Building Stronger Relationships
One of the main things that makes CrossFit stand out in the fitness industry is its community. CrossFit is growing, and unlike other gyms, the members are fiercely loyal to their boxes and community. As coach Glassman said “People will quit the gym, but they won’t quit relationships.” So let’s talk about these relationships formed in a CrossFit box.
Whenever you hear people talking about CrossFit you hear about the power of its community and it’s something I’ve been fortunate enough to experience first hand.
When you walk into the box for the first time, whether you are a new member or a visitor from out of town, you can’t help but feel like part of the family. The regulars, some who have been around for years, some who have been around for weeks, will come over and introduce themselves. They will then go through hell with you, high five about it, and immediately it creates social connection like no other.
Over the years I have watched my circle of friends expand and become more diverse and it’s all through meeting and training with people, either at my box or at various CrossFit courses and events. We are given the opportunity to cross paths with people that in our everyday lives we wouldn’t and to learn and grow from our time together. It’s a space where we put our screens away and spend quality time building stronger bonds in a shorter space of time due to the intensity of the time spent together.
Training like we do is humbling, you know there is always going to be someone who is fitter than you, you have to be willing to be vulnerable, expose your full self, weaknesses and all, to benefit from the experience. Once you do, you realise there is so much to gain. You receive the full backing of the people around you. They will cheer you on more fiercely then anything you can imagine, both inside and outside the box. Listening to Ben Bergeron, “From the outside it looks like our business is fitness, it’s not. Our business is about creating relationships” and there is no other way to describe it. I know that some of the friendships I have forged at the box are some of my best, I can’t imagine my life without these people. They are my tribe, my family and they make the best part of my day.
My decision to take on the box was less about me wanting to change how we see fitness and more about our community not losing its home. To every new member that signs up I say “come here, first have fun with us, the fitness will follow.” And it’s true, I keep coming back because of the friends I made, and keep making. I am accountable to these people. The fitness is just a side effect.
When you sign up, you receive experienced coaches, the best fitness program, but most importantly the support and love of a crazy community and to me that is worth more than anything else!
-Coach Sariet
