Friday, September 23, 2011

Monumental Moment


This year has been one to remember in every aspect of my life! I have had many blessings and in some cases situations that have put doubt in my mind. But sitting here writing this blog entry I can’t seem to feel how blessed I am for all the moments that have taken place in the past few months.
My personal life has been amazing! I married my best friend October 30,2010 and we are soon approaching our one year anniversary! WOW! Time has flown by when you are married to the man of your dreams! We bought our house and it has become a home filled with love and laughter. My husband has accomplished the first step of getting a job he has been trying to receive for many years now. His drive, continuous passion, and faith that he would get this job even after receiving disappointment before has been an example to what hard work really looks like and what it means to BELIEVE! These next few months will be a journey for both of us, but I know he can do it and I’m excited to see him accomplish his dream!

This past few months as an athlete have also been one I will NEVER FORGET! What a whirlwind of events it seems like! I have accomplished many goals that I only dreamt about accomplishing. Thinking about it now I can’t believe that I have accomplished this much and I’m only 24 years old. I have been competing in both Olympic lifting and crossfit competitions this past year and I have learned a lot about myself as an athlete and what I want to accomplish. Olympic lifting is something I have always had in my life weather it was preparing for an upcoming volleyball season at my university or most recently the national championship. This past year Olympic lifting has treated me well and with the help of Bob Takano and the Phat Elvis weightlifting team I accomplished my goal of getting to the national championship where I received a silver medal. How cool is that?? I mean I accomplish lifts I use to think were impossible and that I could never do. After months and months of hard and physically testing training I accomplished that goal. Bob Takano is man full of knowledge about Olympic weightlifting, coaching, and life. He has given me a tool I will always be thankful for and I thank God every day for putting him and the rest of the team in my life.

During the same time of training for nationals I was also training to achieve my goal of getting on the podium at regionals and moving onto the Crossfit Games. You are probably asking yourself…How the HELL did I do both sports at the same time. Well, to be honest….I just did and with the belief in myself I did both! It was very hard and trying at times and sometimes I would feel just like giving up! But with the support of my husband, family, and friends I accomplish both the nationals and going to the crossfit games! WAHOO!!!!!
The games are something I thank God for everyday and crossfit has impacted my life in more ways than one! It has given me the confidence that anything is possible, it has helped my husband and I live a healthy lifestyle, it has given us friends that we are so thankful for having, it has given me other female athletes to look up to, and most importantly it has helped me to BELIEVE IN MYSELF!!!

The crossfit games were an experience I will never forget and something I am so thankful for! It probably was the hardest thing for me mentally EVER! It was physically demanding, but for me it was more mentally demanding then anything I have ever experienced. The days leading up the games were non-stop and were filled of athlete meetings, grocery shopping (yes lots of it!), multiple swim tests, trying to stay on a somewhat normal schedule, and at the same time trying to rest and stay focused. I knew what my strengths and weaknesses were going into the Games and I now have coaches that are helping me with my weakness. Every day I think about the workouts and movements that gave me a hard time and that is what is pushing me to become a better crossfit athlete. But I also think about the good moments I had! For example, I think about how I just made that last clean and jerk in the rope climb WOD and I heard the stadium ROAR and go insane! That is a moment I will NEVER forget as long as I live. That moment is what I feed off and is something that makes me love the crossfit community so much! The fans, the athletes, and my VCF family are the people that make crossfit so worthwhile! They are the ones that have helped me get through the good and bad times!

Learning about myself and what I want to accomplish as an athlete is also something I have been dealing with these past few months as well. Many know me as the Olympic weightlifter that does crossfit and that is something I LOVE! It shows other women that being strong is possible and lifting weights that you thought you couldn’t do can become possible with hard work and the belief that you can do it! My goal as a lifter was to take my talent to the highest level possible and that means the Olympics. Sitting here it is hard for me to say that it just won’t happen this time around…… It is hard to tell people that because I do not want to disappoint people and give them the impression I have given up. I haven’t and wont! The selection process is a lot harder than people are aware of and it is more than just lifting heavy weight! If you really want to see how the selection process works for the 2012 Olympic Games Selection go to the following website, assets.teamusa.org. You may be thinking…she has given up. Well, I’m sorry to say you are wrong!

I have talked to a number of my mentors, my fellow athletes, and most importantly my family and they all say the same thing, “Lindsey follow your heart and do what you think is best!” I have not given up and trust me I don’t give up very easily at things in life! I’m still really young! I’m only 24 years old and I have YEARS to come back to lifting and accomplish this goal! I’m still lifting three times a week, maybe not at the same volume! But you better believe that I can still out lift a lot of people! And I’m up to a max lift challenge any day 
But with this realization comes a positive! As mentioned before I have been dedicating a lot of time to my crossfit skills and most importantly my gymnastic skills! God knows that is my weakness! The hunger I have to become a better crossfitter is unexplainable and is something is fueling my fire every day! I love the feeling of having another challenge and when I overcome that challenge I prepare for the next one! The next few months will be filled with great moments and probably some not so great moments, but I know that with each moment will come a learning experience that will help me become a better athlete.

My VCF girls are pushing me every day and are showing me what it takes to be the best. My husband lets me know when I need to rest and when I need to push myself harder. My coaches are the ones who believe in me and are helping me refine my skills. And my family is a consent support system that gives me love that helps me to continue on the path to success. And my fans, that is weird to say because I never thought I would have fans…..you are the ones to help me realize what an individual can do for others. I always get facebook messages or comments that say “Lindsey you are an inspiration and I look up to you!” Wow! What a humbling set of words! But you guys are the ones that inspire me to keep going when the possible seems impossible and give you me a sense of pride that is unexplainable! I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for that! And always remember that if you believe a monumental moment will happen in your life, you have already the first step in accomplishing this dream!

WOW!!! What a great past few months! Sitting here I already have butterflies in my stomach thinking about the upcoming crossfit season and I’m so excited to see what the future holds for every aspect of my life! And please remember to always BELIEVE that you can accomplish your dreams if you have the mindset it will happen, because I believe in all of you and I know you can do it 