intimidated.” My first WOD/baseline I vomited. My second WOD I cried with Coach Leigh and a PVC pipe. I kept coming back though because my coaches were so happy for me and proud of me! My coaches at Crossfit Alabaster have instilled many things in me, most importantly that my mind is a muscle. I am able to look at my past as a stepping stone to a new PR, a heavier weight, and just a few more burpees when I think I cannot do one more. I have learned through them to use it as willpower to overcome my obstacles.
I have learned through my coaches that the only limitations I have are the limitations of my mind. With practice and time I have conditioned it to perform seemingly remarkable feats that have strengthened my body and hardened my emotional resolve. For the first time in twenty-four years I have people who tell me that they are proud of me. People believe in me at CFA & that is why I crossfit.
