Ren | 42
I started CrossFit about 7 years ago when Mecca was Cameron Crossfit. I had done a bit of long distance running but had become bored with it and I was fairly unfit when I walked into the box for the first time. My brother had urged me to try CrossFit, he thought I’d love it. As much as I hate to admit it, he was right! I love lifting heavy things, the camaraderie and the competition.
Mecca is a very special place. Not many CrossFit boxes have this atmosphere. Relationships are important here and everyone contributes to making our whanau happy and successful. There’s always someone to chat to before a workout and someone to moan with afterwards. There are a lot of laughs and hugs when you need them. People here are so kind. There are so many good things about Mecca but it’s the friendships that are most important.
If you’re wondering whether you could hack CrossFit, I basically got off the couch and dragged my mid-30s, unfit, overweight body to CrossFit and I’ve never really regretted it. If I can take up CrossFit, anyone can. Everything is scaleable to a place just outside your comfort zone and you will get a sense of achievement whether you’re a reformed couch potato or a national representative athlete. Mecca has made a big difference in my life. Obviously I’m physically fitter and stronger, but that’s only the superficial stuff. CrossFit at Mecca keeps me sane and social, and I’m always learning new things and growing as a person.
The coaching at Mecca is a big factor in this. Our coaches train with us (when they’re not taking class), they’re our friends and they are always willing to strive alongside us. They have so much knowledge and expertise and even after seven years of CrossFit I’m learning better movement patterns and becoming a more efficient athlete every time I turn up.
Mecca has played a huge part in helping me to manage my stress levels and mental health. I’m a teacher and before I took up CrossFit, I let my job eat my life while I ate my feelings. As a result I was an unhealthy weight, stressed, angry, anxious and depressed. CrossFit gave me an outlet for everything I carried home from work with me and helped my develop healthy boundaries with my work. I call it “iron meditation” which sounds pretty cool but really just means “lifting weights makes me a nicer person.” I’m a better person and a better teacher for committing to this. I think if I hadn’t taken up this sport I would be a very sick person, both mentally and physically, now.
Some days it’s a struggle to get to the gym and to put in a decent effort once I’m there but I always remind myself about how I used to live and feel everyday and it motivates me to keep turning up and doing my best.