I am so happy I did this competition to see what I am capable of.
I started CrossFit in 2017. It took about a year for my very fit neighbor to convince me to workout with her. I saw what she was doing in her garage and thought it was crazy and I would never be able to do the things she was doing. It took one week of working out with her and I was hooked! A year later I got my level one. My husband is active duty military so we move around quite a bit. There are so many benefits to CrossFit and the community, but one huge perk is it makes it easy to find like minded friends at the gym. We moved to Colorado Springs, CO in summer of 2020. I started working out at CrossFit Endemic in late 2020 and started coaching there in early 2021. It was such an easy decision, but also one of the best decisions.
In June 2021 I was about to start my period and my boobs were aching as they normally do so I laid on my couch while cupping my breasts. I felt a jelly bean sized lump on the left side of my left breast. It was alarming, but I did not want to jump to worst case scenario. I calmed myself by remembering that I’m active, I eat healthy, and we have very little family history of any cancers, and it’s probably just a cyst. Something in the back of my mind told me not put this off, so I missed a family trip to Kentucky for my grandma’s celebration of life the following week. Instead, I had an appointment to see my PCM, by the next week, I had a mammogram and ultrasound, and the next week was the biopsy.
On July 13th, 2021 I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma and eventually staged at 1b. The following month was a whirlwind; there was a second biopsy done, MRI, PET scan, port placement, chemo education, genetic counseling and started chemo August 10th. I did 5 of the 6 cycles because of worsening neuropathy. My last chemo was November 2, 2021. We rang in 2022, and within a few days I had a bilateral mastectomy, and reconstruction surgery took place at the end of March 2022. I did have a small break from treatments, but the maintenance phase in started in February; an injection in my leg every three weeks. These are still going on and will coincidentally finish on November 2, 2022. While these injections are not nearly as harsh as chemo, they compromise my energy levels and result in daily life and work outs requiring modifications.
Throughout chemo I tried my hardest to stay active. I wanted to cling to that sense of normalcy in my life because everything else had been flipped upside down. I chose home workouts to avoid catching any illnesses, so I gladly accepted the generous offer from a friend of ours who owns a gym in Cincinnati to help me with programming throughout treatments! We worked together each round and discussed goals, energy level, my mental state and mindset. I would not have kept moving like I did if it wasn’t for her support, encouragement, and weekly chats. I started with 5 days a week, but that eventually changed into 3 days a week. Modifying to fit my energy levels was crucial.
My movements started out very similarly to CrossFit, minus the intensity, and eventually turned into walking, an easy bike, or a row with some mobility or yoga. Thankfully, one of the other coaches at the gym was often willing to take me on my walks when my energy and motivation was low, she even cans to my house to workout and stretch with me. Thanks Coach Tina!
I received so much support in a lot of other areas off my life during treatments; nearly everything was taken off my plate so I could focus on healing. From local to long distance friends, family, and our gym community, I barely had to lift a finger. I spent more hours on the couch than I’d care to add up, but that’s exactly where I needed to be most days. I would not be where I am today without all of the outside support, along with my amazing husband taking care of everything inside the home with our three boys. All this support made going back into the gym an easy transition. I started going back around Thanksgiving 2021, and kept everything very scaled and only three days a week. It felt great! I kept this up until I got through both surgeries. I even participated in the Open, unofficially! I didn’t start really challenging myself with intensity or weights until May 2022, so this has been a gradual come back.
This time one year ago I was about to do my third round of Chemo. This past weekend I did my first CrossFit competition. I have never aspired to be a competitor in CrossFit. I do it to stay in shape and challenge myself each day in the gym. I chose to do girlsgonerx Denver because of what it represents and supports. Tina (mentioned earlier), Krista, and Kristy were a team that competed in my honor last year. It was a nice full circle moment. I even got to cheer on Krista and Kristy this year. I had such a great team with me; Carrie has been making a come back with me since having a baby, and her support and encouragement working out along side of me has been amazing. When she tells me I can do it, I believe her. Melanie, who I just met recently, graciously stepped in when our original third teammate had issues with a reoccurring injury. Melanie carried the team with her strength, endurance, encouragement, and all the snacks. I couldn’t be more proud of our team effort.
I am so happy I did this competition to see what I am capable of just ten months post chemo while still going through treatments. With the right people in my corner I can do anything I put my mind to; it’s cheesy but true! Find the people who believe in you and see your strength when it’s hard to see it in yourself. I found an amazing gym community in CrossFit Endemic and I wouldn’t be where I am without them (and many others). I also competed to honor the women I have met during this experience who have gone through this and talked me through some of the scariest moments, and supported me while hardly knowing me. I also did it for one of my best friends Whitney who did this along side of me and understood exactly my frustrations and fears getting back to the gym because she was in the exact same boat. This is for Emily, Evelyn, and Stephanie. This is for Annie up in heaven.
