Ode to the Newcomer

The following appeared on the District CrossFit blog last September, right at the end of my first month as a DCF athlete. At the time it was exactly what I needed to hear so I saved it in the notes section on my phone and re-read it several times during my low moments in those first few months. I came across the note again today and it still holds a lot of positivity for me. There are several exchanges that I've had with friends over the last year, comments that you all have left on my posts and pictures on Facebook, emails, etc that have been incredibly encouraging and that I refer back to often. I am extremely grateful for everything that has helped or inspired me in some way, even if it wasn't directed specifically at me. 

So, while this was written by a DCF athlete, directed towards the newcomers at our gym, I post it again in the hopes that it will reach someone else who needs a little encouragement today. To the Annonymous DCF Athlete, if you're reading this, thank you for your kind words. It meant more to me than you realize.

Ode to the Newcomer

"For all newcomers to Crossfit and especially DCF - You are awesome.

If you’d look me in the eye only for an instant, you would notice the reverence and respect I have for you. The adventure you have started is tremendous; it leads to a better health, to renewed confidence and to a brand new kind of freedom. The gifts you will receive from listening to the athlete in your head will far exceed the effort it takes you to show up here, to face your fears and to bravely set yourself in motion, in front of others.

You have already begun your transformation. You no longer accept this physical state of numbness and passivity. You have taken a difficult decision, but one that holds so much promise. Every hard breath you take is actually a tad easier than the one before, and every step is ever so slightly lighter. Each push forward leaves the former person you were in your wake, creating room for an improved version, one that is stronger, healthier and forward-looking, one who knows that anything is possible.

You’re a hero to me. And, if you’d stop telling yourself you “can’t do it”, you would notice that the other athletes you cross, the ones that probably make you feel so inadequate, stare in awe at your determination. They, of all people, know best where you are coming from. They heard the resolutions of so many others, who vowed to improve their health, “starting next week”. Yet, it is YOU who digs deep from inside to find the strength to come here, and to come back again.

You are an athlete, and no one can take that away from you. You are relentlessly moving forward. You are stronger than even you think, and you are about to be amazed by what you can do. One day, very soon, maybe tomorrow, you’ll step outside and marvel at your capabilities. You will not believe your own body, you will realize that you can do this. And a new horizon will open up for you. You are a true inspiration."

~Anonymous DCF Athlete