“Each week, I continue to be inspired by everyone at 716 ... The camaraderie and love we have for each other and this sport is overwhelming.”
Above photos courtesy of Lisa Kahler
After a five-year break from competitive swimming, Emily Ciraolo walked through the doors of CrossFit 716 in Buffalo, N.Y.
“To keep a long story short, my relationship with swimming was rocky at best. I didn’t love it, and I didn’t love myself,” the 25-year-old says. “I never thought I wanted to be competitive again, but I enjoyed working out.”
Early last year, a former teammate from St. Bonaventure University encouraged her to try changing her diet to meat, vegetables, nuts and fruit, and swap the elliptical for CrossFit. Frustrated by her weight gain, Ciraolo decided to give it a try.
“I was absolutely hooked the day I walked through 716’s doors,” she says. “I realized I missed being a part of something bigger than myself. I missed having a team to call my own. Much to my surprise, I also missed being pushed beyond my comfort zone.”
Soon, she started to feel competitive again.
“I admired (the top women in the box), respected them and wanted to be strong like them,” she says. “I quickly learned I was strong, but lacked conditioning, coordination and grace, too.”
Day after day, she returned to the box to learn more movements, refine her skills and work on her weaknesses. Each day, she got better at the basics and found herself moving on to more complicated movements.
By summer, she got her first ring dip. By winter, she got kipping pull-ups.
“I struggled through WOD after WOD with ugly half-strict ones. Finally, finally, in January 2013, something clicked while working on kipping drills,” she says.
Although she thought she’d never compete again, she decided to sign up for the 2013 Open.
“The Open has been so much more than I expected and nothing short of magical,” she says.
For the last three weeks, the coaches and athletes meet up to watch the live announcement and take on the workout shortly after. There’s a lot of hanging out and messing around on the equipment.
Last Wednesday, still in her work clothes and snow boots, she and her friends played around on the rings. After a few failed attempts, she got a muscle-up.
“I failed on my first few attempts, but my coaches and teammates demanded I get some chalk and try again. I couldn't have done it without them.”
The next day, she did 13.3, and got her second muscle-up ever.
“Each week, I continue to be inspired by everyone at 716, from brand new CrossFitters to our experienced and regionally-ranked coaches. The camaraderie and love we have for each other and this sport is overwhelming,” she says.
Stoked, she decided to do the workout a second time on Sunday.
“On Sunday, I was wearing a tank top with the phrase "Team Madonia" on it to show my support for my cousin's fiancé who is battling cancer again. I was hoping I could bust out two muscle-ups just for him.”
And she did. On her second attempt at 13.3, Ciraolo scored 242.
