Coach Dana shares her journey through recovery and the CrossFit Open, lessons on patience, fear, resilience, and the power of community.
Injury, Recovery, and the Decision to Sit Out
Just over ten months before the start of the 2019 CrossFit Open, I had shoulder surgery. Only three months before that, I had a procedure on my other shoulder.
Rehab was painfully slow, and patience was something I was forced to learn, day by day, rep by rep.
When the Open approached, I told myself I’d sit this one out. I wasn’t 100%. I wasn’t ready. Or at least, that’s what I thought.
19.1 – “What the Hell, I’ll Try”
When 19.1 dropped, I couldn’t resist. I figured I’d give it a shot. “What the hell,” I thought. “I can throw a 14-pound wall ball, and if I get tired, I’ll just stop.” But I didn’t get tired.
That day, I learned something important: I hadn’t lost my endurance.
19.2 – Facing Fear
Then came 19.2 — with toes-to-bar. Kipping had been one of the hardest movements to come back to. Not because of strength, but because of fear, fear of pain, fear of failure, fear of re-injury. And yet, I did 37 toes-to-bar. That’s about 33 more than I’d done in a year.
That day, I learned at CrossFit Steamboat: Sometimes we let fear win. But it doesn’t have to.
19.3 – “Never Say Never”
19.3 featured a walking overhead lunge, my nemesis. Just a month earlier, I had told someone in class, “I’ll probably never be able to do that movement again.” But during the Open at CrossFit Steamboat, I completed all 200 feet at 35 pounds.
That day, I learned: Never say never.
19.4 – The Day I Cried (for the Best Reason)
Workout 19.4 had snatches and bar muscle-ups. I knew I wouldn’t get to the bar muscle-ups, my only goal was to make it through the snatches. I did. With time left, I decided to hop up and try a few kipping pull-ups, something I hadn’t done in a long time. Twenty pull-ups later, I sat down… and cried. Not because I did pull-ups. But because for the first time in over a year, neither shoulder hurt.
That day, I learned: In time, all pain passes.
19.5 – The Power of Community
I did 19.5 just minutes after it was released because I was flying out early the next morning. I can’t even remember the exact workout (jumping pull-ups and thrusters, maybe?), but what I do remember is the people. Carissa was there, facing me, matching my pace and pushing me to keep going. Rachel and Keagan, our judges stayed late at CrossFit Steamboat to cheer us on and make sure we finished strong.
That day, I learned: The power of the CrossFit community is what makes us strong.
What the Open Taught Me
If you did the Open last February and reflect back, I bet you learned something about yourself too. Maybe it wasn’t the result you wanted, and that’s okay. Don’t see that as failure. See it as an opportunity.
Every workout, every rep, every retry is a chance to practice what you love while getting stronger, surrounded by a community that believes in you and supports you.
Looking Ahead to the Next Open at CrossFit Steamboat
In just two weeks, the 2020 Open will begin. As my buddy Dr. Seuss says: “If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good.”
To those doing it again, whether it’s your second or tenth time, let’s look forward to the new things we’ll learn about ourselves and the impact our community has on our ability to go faster, lift heavier, and move better.
And to those who might have to sit this one out because of injury or circumstance, remember this quote from Abby Wambach:
“You’re allowed to be disappointed when it feels like life’s benched you. What you aren’t allowed to do is miss your opportunity to lead from the bench. If you’re not a leader on the bench, then don’t call yourself a leader on the field. You’re either a leader everywhere or nowhere.”
Always Humble, Hungry, and Happy
To my fellow athletes, injured, scaling, PR’ing, or just showing up, remember: You belong here. You’re learning, growing, and becoming better every day.
Stay humble.
Stay hungry.
Stay happy.
New to CrossFit? Try a FREE CrossFit class and who knows, maybe you’ll give the open a try next year!
