Today I completed my first dedicated Masters Event. It was a same-sex partners Comp. So my gal pal Julia couldn’t be my partner. Even if it was mixed couples, since she is half my age, she would not qualify as a Master.
So I had to get a male partner who was inexperienced enough that he would be undeterred from the challenge, since I have the dubious distinction of always finishing last.
I was blessed to have a newbie to CrossFit Competition join me. Todd is quite a guy. He wandered into our gym about a year ago. His dedication has paid great dividends in his personal quest to make himself fit and healthy, as he has entered into his fifties.
His two daughters also work out with him at the gym. I know the girls are quite proud of their Dad.
In addition to CrossFit, he has recently finished his first 5K roadrace. He is also a regular at Sunday morning Boot Camp (which I have managed to avoid like the plague). Todd is a remarkable example of dogged persistence.
Last week we rehearsed an abbreviated version of three WODs. One particular WOD consisted of 30-20-10 Thrusters and Lateral Bar Burpees. We were awful, but we figured a strategy to plod through it, but we would run out of time. Today, we came out and shaved six minutes off our practice time. Yeah we were still in last place, but we got through it in fine form.
I joke that the beauty of being last is that the whole gym is rooting for you, and that was certainly the case. Todd was a fan favorite. His family was out in force, wife, daughter, grandkids, and his Dad. The high point for many spectators was watching Dad, whose face was beaming with pride for his son, as tears of joy ran down his cheeks.
Why do I do CrossFit? Well, one key reason is People. I meet people I admire, people I respect. In the case of this Masters Competition, it was an opportunity to witness the love of a remarkable family across four generations.
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