By Jenna Torres

Almost a year has passed since my husband and I moved back to Hilton Head and I started my journey towards becoming a coach. What I have learned is more than I could ever put into words, and what I have yet to learn is infinite.

When I first came back I was terrified. I thought for sure Craig would realize very quickly he had made a huge mistake. I had no experience with coaching, no college degree, and had barely been CrossFitting for a year. What in the world was Craig thinking? I am not sure what was going on in the boss man’s mind, but I do know he told me (and still does) to do a few simple things. He told me to read and continuously learn, to be patient with myself as a coach, to have fun and enjoy what I do, and to coach what I know. These simple instructions have allowed me to continuously grow as a coach over the past year.

The one direction that he gave and always reminds me of is that last one, coach what I know. Up until a week ago I always took that advice and applied it to the functional movements performed in that days WOD. I do believe for the most part this is what he meant, but on Friday I got to see a whole different side of coaching what I know, and I got to experience a level of coaching I had yet to experience, at least to the extent I experienced it last Friday.

The workout was:
EMOM FOR 6 MINUTES
:30 Max Push Press 95/65
5 Burpees

I personally saw this workout and felt sick to my stomach. I knew this was going to be a physically challenging workout on the shoulders, but I also knew this was mentally going to be brutal. The goal was to get as many push presses as possible, and after that first round it was going to get hard for people to hold on to that bar for 30 seconds, and the rest was going to be minimal and for some, none. So, for the first time I had to take my coaching from technical to mental. I had to get inside your head, and try to find the words to help you not drop that bar, and what I saw that day was the most inspiring experience I have had as a CrossFit coach.

I have always been able to relate to the pain you feel in your workouts, because I experience them myself, but I have never felt your pain as if it were my own. Friday, I saw your pain and I felt it, and I saw each and every one of you dig deep for that place inside of you to get one more. I saw you hold on to the bar and search for the energy somewhere in your body to push that weight over your head one more time. I could see your thoughts telling you to drop the bar, and I got to watch you be stronger than them. I got to see each of you push beyond what you may have thought your body was capable of, and it literally brought tears to my eyes.

It truly is impossible to put into words what I saw you guys do on Friday, and what it did for me as a coach, an athlete, and a person. But, I want you to know a few things. You inspired me tremendously and made me so proud to be a small part of this amazing community. You also made me better as a person, as an athlete, and most importantly as a coach. Thank you for what you do, you have no idea how much you have all changed my life.