When you are born with a disability (in my case Cerebral Palsy ) these comments are what you get used to hearing : “You Can’t Do This”.. .. “It will be too hard .. it can’t be modified”. I grew up hearing stuff like that over and over again, and as I got older it came up over and and over again when I wanted to try my hand at working out.
That started to change however about a year and a half ago,when I crossed paths with Ida-Marie. She has not only become an amazingly good friend but has changed my idea of what is, in fact, possible – disability or not. Little did I know the amazing journey it would lead me on.
She would come into work – and tell stories of the Crossfit WOD she had done, or ‘Guess what! I can do a box jump!” Her stories intrigued me, the more she talked of Crossfit the more I wanted to try. At that time, however, I never in my wildest dreams thought it was possible… and that is where it stayed… a pipe dream. But the idea of trying it never really left. Pipe dream or not, I wanted to someday at least try.
This past summer, I started to inquire about possibly getting into some workout classes to get me read to try Crossfit. The first place I tried told me what I expected and was used to hearing ‘wish we could , but it can’t be modified’. A little frustrated and let down, I did what I could at home.
By November 2010, both my balance and walking had improved so much! I was able to better resist falling over and when I did, it took increasingly more force than before. So, instead of taking a second to fall over after being bumped, it took 5 seconds with a more forceful push! So I decided to email Phil, tell him where I was at and see if Crossfit was at all a possibility. The answer I got shocked me – he said YES!
I was excited – as well as scared- the week before my first WOD. Could I do it? Could it be modified for me? At the end of the day however – I was going to at least try.
November 18th 2010 was the day the dream became reality! And I realized… I could do this .. no.. I WAS doing this! Every week is a new exciting adventure. I went from ‘Can i do this?’ To given the opportunity to do Cindy! 13 rounds in 20 minutes baby! At the end of the day however – the workouts are awesome, but it is a place I feel excepted and pushed passed what I ‘think’ I can do, and I love it! (even if people think Phil is a ‘Hard Ass’) 
Everyone who has seen past the disability and given me a chance to try- thank you. I love having the opportunity! It means the world to me!
