At first, it was uncertain if she would even survive. When it became clear she would live, doctors warned her she might never walk again ...
Angie Bender began doing CrossFit to help her in her recovery from a brain hemorrhage she suffered years previously, at age 36.
At first, it was uncertain if she would even survive. When it became clear she would live, doctors warned her she might never walk again — that at best, she might get 75 percent of her mobility back.
That was a hard blow for someone who had always been active. But Bender says she is stubborn, and a natural optimist. Despite the odds, she forced herself to walk and learned to use the left side of her body.
And then, she started working out. She signed up at her local YMCA and took some classes. She also started lifting light weights. While she slowly continued to improve, she struggled with lingering weakness in her left side. She ran, but she felt awkward, slow and out of sync. By all accounts she had made tremendous gains and her family was proud.
Then, Bender started CrossFit. That was about five years ago with trainer, Kyle Brandt. She did what she thought was her workout and was exhilarated. She was then stunned when Brandt told her that was just her warm-up.
“Your workout is my warm-up. Sound familiar?” she jokes. “Every workout was different, and I was sore every day I went home. Since I have been doing CrossFit, I have improved tremendously in all areas. I’m addicted. There is only a slight difference in my left side.”
Now 51, Bender goes to CrossFit Seven in Fort Worth, Texas. She competed for the first time in the 2010 season. At that time, the Masters was 50 and over and Bender was shy of the cutoff.
But she competed for the experience just as thousands of people across the globe are doing now. Later that year she competed in the Oktoberfest Obliteration and finished second as a Masters athlete.
Bender continued to compete in the 2011 and 2012 Open. She placed 21st in 2011, just missing a spot to the Games in California. She hopes to do well this year, but is concerned about a recent shoulder injury. The right shoulder, this time.
But Bender is a true competitor with an easy smile and a warm heart. When asked about her favorite CrossFit quote she said this:
“Your biggest challenge isn’t someone else. It’s the ache in your lungs, the burning in your legs and the voice inside you that yells, ‘I can’t.’ But you do not listen. You just push harder. Then you hear that voice fade away and start to whisper, ‘I can.’ That’s the moment you discover that the person you thought you were is not a match for the person you really are.”
She adds: “I feel better now than when I was in my 20s and 30s. My faith in God has gotten me through this difficult time, and I know He will see me through again. I am so excited to be able to compete again this year.”
