"I was intimidated and anxious"
After spending several years going to a big-box gym, I walked into College Hill Crossfit in July 2015. I was largely unfamiliar with the Crossfit movements and the vocabulary. Needless to say, I was intimidated and anxious. A couple of things that started to put me at ease were the structure and the organization of the classes. The coach started the class on time, explained the workout, welcomed questions, and warmed up the class together. There was instantly a sense of togetherness and comradery. We were in this together. The coach then walked the class through the various movements in the workout, as well as the progressions for each movement that we would use in the class. The coach educated us and provided guidance. During that first workout, I struggled mightily, but the coach and several other members of the class came and cheered me on until I finished. The sense of comradery was real because we were in this together. Afterwards, several members of the class and the coach talked about the workout and the areas that were the most challenging. We had persevered and accomplished together.
Two years later, that sense of comradery and community gets stronger with each passing week. I’ve formed friendships and found a real sense of belonging. The folks at CHC push each other to get better, we lift each other up when we are slacking, we praise each other when we accomplish goals, and we celebrate life achievements together. We do this because we are in this together. We are in these classes together, we are in this Crossfit community together, and we are together in our pursuit of our better selves.
Are the workouts hard? You better believe it, but I’m in the best shape of my life and my mental toughness improves with each class. Working out at CHC has become the happiest hour of my day, and CHC has become my happy place where I escape from the stresses and pressures of life.