Today, my favorite Crossfit Norfolk instructor is moving to Richmond (no offense to the rest of you, you are all great.) I am so happy for her, really I am!! She got a promotion at work, found a new box that will help her spread her awesome knowledge and is pursuing her dream. So I am truly thrilled for her. But I don’t want to let her go without telling her how important she is and what she has meant to me this past year.
When I came to Crossfit, I didn’t know if I could do it…or if it would be for me. I was SO SCARED. I walked through the door and there she was. Rachel is small in stature, only 4’11”. But you can tell she is a powerhouse just by looking at her. She sized me up and then she smiled and welcomed me to the class. After the warm-up, I considered dying…but she reassured me that everyone is a little winded after the warm-up and she smiled again. You see what Rachel is great at is knowing when you need to be pumped up and when you need to be pushed harder. There are lots of times during class that she knows I am not working to my potential and she gets on me…and there are times when she knows I am trying my best, and she figures out ways for me to complete the challenge without killing myself. This has been huge to my success at Crossfit and is what sets her apart from most personal trainers I have met in my life. She doesn’t just push, push, push. She knows what her people are capable of…and what they are not ready for yet. She gets as excited as I do when I achieve something new, like when I get a new PR, my first real Pull-up or my first Double-under, she was celebrating right along with me! She has helped me change my attitude to “I can’t do it”…to “I can’t do it, YET!” And she is great with Truman. She keeps him in-check when he is trying to lift too heavy and she doesn’t let him do things that he shouldn’t do. And I appreciate that so much!
So while I am so happy for her, and the people like me in Richmond that need a Rachel…I will miss her greatly. Thank you Rachel. Thank you for being positive when I need you to and kicking my butt when I needed that. Thank you for being proud of my accomplishments and for pushing me harder. You have a gift and I am glad that you will get to share it with others. But the next time you are in town…let me know…Tru and I will be there!! XOXO!
