Vesna Bindlechner

Not too long before I started CrossFit, I remarked to my husband that soon we would need new pots and pans because ours had become too heavy for me to lift comfortably.  I was 47. My shoulder hurt from lugging a heavy purse, and it was getting harder and harder for me to carry my young daughter around. I had been fairly active when I was younger—running, bicycling, body building, hiking—but over the years I had let family responsibilities, inertia and poor lifestyle decisions get the better of me.  I remember thinking that my physical decline was simply nature running its inevitable course.

Five years later, CrossFit has become a way of life for me.  It’s as much a part of my daily routine as eating or sleeping.  I’ve accomplished things physically that I never thought I could do, and in many ways I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.  Not only do I still own the same pots and pans, but now friends often come to me when they need help lifting something.

Becoming physically stronger is only part of it.  As a result of my involvement with CrossFit, my diet improved, my attitude and mental clarity improved, and my quality of life improved.  Imagine that. Today I look forward to my CrossFit workouts as one of the highlights of my day. I like to think of it as recess for grown-ups; I get to play hard every day with a wide variety of people whom I have come to know and love.

My favorite people to coach are newcomers. I love having the opportunity to share my enthusiasm with them and show them the basics of proper movement.  I get to encourage and reassure them when the workout seems impossible and they feel clumsy and weak. I always make it a point to tell them that I started out exactly where they are, and if they just keep showing up, amazing things will start to happen.