Through a series of random events I have found myself to be a faithful member of a little CrossFit box in Denver, CO. One of the many things that I love about CrossFit is the people—they’re passionate, committed, and intense.
Actually, there’s a joke in the CrossFit world that goes something like this…
Q: When you are at a party how can you tell if someone you are talking to goes to CrossFit?
A: They won’t shut up about it!
I have been officially crossfitting for nearly two years now. For those that don’t know, CrossFit is a form of exercise that performs functional movements that are constantly varied at a high intensity. This means that everyday, we have a new Workout Of the Day (WOD). The WODs range from barbells to rowing, gymnastics to flipping tires and everything in between.
After about six months of working out with the CrossFit crew, I had what I thought would be a perfect idea. You see, I have been in some way or another involved with the work of Love146, and helping to end child trafficking for over 10 years. It is in my blood, covers my thoughts and finds its way into the nooks and crannies of my life. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great to combine my passion for ending child trafficking with the passion and intensity of all my friends at CrossFit?”
I had a vision of CrossFit groups around the globe taking part in a tribute workout to the girl who was labeled with the number 146.
On June 16, 2014, the CrossFit box in Denver hosted a Workout Of the Day to support Love146, which we called “WOD146.” The gym was packed with kids and grown-ups alike, all participating in a workout that represented the passion and fight to end child trafficking in our world. The workout could be scaled to fit anyone’s athletic ability and there were heats every half hour for four hours. At the start of each heat, Coach Chris would give a brief intro of the issue of child trafficking and Love146. Then he would break down the WOD that he created specifically for #146.
Coach Chris described it this way: “Each one of these movements has been picked to represent what kids across the globe should be doing today. The reality is, many aren’t. Today we’ll jump rope and swing on monkey bars. We’ll flip upside down like kids, and in freedom we’ll do cartwheels and play. With each rep we should remember those kids who aren’t free to play today. We have air squats in the workout to represent the tireless tenacity that is required to see this come to an end—because to fight this we will have to get back up over and over again. And finally to end the workout, we will run 146m to remember #146. All the while, we will wear her number, join her fight, and share in her strength.”
The event was beyond a huge success—we exceeded our fundraising goal and raised over $5,000! We had fun. We worked hard… like really hard. That workout is INTENSE! We not only did everything Coach Chris described above, but we did it twelve times to represent the twelve years Love146 has been in the fight to end child trafficking and exploitation. You should totally take a Saturday morning and give it a shot. Or if you’re a fellow crossfitter, you should host one at your box!
It was a powerful day. Somewhere along the way I snapped this photo of a girl who had just finished the WOD:
Sweat dripped off of her and I noticed, on her back, the sweat formed a perfect heart. And I smiled because I saw how Love can find its way into the nooks and crannies of our lives. It can show up when we run a 5k, hike mountains, lift heavy stuff, and raise our hearts toward the sky in sun salutations. Last summer, Love found its way into a little gym on the corner of 44th and Lowell.
Set your own Tread on Trafficking goal and is see where Love will show itself in places you didn’t expect to find it!
A huge thanks goes out to the whole vantage crew, especially to coach Chris and Amanda. Thanks for using your time and passion to support us! WOD146, in my opinion, honored #146 and all those she represents. Thank you!
