“When you find your focus it will feel as if everything is moving in slow motion.” – Annie Thorisdottir
When we think about the role that sport plays in CrossFit, we can easily get swept up in the desire to want to accomplish some of the heavy lifting, high skill gymnastic, and fancy party tricks that we see on YouTube and at the upcoming CrossFit Games this week in Madison. I’m excited to have the opportunity to watch the fittest athletes on earth compete for the top spot on the podium along with fans from all over the world. So when we think about the 40 individual male and female athletes, along with the teams, age groups, and adaptive divisions, the question remains how should we think about the sport of CrossFit compared to what we do in the garage each day?
One perspective that I have found to be helpful is to compare CrossFit to any other professional sport. There are athletes who are competing on a daily basis to earn money, win championships, and create a life for themselves through that sport. Whether it’s football, baseball, soccer, golf, or any other sport, these athletes are the best at what they do in the world. It’s fun to watch what they are able to accomplish on the field, and marvel at what human’s potential is. At the same time, we can recognize that we may never be able to do what they do and that is OK. I can still go golfing on the weekends, play slow pitch softball, play pickup basketball or throw a football around in the backyard without comparing myself to professional athletes.
To see what the athletes in Madison will accomplish this weekend is not the end goal of what we’re doing in the garage. We’re preparing for the sport of life each day by improving our strength, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, and capacity to take on challenges presented before us. We can try our hand at the events the athletes will face in Madison to put in perspective what humans are capable of achieving. It can help inspire us to stay consistent in our own healthy habits knowing that we can still achieve and be proud of what we can accomplish as individuals and a community.
My encouragement to you is that if you decide to watch the athletes compete in Madison this week, to be proud that they are participating in the same movement and recovery practices as you are. That we are all part of the CrossFit ecosystem, and be inspired to push the boundaries of what is possible for you that may be outside of your reach. Let’s enjoy the Super Bowl of the sport of CrossFit this week, and use it as fuel to keep showing up for ourselves, our friends, and our families!
