OH, WHAT A WEEK!

Wow! It has been an incredible week for the owners of ALL IN CrossFit. Last week, the second stage of competition on the road to the CrossFit Games occurred- the South East Regional. Chris and I both had a role at Regional, but on two very different levels.

With my dear friends of CrossFit Adrenaline who won 2nd place in the Team competition.

First, I had the honor and absolute pleasure to serve as the South East Regional Media Director for CrossFit, Inc. I have been in charge of all of the media efforts coming out of the South East this year as we have progressed through the Open and Regional. Many ask me how I got this position, and believe me when I say I have to pinch myself to make sure I am not dreaming!

Two years ago, when I finally accepted that I would never be a high-level CrossFit athlete (haha!), I knew I needed to find a way to get myself more involved in this amazing community. I started out as a volunteer writer, then a paid writer, then the head writer at last year’s Regional, and then on the social media team at the CrossFit Games this past summer. When the RMD position became available, I jumped at the chance.

I talk a lot on Facebook, this blog, and to others about figuring out what makes you happy and finding a way to do it. When you are doing what you are passionate about, doors of opportunity will open in ways that will astound you. It is as if you are doing exactly what you were supposed to, and everything is lining up to greet you.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve CrossFit in such a capacity because it has given me so much in return. I have met the most awesome people across the country, many of whom I now call friend. I have found the professional fulfillment that I have been looking for my entire life. And I get to feel like I am a small part of the action in a sport that I absolutely love. Thank you so much HQ for giving me this opportunity.

Chris going beast mode on Event 5.

Of course, my post has to include a little something about my co-owner and ALL IN’s head coach, Chris Harris. Chris qualified to compete at Regional after competing in the 5-week CrossFit Open. He entered the Regional in 44th place and came out of it in 22nd place. I couldn’t be prouder of this man whom I affectionately call my third son.

I have learned a lot about what it takes to become an elite athlete in CrossFit by watching Chris train these past five months. It takes dedication, discipline and sacrifice. Chris usually had two training sessions a day and always trained by himself. He put his body through the ringer in a way that the ordinary person would balk at. When we all ate french fries and drank beer, Chris abstained. My respect for Chris has only grown as I have watched him go through this process. I can hardly wait to see what next year will bring.

Happy partners after Chris finishes 1st on Event 5!

The highlight at Regional was Event 5- a 310 lb. deadlift/ 30” box jump combination. We knew this would be a strong workout for Chris. From the 3-2-1-GO! he tore through it as if it was nothing. The crowd was going crazy as this virtual unknown put his name on the map. He ended up placing first in this workout with the second-place finisher 20 seconds behind him. I think Chris would agree that all of those hours he spent in the gym by himself were worth it for this one moment. I will never forget it!

Chris and I had two very different roles at Regional, and two very different sources of personal fulfillment. Neither of us would have been where we were, if it wasn’t for the love and support of our ALL IN family and the rest of our CrossFit friends. From Facebook messages and texts, your support means the world to both of us. Because of your generosity, we were able to sell 100 t-shirts to help raise money to offset the cost of the trip for Chris- and trust me, West Palm Beach ain’t cheap! In addition, because we were both gone, we had to close the gym for two days. Not one- NOT ONE!- person complained. We realize you pay a lot of money to train at our gym and had prepared ourselves for complaints. There were zero. Thank you.

Part of our support team from ALL IN!

Since this is my blog, I must give a shout-out to my media team, many of whom I have been working with since January. They were the ones that made me look so good! First off is Josh, my social media guru and MVP on the team. My writers- Dawn, Jeremy, Devin, Lauryn, Amanda, April, Billy, Brenton, and Alexis- came through for me every time, meeting deadlines and doing an outstanding job covering the South East. And finally, my Regional volunteers who truly became like family to me- Dawn, Jeremy, Devin, Maja, Janet, Josh, Arnie, Brandy, Grace, Ashley, Amanda, Antonio, Alexis, Leigh, Nicole, Justin, Jose, Michael, Joy, Daylis, Aisling, Andrea, Ritarsha, Eduardo, Luis, Dylan, Cat, and Brian. Words can never thank you enough for your tireless efforts this past weekend. It was truly a team effort! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!