In light of the 2019 CrossFit Games season kicking off this week at the Dubai CrossFit Championship, we wanted to take a moment and highlight a motivating story from the CrossFit community. About a week ago, CrossFit Training Seminar Staff Member Chad Theron shared an Instagram video of himself with his grandmother.
Then two days later, @CrossFitTraining shared the video on their Instagram page and the video made the social media rounds. Theron’s video was unlike most social media posts that highlight grandparents. Why? Well, for starters, Theron’s 95 year old grandmother was tackling one of CrossFit’s most popular workouts: “Fran”.
Now, was grandma repping out normal thrusters and pull-ups? No, but she was doing a modified version that was suitable for her fitness level and needs. Theron’s video and message was a great reminder of how lifting, especially strength sports like CrossFit, can work for everyone — no matter one’s fitness level.
In Theron’s Instagram video’s description he writes, “My Gran did Fran, and she’s 95! Here she is finishing off her last 2 sets of thrusters and pull-ups. Intensity needs to be relative to the individual’s physical and physiological tolerances. Everyone can do and benefit from CrossFit, no matter their level of fitness.”
Continued, “Can a grandmother do CrossFit? Yes. Not only can a grandmothers do CrossFit, but she should do CrossFit. The need of our Olympic athletes and grandparents differ by degree, not kind. One is looking for functional dominance, the other for functional competence.
We don’t need to change the program; we just need to scale it. A grandmother’s Fran will look different than a Fran by a Games athlete — CrossFit Level 1 Seminar”
And circling back to the 2019 CrossFit Games season. The Dubai CrossFit Championship kicks off tomorrow and runs through the 15th. This event is serving as the very first qualifier (sanctioned event) for the 2019 CrossFit Games season and has a ton of big named athletes competing.
Interested in the full 2019 CrossFit Games season? Check out the full 2019 CrossFit Games schedule!
Feature image from @chadtheron Instagram page.
