"Once you've been almost blown-up and hit by a large truck, finishing a WOD doesn't seem like that big of a deal."
Challenge is a part of CrossFit. Each day, we try to move more weight, learn new skills, and cut seconds off of our PRs.
Due to injuries sustained during his two tours in Iraq, 27-year-old former Army Cavalry Scout Jared Ziesmer notices the small challenges in CrossFit more acutely.
In 2007, in Baghdad, Iraq, he suffered extensive injuries to his neck, shoulder, back, knee, and brain (TBI), when his vehicle ran over an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). After the incident, he was sent home to recover in Fort Carson, Colorado. During his rehabilitation, he learned how to walk normally again and worked to regain his ability to operate in ordinary life.
Once he returned to his hometown of Alexandria, Minnesota, he found himself searching the internet for something to fill the time. Eventually, he stumbled into CrossFit workout videos.
Two years passed before he joined a box.
The moment he walked through the door of CrossFit REPO, he caught the eye of the owner and head trainer, Dr. Mike Powell.
“From the first time I shook his hand, I knew he was a beast. For all intents and purposes he appeared to be a highly trained, firebreathing badass,” Dr. Powell says.
His impression changed after their first workout together. Once they got into the warm-up, Powell started to notice the effects of his traumatic brain injuries.
“Starting in the dynamic warm-up, to a well-trained eye, you could definitely see the neuromotor deficits that were the result of the cumulative brain traumas. Subtle deficiencies like trouble with skipping and cross-crawl movements began to peek through. Any movement that required accuracy was challenging to Jared. Strong and powerful as he was, a simple task like ladder drills or double-unders were a huge challenge for him.”
Although he faced more challenges than most, Ziesmer stuck with CrossFit.
“Once you’ve been almost blown-up and hit by a large truck, finishing a WOD doesn’t seem like that big of a deal,” Ziesmer explains.
He also grew attached to the community at CrossFit REPO, which reminded him of the military.
“It (CrossFit) reminds me of the things I love about the military. The bonds, the sense of community, those are the things it gives me,” Ziesmer says. “I wasn’t the best when I started, (and) there are so many things I really struggle with because of my TBI and neck and back issues, but everyone cheered for me to finish and I’ve started to get better. CrossFitting with a group is like family and it drives me to heal myself.”
“(Before I joined CrossFit REPO) I was at a point where I looked at myself and the things that had happened to me and I had to wonder if I might be completely crippled by the time I was 45. Instead, I turned to CrossFit and the positive reinforcement I get mentally, physically and emotionally from it. I don’t know where I’d be right now without it,” Ziesmer says.
He has made so much progress that he decided to sign up for the 2013 Reebok CrossFit Games Open. He wants to see what he can do.
Since he signed up, he has upped his training volume to two-a-days, and joined different classes at CrossFit REPO. He’s meeting new people at the box, and the owner has noticed his effect on the other members.
“It's incredible to see how people respond to his energy and push themselves even harder,” Dr. Powell says. “Even with his known disability, he is on top of the PR charts for the CrossFit Total. As our box community has been growing, everyone is inspired by Jared, and I mean everyone. When they hear his story and see what he can do in the gym, it elevates everyone's performance.”
The Open is one of several steps that Ziesmer wants to take in the coming months. The CrossFit Level 1, CrossFit Kids, and CrossFit Endurance seminars are the next on the list. The father of two wants to become a trainer at the box, and help support children’s health in his community.
“When I'm ready, I want to start helping with local youth sports programs. Having two kids of my own, I believe that we, as adults, should be instilling proper exercise and nutrition to the youth in our community which will help set them up for success in the long run.”