I used to hate sweating! Seriously, it was a thing. NO SWEAT!
CrossFit isn't fairly new. In fact, it's been around since 2000. However, many are not introduced to the sport until later on in life; that's what happened with this member. For her 60th birthday present, she bought herself a membership and hasn't looked back.
Carla Benson. The first thing that comes to mind when many think of her is horses and horseback riding. Her FaceBook is littered with images of her galavanting around the countryside on horseback. This love is one of the reasons why she became a member of the Machine Shed- CrossFit 235.
Another reason is her son, Aaron. In 2013, Aaron introduced her to CrossFit. These training sessions occurred in his garage after he had become a CF L1 Trainer. From there, Carla transitioned to CrossFit Krazie. When the gym closed, she was gymless for awhile. However, that changed during a drive to the dentist.
As she was driving by the gym, she noticed the tires. In her brain, she instantly linked the tires with CrossFit, saying to herself "I bet that's a CrossFit gym." After a tour of the gym, she was in.
"So for my 60th birthday present to myself I bought a membership and have been coming ever since and that was 2 years ago."
Since 2018, Carla has been an awesome member. A friendly face with a laugh that can light up a room. When asked about her favorite part of the gym, she replied with:
"I love the camaraderie, the acknowledgment, and hellos when you walk in and when you leave. Not just staff either. The members. Everyone is supportive, kind, tolerant, and helpful. I never feel like I can’t do the workouts. Support and scaling are phenomenal."
Outside of her infectious attitude is her willingness to be coached and taught. Since working with her 1 on 1, she's never questioned why I have her do things; in fact, she's thankful and compliant, even when the mobility seems impossible (hee hee). Thus, I asked her what motivated her to continue coming to classes.
"I used to hate sweating! Seriously it was a thing. NO SWEAT! I’ve learned to embrace sweating and I feel soo good. I want to remain strong and active in retirement. I love horseback riding. So for that reason, I need to use it or lose it and CrossFit is functional fitness. It helps me to remain mobile and strong. You (Karina) and Tom have an extensive knowledge base regarding the body and how to keep it moving. I’ve felt huge support as my body doesn’t always perform as I want and I’ve been helped immensely by CrossFit."
My other motivation is my son, Aaron. He is good at CrossFit. He’s almost 40 and can do amazing things. Lol. Like pull ups!! Lol. Handstands. And flips!!
"Outside of CrossFit, I am a mother to 3 fabulous children who have blessed me with 14 grandbabies! I love horseback riding, ATVing with my hubby of 43 years, deer hunting, gardening and just enjoying the outdoors. Furthermore, I currently work in Customer Service for Lindus Construction/Midwest LEAFGUARD."
Sometimes our family members can be our biggest motivation' the push we need to accomplish bigger things. Who knew for Carla that it would be getting into the best shape of her life and allowing her to continue her passions and role as a mother and as a grandmother.
~Coach Karina, BS-Kinesiology, CF L1 Trainer, USAW Sports Performance Coach
