"If others can, I can, too."
Mario Ortiz took our scheduled call less than an hour before he did 13.2. He said he was excited and full of positive energy.
“I like competition, I like to improve and I like to learn from my failures. 13.2 will not be a failure though, but it is always a big challenge,” Ortiz says.
Ortiz found CrossFit 10 months ago, and is eager to improve all of his skills in the shortest possible amount of time. He often mentions that he wants to learn from the best of the best, so he can someday be amongst the best.
However, what makes Ortiz different is that he lost his left leg 10 cm above his knee 14 years ago. After a cancer diagnosis, 15 months of chemotherapy and several surgeries, including an internal prosthetic implant, the doctors had no choice but to amputate facing a rejection from the body and a very serious infection.
Ortiz admits he became sedentary after his amputation, and soon a little uncomfortable with his weight. He used his first prosthetic for a while after the amputation, but he became tired of the ill-fitting, uncomfortable device. He gave up on the prosthetic almost entirely, and moving around with one leg became the norm.
A short time ago, his grandmother began to search for a new prosthetic. She met Perla Bustamante, an amputee runner. Ortiz’ grandmother approached Bustamante after one of her conferences and scheduled a meeting for her grandson. Bustamante told Ortiz there were many sports he could still do, but he needed to lose weight.
Ortiz was inspired.
He began a five-month powerlifting stint before he found CrossFit on the web. It was only three months later that he decided to participate in a local throwdown put on by CrossFit Sion in Chihuahua, Mexico. Ortiz made great friends with the owner, Alex Rey, and many other attendees.
The Open
I asked Ortiz how he did in 13.1. His answer: 191 reps with a scaled weight. He began at 45 lb., and added 10 lb. until reaching a final weight of 75 lb.
“I cannot move a lot of weight yet, and keeping my balance is an issue,” Ortiz says.
Though his scores are not official, they are enormous accomplishments for Ortiz.
For 13.2, Ortiz traveled to Chihuahua, Mexico to do 13.2 — five hours away from home. He had to think up ways to modify the workout, as box jumps are a challenge.
“I have to see if I can do the 115 lb. and I have to pick a box that I can use for the box jumps,” Ortiz says. “I have no problem with the deadlift at 115, my max is 185.”
Bigger Goals
A few friends are helping Ortiz find a proper prosthetic, and helping him enroll in a government-sponsored technical career in Chihuahua for making prosthetics.
“It was due to that competition in that CrossFit box that I met the right people who saw my intentions and goals. As soon as I finish my business administration studies this coming December, I would like to enroll in the government program so I can later come back to Juarez and have my own shop,” Ortiz says.
He adds: “In short, CrossFit has opened many doors. I have lost weight, I am happy, it has changed my attitude at work and has opened possibilities for more work and perhaps a new career. With my prosthetics shop, I intend to help as many people as possible to improve their quality of life.”
“I see life as a big challenge, and I have found the same in CrossFit,” Ortiz says. “It has been very easy for me to learn while scaling. This is certainly a sport for anyone. Little by little, I have improved my technique, and little by little I can increase the weights on my lifts. I can see my progress, and I am enjoying setting my dreams and goals of one day having the abilities of those great ones in CrossFit like Jason Khalipa and Mikko Salo.”
“Up until today, I have not found anything within CrossFit that I cannot do. I won’t deny it is hard for me to keep balance on one leg for a clean or a snatch, but I have been finding the correct places where to balance with my heel. When I have a proper sports-prosthetic, it will most probably be a lot easier. Nonetheless, the results I am getting now all meet CrossFit competition standards so my mentality is that if anybody else can do it, so can I,” Ortiz says.
He is currently working hard on his ring muscle-ups and handstand walk, and has a goal to one day be top 100 in the Latin America Region.
Ortiz strives for excellence, and his drive is evident.
“I feel that in competition you can learn a lot from the other athletes by studying their technique,” he says.
One of his goals is to be a judge at the Regional Competition in Guayaquil this June.
“I want to meet the athletes; I want to be motivated by them. This is a hard sport we have chosen, and by learning what motivates others, I can be sure I will always remain motivated,” he says. “I want to learn everything there is to learn about the sport. When I have enough money saved up, I am planning to attend a Level 1 Seminar in Houston (Texas), because Mexico City is 24 hours away by car from Juarez. Someday I want to open my own box and train people with disabilities. I want to be someone important within this sport. I don’t want to be admired, because I do this for personal satisfaction only, but I do want to motivate others, motivate any kind of person that might need it.”
Every single workout is a huge challenge for Ortiz, but he affirms he will continue to compete.
“I plan to participate in every single Open and in every local throwdown I am allowed to,” he says. “If others can, I can too. If I quit fighting for my dreams and cut short what I could deserve, then I would have defeated myself.”
