The 'CrossFit' WORLD!

Last year on this blog I wrote about the growth of CrossFit and I compared the CrossFit growth with that of the 'traditional fitness' globo-gyms like Gold's Gym (about 600 locations since 1965), Bally's and 24 Hour Fitness (both with about 300-400 locations since the early 80's). Last year I wrote about the 300-400 CrossFit affiliates around the world. Our Mount Vernon facility was the 57th affiliate. It was the 57th affiliate and we established the business October of 2005. Our Oak Harbor facility became the 500 and something affiliate in April 2008. CrossFit- Over 500 CrossFit locations in less than 8 years!!

A few weeks ago I attended the annual 'CrossFit Affiliate Gathering' in Austin, TX. I was honored to be invited to participate as a guest speaker. 300-400 affiliates attended from around the world. During the event we were informed that we were nearing 1000 affiliates (960+). 

Saturday evening most of the affiliate owners went to a park next to the hotel for a CrossFit workout. It was amazing....it was an incredible spectacle! 200-300 CrossFitters and affiliate owners, gathered in a park on a sunny Saturday evening. It looked like a gathering of SPARTANS! Yes, it looked like the actors and cast from the movie "300".

The park was next to the river and boardered by streets and running trails. People were driving by, strolling and running by. Families were picnicing and people were walking their dogs.

After seeing this unusual gathering of chiseled flesh, the passing cars pulled into parking spaces and runners stopped running and approached the mass of CrossFitter's. They asked, "Who are they?" "Oh my gosh! Look at their bodies! Who are these people? Where did they come from?"

The affiliate owners finished their warm-up and began their workout of burpees, medicine ball cleans and overhead squats.

More people stopped to look. More questions..."Oh my gosh! How did they get in such good shape!" "I've never seen anything like this! They are amazing!" "Where do they workout?" "How did they get like that?" A couple who appeared to be in their 50's looked at affiliate owner Dan MacDougal and said, "Look at him. He looks like he's our age. Look at him. We could never do this!"

I said, "Yes you can. You just start the same way he did...at the beginning. You find the closest CrossFit affiliate and you walk in the door." She said, "We've had a gym membership for years."

I said, "Most of us had a gym membership. Then we discovered CrossFit and we finally found what we were really wanting in a health, fitness and strength and conditioning program. Walk in the door at CrossFit Central. (Austin, TX CrossFit affiliate). Your life will change!"

She asked, "Can I really do it and look and perform like them?"

I said with a smile, "ANYONE CAN!"