“What the Open gave us is a five-week period to connect from a distance and yet be part of something larger than the two of us …” ~Regina DePietro
Photos courtesy of Shawn McQueen
The power of the Open to unite people around a common goal is seen in boxes around the world.
In the case of Regina DePietro and her father Thomas DePietro, CrossFit and the Open have provided them with a connection they never had.
In high school, Regina was a member of the rowing team. Thomas was battling with anxiety and agoraphobia—fear of outdoor spaces.
“He self-medicated in order to cross pedestrian bridges in town,” Regina said. “He couldn’t pick me up from school when I got sick. I wanted to try being athletic, so I joined the middle school volleyball team, which I had to quit after two practices because my father couldn’t arrange a ride home for me. When I asked him what he was so afraid of, he answered that he might have a heart attack and no one would be able to help him.”
Thomas was never able to attend any of Regina’s rowing events. In addition to the anxiety and agoraphobia, he was overweight, dealing with high blood pressure and had sleep apnea.
He could not relate to the work Regina was putting in as an athlete.
While Regina was in college in Maryland, Thomas realized he needed to do something to turn his health around. With the encouragement of a friend, he found his way into a CrossFit gym and started taking classes.
“CrossFit changed my life,” Thomas said. “I’ve seen weight loss, I’m sleeping better and my blood pressure is normal. It's also helped me greatly with my anxiety disorder since CrossFit functions like behavioral therapy, forcing me to experience the kinds of things I usually consider panic triggers—shortness of breath, sweating and a pounding chest. I’ve realized I can survive them, and indeed welcome them in a way.”
Seeing the transformation in her father, Regina started CrossFit about a year later, attending a one-week introductory class at Railroad CrossFit, where her father had become a regular member. That week was all it took.
“I was hooked! I then started up near my own house in Bethesda, Md., at CrossFit Bethesda, where I trained for a year,” Regina said. “My current affiliate is CrossFit Stony Brook, in Stony Brook, N.Y., where I attend medical school.”
With CrossFit providing some common ground, their relationship grew. Even though they were competing in different states, the 2014 Open gave them an opportunity for a shared experience, bringing them even closer.
“I did the workouts every Friday at 6 a.m. before I went to school,” Regina said. “Right after, I texted my dad my score and gave him the breakdown of how to approach it and what I would have done differently. He did the (workout) at his gym, Friday night.”
For Thomas, the Open provided a unique opportunity for their relationship.
“Doing the Open and having Regina often visit my affiliate brought us closer in ways we never imagined—comparing techniques, plotting strategy, and encouraging each other in an area of life we never shared before: our fitness,” he said. “I've also noticed how much my fellow affiliate members love seeing us work out together.”
Regina was able to watch her father do 14.3, as she was home that weekend.
“Before it, I taught him how to efficiently change the weights and how to step up on the box without wasting gas. We got the exact same rep count,” she said.
With the 2014 Open complete, many athletes are reflecting on new accomplishments—a first double-under or muscle-up, or multiple reps of a weight that was higher than a previous PR. For Regina, the take-away she and her father shared is something more personal.
“What the Open gave us,” she said, “is a five-week period to connect from a distance and yet be part of something larger than the two of us …”
