Sue Shoesmith

I joined CrossFit Somerville in May of 2015 (8 months ago) and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I had spent most of my 20’s living a moderately healthy and active lifestyle, but at 36 with a full time job and two children, I found myself making excuses for why I wasn’t taking care of myself the way I should’ve been. I needed to get active, so when my husband told me about a few of his coworkers that raved about CrossFit, I figured I’d give it a shot.                   

I started out attending a couple of evening classes a week. It was a little overwhelming at first. Learning all the acronyms and names of lifts was like learning a whole new language. The movements themselves were completely foreign to me, and to be honest, the thought of jumping on a hard wooden box was a little frightening to say the least.

My first impression (and probably the number one reason why I kept coming back) was because of how supportive both the instructors and the other members are. The instructors never made me feel like CrossFit was too hard for me or that I should just give up. On the contrary, they encouraged me to take it one step at a time, while at the same time pushing me to challenge myself. The classes are small enough to allow for that. It’s also a great community to be a part of. It’s diverse, fun, and so supportive. I actually feel very thankful to be a part of it.

Just like anything worth doing, CrossFit is hard and requires commitment, but the community at CrossFit Somerville makes all the difference. The workouts are constantly varied, so I feel like I’m always improving and challenging myself. No doubt I’ve made so much progress. Before I knew it all those acronyms weren’t foreign to me anymore and I wasn’t scared of the wooden box or the giant ropes hanging from the ceilings.

When I first started CrossFit I had a goal in mind, and while I’m still working towards that, I realize that goal is constantly changing, and instead of just focusing on the end result, now I’m also focused on enjoying the journey. I feel stronger and more capable every day and I’m amazed at how much of a positive impact that has had on the rest of my life. So Thank you, CrossFit Somerville!!