From Housewives of CrossFit on the Side to 8 am CrossFit Mommy Club Member – I Joined The 'Cult' & Found Myself Again

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As the title suggests, I claimed the title of CrossFit Housewife, and my visits to CrossFit were me sitting on my phone watching as Stephan tried to be cute, and I genuinely didn’t ever think I would be inside the gym. I was the SUV mom (at the time in no SUV) that would drop off and pick up the CrossFit Crew and then move on with life. I was envious of what the experience was and the passion Stephan had built for working out, but I never did anything about it because I was living in a victim mode of excuses for why I am not a CrossFitter. 

Last year, I made the choice to start doing, which has been the best life lesson and choice that I’ve ever made for myself. I don’t ‘fit in’ anymore, I do what I want to and have to, something I never did before was me. I recently discovered a lot about myself, where it stems from, and it makes sense in my head, but it isn’t an excuse to be the best version of myself. The best version of myself is doing things like joining CrossFit, not just thinking about it and making up 1000 reasons why I can’t do it. 

I wrote about my life and vented a bit, but the gross words I used and title that caused more panic than the war, the one thing that I got a lot of laughing faces from was the mention of how 75 Hard got me a Sixpack, not in those words, but it wasn’t 75 Hard that got me there, it was CrossFit first and then that, and a whole lot less excuses and moaning. 

Is It A Cult, And Do We Tell Everyone We Do CrossFit?

I will never have the answer to this to be honest, because I don’t think anyone else will agree and we can all have our reasons to that, but Greenside CrossFit makes it special, it made it about making sure I am ok, and not about muscles on steroids, and I won’t move to any other gym because of it. The first class and probably months after were horrific for me, I had my nerves flying in all directions and was still in the ‘I can’t do it’ phase, but the preconceived idea of a scary, hard, hectic workout and people did not come in the package, at least the one I’m on. 

For the first time in 31 years I was given support in exercise, I was shown guidance and I had someone help me with whatever I had done wrong, not to make me feel shit but to help me and not let myself get hurt - my PTSD took a while to adapt to this way, but I am so grateful that I had this. From showing me how to row, to always telling me I can do it and at least try became my norm and I will always try, and there will always be things that make me uncomfortable or that I can’t do, because I am only human, but the mindset of attempting something has been brought in and it comes with comfort and confidence. 

Greenside CrossFit has become my therapy session, my anger-release, and my brain dump all in one, but it is also a place of comfort, friends and smiles. I still get surprised by how calm the experience is and how welcome you can feel in CrossFit, because there is no ‘boet’-mosphere and vaaaaibs to make you want to crawl under a rock. You are welcomed, supported and given a chance - and we should all be doing more of that to each other. I’ve torn my pants in a workout, I’ve gone into the unknown, I’ve been in pain, and I’ve been overstimulated, but at the end of every workout I leave feeling refreshed, I feel like I can do it. 

Why Am I Writing About CrossFit, and not Croissants and Cars?

I will never be able to answer this question - I write what comes to mind, and if I don’t do it, it fades. I wanted to write this for some odd reason, and in my head I had been thinking, I mean overthinking, how I do it and what to even write, but as always I sat and wrote some words and hopefully when someone reads this it makes some sense, and if it doesn’t… well, that’s ok because experience is key in life. I want to share my experience, not to make you feel the same and not to tell you that yours is wrong, but because this is my therapy, and sometimes you guys think I’m funny. 

Should You Do CrossFit?

Yes, you should. Sign up, join and get the hoodie and use my discount code….

Jokes aside, I don’t think this is going to make anyone decide to join CrossFit (if you do, Greenside CrossFit is the only one) but maybe someone who is sitting doubting themselves and making the excuses to do it, or anything, but don’t have the confidence in themselves to do it and this potentially could make you at least try, because if you ask anyone - no, I am not the type who does CrossFit but I tried something new. There is also no type; there is a community of real people and differences, it’s not the ripped half-naked spray-tanned Instagram models that I once believed, it’s real people who get together to do something good for themselves, and it’s worth it. There’s nothing more wrong than the idea that CrossFit is a cult and the annoying boet in his 135i with the black mags and wife-beater, because even if he’s there, he’s surrounded by so much more.