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Chris R. doesn't let anything stop him at Combat CrossFit in Missouri, not even a paralyzed arm.

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Someone asked a good question in Comments yesterday: What constitutes a firebreather? How do we define that term? Where did it come from anyhow?

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Frank DiMeo (CrossFit Gulf Coast) writes about training an athlete with unique challenges . . .

I love working with people who don't know what "quit" means.

I love working with people who don't know what "quit" means.

You can see it in a person's eyes when they go after a difficult task. You can hear it in their voice when they talk about it.

I don't mean people who are necessarily loud or boastful; in fact, they often say very little, but their words have a distinct conviction in them.

Recently, I had the privilege of starting to train a guy who had a near-fatal brain injury from an accident. Miraculously, he survived and is starting to put his life back together. Because of confidentiality, I cannot include any videos or photos of this person's training.

One of the main things he wants to do is get in good shape. He is consistently showing up for training and working extremely hard. We've had some things to work around, like balance issues, but he is able to do scaled CrossFit workouts, and he loves them!

It doesn't matter what the WOD is, he pays specific attention to how to do it correctly, then gives it his best. Olympic lifts, lunges, and wall-ball (among others) can be really challenging to a person with balance issues. We work slowly and patiently on the basics, then speed it up safely to perform the movements. Working in close proximity with physical therapy/sports medicine professionals is a great way to validate the "real-world" value of CrossFit training for all people.

I was blessed to be able to attend my CrossFit certification at the original gym in Santa Cruz, CA and learn directly from Coach Glassman in 2006. He stressed the functionality of CrossFit, and training for any contingency. I have seen this played out numerous times since then. Working with this dedicated guy (who knows he almost lost his life during his accident) is extremely rewarding.

For those who work the Warrior Transition Battalion, and other folks who are facing massive challenges daily, but meet them head-on and win, I commend you!

I am still amazed that I actually get to do this for a living. I love this stuff!

Posted by Lisbeth at July 3, 2009 12:05 AM