How CrossFit Helped Paula Larsen Mamani Get Through a “Painful” Divorce, All the Way to Quarterfinals
One year ago, Paula Larsen Mamani was in a dark, painful spot.
After 31 years of marriage, she and her husband decided to separate.
Further, she had gained 30 pounds as she had been finishing her “lifelong goal” of completing her doctoral degree in education, which caused her to spend more time sitting than focusing on her fitness.
Mamani had a decision to make. She could continue to spiral in the world of “emotional pain” the divorce was causing her, or she could turn to what she knew would help get her life on track: CrossFit.
She chose the latter.
Mamani’s Story
Last Thanksgiving, Mamani, a mother of four, decided to sign up for 75 Hard, a fitness and lifestyle challenge that asks you to do five things every day for 75 days.
For Mamani, those five things included doing two workouts a day, one of which had to be completed outside; following a healthy diet; drinking one gallon of water; reading at least 10 pages of a self-help book; and taking a daily “progress” picture of herself in her underwear.
Mamani went all in. Though she had been doing CrossFit at CrossFit Praus in Fort Wayne, IN, since 2015, her commitment to it had waned a bit during her PhD.
Suddenly, she was back to it every day. On top of this, Mamani started tracking her macros, which helped her focus on eating significantly more protein than she had been, drinking more water, and starting each day out with a 45-minute walk.
Pretty soon, the world started to seem less dark, and Mamani started to find herself again.
Mamani felt so good that when the 75-day challenge elapsed, she didn’t stop. She continued going to the gym every day, and her morning walks had now turned into runs.
Four months later, she is down 30 pounds, has read multiple inspiring and educational books, and, at the age of 60, just got her first strict pull-up.
“I think it’s a combination of CrossFit and eating more protein, too. I think I’m finally getting enough protein to repair my body, so nothing hurts,” she said.
Most recently, Mamani competed in the CrossFit Open and managed to qualify for the next round of competition for the first time in her four attempts.
But as excited as Mamani is about her physical progress and qualifying for Quarterfinals, she’s more proud of how she got through what could have crushed her.
“It was super painful, and I have been able to do something that has helped me day-by-day, that has helped me feel my emotions and have something to look forward to. It has been a healthy way to move forward,” she said.
Ultimately, Mamani credits CrossFit.
“The reason I was able to do the challenge was because of CrossFit. The grit and attitude it gave me. So I was able to do 75 Hard because I was used to already doing something hard at CrossFit,” she said.
The Bigger Picture for Mamani
Going through what she went through last year and re-committing herself to CrossFit reminded Mamani of why, in her mid-50s, she started CrossFit in the first place.
“The reason I did CrossFit is to prolong my life. When I started, my youngest children were just turning six years old, so I had younger children even though I was an older mother,” she said. “And I started to see people my age pass away from things like heart attacks, diabetes or strokes; people that I knew and I was like, ‘I can’t have that happen. I have to be here to raise my children.’”
Eight years later, her twins are 15, while her eldest child is 28. And as a grandmother of two grandchildren, Mamani is thriving at 60. She couldn’t be more excited about CrossFit’s continued role in her life.
“You go and you have this work to do and everyone is there doing it, sweating, working hard,” she said. “I’m there fist-bumping the CrossFit Games athlete at my gym, and she is the same as me. And men are there deadlifting 550 pounds. They’re getting a PR, I’m getting a PR. We’re all the same.”
She added: “CrossFit has changed me, and my body has never felt better in my life.”
Feature image courtesy of Misty Wallin