About 3 years ago, after tearing my left ACL playing softball, I decided to finally try CrossFit. Scary, intimidating, overwhelming CrossFit. I knew that my injury was because I had let my athlete years fade away, and I wanted a way to reclaim them.
Barbell training changed my life. 'Working out' now became fun; it became about something more - it was about the cool stuff I could now do. I could jump on boxes, swing weights overhead, pull a bunch of weight off the floor, etc. How cool is that!?
But something bigger happened. One day while carrying my sleeping 4-yr old niece in to the house from the car, she dropped the toy she was hugging. I had two choices: I could leave that toy on the floor and proceed to go home, or I could pick it up. The reason why I had the second option was BECAUSE I did CrossFit. I had become accustomed to throwing a bunch of weight on my back and squatting down. Holding my niece was no different.
I squatted and picked up that toy like the champ that I am.
My training has now changed to powerlifting but that has not changed my love for CrossFit. In fact, my same sleeping niece, Peyton, now 7, has been doing CrossFit for over a year.
Peyton and I will be competing in our very first deadlifting competition together this coming June 22, 2019 in Brooklyn. What a better way to get started in competing than competing for a charity! We are raising $1 for each pound we will lift in the annual Pull for Pride Fundraiser, benefitting the Ali Forney Center.
The Ali Forney Center is the largest LGBTQ Community Center in the United States, whose mission is to protect LGBTQ youth from the harms of homelessness. Unfortunately, our LGBTQ youth face homelessness more often than not. No one should ever be homeless - so please help us raise money for this wonderful charity.
Thank you!
Peyton & Titi Stephanie
