SATURDAY 061202

Strong Work!


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Major Karen Douglas, USAF, trains with Tony Young from CrossFitOhio.

Click below to read her amazing story.

Coach-
This is going to be yet one more raving testimonial from a dazed, amazed and BUFF military member!

I was an "athlete" since I was a little tyke. Gymnastics, ballet, and ice skating pretty much as soon as I learned to walk. After finding Charlie's Angels and seeing Farrah, I got inspired and picked up jogging and tennis. I lettered in track and swim in high school. I kept up all of those, and added triathalons and mountain biking soon after law school. I joined the military, always aced the PT tests, and ran several marathons. I had a trainer at Gold's Gym.

In my sweaty ignorance, I thought I was fit. NOT.

Then I deployed to Baghdad (where I still swam, jogged and even rode a bike)...I befriended some Spec Ops guys. The safest place in Iraq was hiding behind those men, so I spent a lot of time doing just that. These guys were monsters, and the fittest men I ever knew. All they could talk about was this new workout they were doing: CrossFit. Gobbling their zone meals, they would recount stories about workouts that made them nauseated, exhausted and well... rather seemed like a religious experience for them. But, the most peculiar thing happened over the months I knew them: they got fitter, huger, trimmer and even more fanatical about CrossFit. Impressive. America has sent their very best men to Iraq. And, in the land of enormous, fearsome Alpha Males, these CrossFit guys were the biggest badasses there.

When I redeployed, I vowed to try it myself. Your website intimidated me and I couldn't seem to crack the code, so I hired Tony Young from CrossFitOhio to coach me. God bless him. Or, as they say in Iraq: Peace be Upon Him! Anyhow, I started on 4 September. It's the end of November and I'm a completely different human now. My body has been a freak science experiment, and I LOVE IT. CrossFit is brilliant. I gained 3 lbs, but went from a size 4 to a size 2. I can do strength stuff that still surprises me, and I'm getting stronger all the time. For the first time in my life I can do exercises I thought were only possible for men or chicks on steroids. After 3 days of CrossFit I started to feel different. After 2 weeks, I could see a difference. Picture from 3 weeks ago attached. I need a new picture since my abs are even more defined in just 3 weeks!! Now, I'm just amazed at myself, and am continually surprised at what can only be called a miracle. My USAF PT scores measurably improved from top scores in my age group to top scores period. I can easily do things I never thought I could, and am rapidly closing in on my big three goals: muscle-up, rope climb and HSPU...

The next certification training in Santa Cruz, I'm going!... I can't wait to learn more and more and get fitter and fitter.

I share CrossFit with everyone I ever knew...

You all are brilliant.Thank you.

Semper CrossFit!
-Major Karen Douglas, USAF