A few weeks ago, local photographer (and CFP favorite!), Bruce Williams photographed one of our inspirational athletes, Ann Marie! Bruce was doing a fun piece on his blog about inspirational CrossFit athletes in the Charlotte community and Ann Marie fit the bill for sure! Ann Marie is 51, a full time working mom of 2 teenage boys, wife, and has recently come back from a rotator cuff surgery.
Definitely head over to Bruce’s blog to read more on Ann Marie and check out his other awesome shoots! We’re so proud of Ann Marie for many reasons, but really we love her attitude behind her age!
She knows that age is just a number and not a limiting factor. And she’s not the only Masters athlete at CFP with that same mentality, we have several in the 40+ category all the way up to 60+. We all joke we want to be like them when we grow up, but really we’re not joking!! We want to be like them when we grow up! 😉
We all know and love someone who is struggling to age well. For some of us, it’s our parents or grandparents, maybe a boss or mentor or family friend. Their mind is there, but as they age they are losing control of their body as they once knew. Things like getting up and down off the ground (or even the couch!) have become very hard, taking stairs is nearly impossible, issues with balance, etc.
All of these struggles and their domino effect is what leads older folks to losing their independence far before they would prefer! It’s called “The Golden Years” for a reason, but sadly, many don’t get to enjoy them because they physically can’t do the things they would like to do. And that is no way to live!!!
The real goal is longevity, right!? We want to live healthier, longer and enjoy life while we do so. This article from the CrossFit Journal sums it up so well! “It wasn’t until 65 years old that I came alive physically and mentally with profoundly better health.” This training methodology (ahem, CrossFit) isn’t just for young, fit people, far from it!! It’s for any and everyone!
So encourage your mom and pop and aunt and uncle and boss and mentor to read the article above. Tell them about Ann Marie & all the other inspiring Masters athletes you know of. Have them watch the upcoming CrossFit Games and watch some amazing Masters athletes out perform the average 34 year old men. And tell them to go try their local CrossFit!!!
