The Avalanche
-written by Jason Lyons
-written by Jason Lyons
I guess Doug should get his drum out because I wanted to write a little something about this thing we share, CrossFit.
I reflect back on the past year and I am amazed at what I see. What started out as a small group of 10 in the basement of an office has transformed into something beautiful; at least beautiful in my eyes. You may think that I feel that way because the business and name have grown or you may think I feel this way because we are getting close to breaking even. You could not be more wrong on both accounts. What is beautiful is that we have all chipped in to create something special and together we are changing lives, a lot of lives. Each of us dedicates some part of our busy day to CrossFit and as a result we have been stronger, healthier human beings. Each person in our community has a purpose and I hope that you realize it and understand how important you are. Aimee and I may coach some of the classes with the help of others and we offer a space for the magic to happen but without all of you, CrossFit is a little less effective. The motivation that you give each other without knowing it cannot truly be measured of expressed in words. The outreached hand of a veteran to someone walking in the door for the first time embodies what this community is all about and I hope the members of the gym realize that.
In the very beginning, we had a very close-knit group of people that became very used to slipping in each other’s sweat puddles. It was a great time and we loved working out with each other and we became the small Spartan army in 300; always ready to tell a joke or to offer encouragement when needed. Literally, we shared blood, sweat, and at times, tears. It was a little club and part of me misses it…that is until I reflect on what we have now. The way I see it, our Spartan army has grown in size and the number of lives we can now touch has no boundaries. It is important to note that the only way we have grown is through word of mouth…sit back and realize how powerful that is. People join the box because they have heard of what it has done for people like you.
Similar to many of the articles floating around the Internet about CrossFit Inc. in general, when something grows so rapidly, people have a tendency to resist and wish it remained small for them and their close group of friends to enjoy. I have to be honest and for a while I thought just like that. I thought like that until the first person came up to me in tears saying thank you because I changed their life with the story I wrote. What they do not realize is that yes, it is my story, but that story involves each of you and it will evolve to include members that have not yet joined the gym, as I will push against them and learn from them as well. Words really cannot express how hearing those words make you feel. I get emotional sitting here writing about it. It becomes addictive and you want to continue to spread your story and touch as many lives as you can. There is no doubt that when Mike and Gina posted their pictures that someone was not inspired. It is a fact of life. I no longer think of CrossFit as solely about me. I come to CrossFit KoP to participate in a community and give it my all. In doing so, I will undoubtedly benefit from a mental and physical point of view but at the same time I also may inspire someone else and to me, that is becoming just as important. Pay it forward.
Knowing this, it makes me sad when our Army loses a member for whatever reason. Not only are you reminded of the sweat and tears that you shared together or the fist bumps and hugs after finishing that grueling workout or setting a PR, but you lose a link in the chain, potentially cutting off a section of the potential people that you could eventually touch with your personal success story (believe me, you ALL have one) and how you changed your life…proving to them that they can as well. This is why I ask anyone that may leave for any reason to continue to belong to the CrossFit family. Whether it has actually been said to you or not, you have all changed someone’s life. Many of our early members were ladies and shortly after their husbands followed…ladies, similar to Aimee changing mine; you have changed their life. And because you now have a desire to be healthy, strong human beings, so too will your children…again you have changed lives. Understand that and appreciate how important you are to the world as a role model. It is sad when someone leaves because that person that you have fought with is no longer next to you to cover your back but as long as you are still fighting the fight, I know you are there somewhere and that is what is important. I still miss Timmy Marley on a daily basis, as he was the first person standing next to me other than Aimee. I know that I would be a stronger person today had he stuck around. Understand that CrossFit, as a whole, can no longer be stopped. It is a snowball that has turned into an avalanche and every box out there will continue to grow rapidly so no matter where you are, you will be able to touch lives. Whether it be at KoP or somewhere else, continue to fight, improve your life and know that you do make a difference.
