The month of October has got to be one of the most interesting months of my entire life. Many times, when a statement like that is made, it is followed with "Where do I begin?" Well, I know exactly where I will begin... the beginning of the month.
Early in the month of October (the 6th to be exact) I underwent major back surgery. At 25 years old, you think you are invincible. Young, fit, handsome (you really thought I would leave that out?), and above everything else - naive. The surgery itself went extremely well, and I am recovering quickly. The first few weeks post-op were what you would call a 'learning experience' if anything else, for I relied on family and friends for almost everything. I can't thank them enough for helping me, they are truly remarkable and I am proud to have them as a support system.
October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I am proud to be associated with a non-profit organization called 'Mammograms in Action.' MIA raises money for uninsured and/or financially unable women & men under the age of 40 to receive a mammogram. It's a fantastic organization. You can visit www.mammogramsinaction.org to learn more information (and to DONATE!). During the month of October, MIA hosted the 'Pink Bra Tour' as part of their Barbells For Boobs (B4B) project. The Pink Bra Tour started with a single fundraising event in Southern California, and consisted of the B4B team driving across the country, stopping at over 17 different events, raising money and awareness all in the name of breast cancer. Grants were presented at different locations to local cancer centers, for funding towards mammograms. The end result was over 1/2 million dollars raised.
My association with the tour was two-fold. First, my local gym, CrossFit New Albany, hosted the 14th registered stop on the tour. This was such an amazing experience to be a part of. Helping plan an event like this gave me not only a new appreciation for the work that goes into event planning, but also a sincere devotion towards the organization. I wanted to badly for our event to be a success, and became engulfed with finding as much information as I could about how we can help in the fight against breast cancer.
Secondly, I was invited by the B4B crew to continue with them for the final two stop on the tour. One being CrossFit Long Island City in New York, the second (and last event) at CrossFit New England in Massachusetts. I am extremely honored to be a part of this tour. Even though I was only with this team for the final weekend, I got to meet some amazing people and made amazing friends. We shared stories, laughed, and enjoyed each other's company entirely. The experience is one that I will never forget, and am already looking forward to the next one.
Having the surgery - being unable to help myself in ways that seemed so miniscule - being unable to assist with things while on the tour such as moving equipment - and just simply being able to tie my shoes for the first time all month without pain - puts many things into perspective. As CrossFitters, it is very easy to get caught up into the sport of exercise. How fast our Fran time is, how much we can deadlift, what our Fight Gone Bad score is, etc. I truly believe that you can break down CrossFit into both a type of fitness, and a sport. And there is a distinct difference between the two. This is not saying that someone that uses CrossFit as a fitness isn't able to be a phenomenal athlete, but there is a difference between playing in a basketball league 3 days a week and the NBA (one difference being that the basketball league is still in session, while currently the NBA is not...too soon?).
While I would love to be a professional CrossFitter, and believe that I have the ability to do so, I also understand that there is more to life than just the sport. I train, eat right, recover, repeat. I also want to help thousands if not millions in a positive way. I also want to be able to bend and pick up my grandchildren. CrossFit was by no way the cause for my back injury, but training will be put on the back burner for a few months. 2013 - watch out.
For everyone that was involved in my October, I thank you. There are two months left for 2011 (where the hell did all the time go???). I hope that you, just as I will attempt, make them everything you hope they will be. God Bless.
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