Lori Taylor, 59, is a dedicated member of CrossFit Anazao in Fisherville, Virginia.
Nicknamed Momma T by one of her coaches, Taylor said CrossFit has helped her reclaim her life through functional fitness.
“For various reasons, including a torn Achilles tendon, I was missing out on so many things I used to be able to do,” Taylor said. “I was so excited the day I realized I had just gotten up on my toes to reach something on the top shelf in the kitchen. I hadn’t been able to do that without crawling on a chair in 15 years.”
Taylor has found ease in everyday chores since starting CrossFit.
“I was suddenly able to carry a load of laundry up the steps without getting winded or setting it on each step to make it to the top,” she said. “I’m able to push the mower to cut the grass. No riding mower needed.”
“I even played kickball once!” Taylor added enthusiastically.
The Hardest Part
Taylor’s introduction to CrossFit happened when she stopped by CrossFit Anazao to cheer on her daughter, who was competing in the CrossFit Open. The energy in the gym was exciting, she said.
“Everybody was helping each other, everybody was cheering each other on, and I walked out of there — my daughter was puking outside because of the workout — and I said, ‘I wanna do this next year,’” Taylor said.
“Well, not the puking,” she added.
Before CrossFit, Taylor didn’t exercise much and was 100 pounds heavier. Since starting CrossFit she’s lost the weight and found a community.
“CrossFit has given me a community of athletes who are kind and supportive of everyone that comes through the door,” she said. “Everybody’s supportive. Everybody’s positive. Everybody cheers for you at the end of the day.”
“The coaches are very knowledgeable about every movement to keep me safe and injury free,” she added. “I never feel like I’m missing out because everything is adapted for my flexibility and abilities.”
For Taylor, just getting through the doors of the affiliate was the hardest part of starting CrossFit. Once she took that first step, she was hooked.
“Once I got in, it was like, ‘Oh, I can do this,’” she said.
The CrossFit Open
This year, Taylor will compete in her fifth CrossFit Open.
“I’m already signed up!” she said happily.
Taylor has made many strides during the worldwide online competition, including her first-ever box step-up in 2018.
She said she loves the Open for its inclusivity and scalability, and the way it brings people together. Taylor welcomes the challenge of the Open as an opportunity to achieve something she hasn’t before.
“Everyone’s in it together as we cheer each other on for the weekly Open workout,” she said. “At least once, there will be a movement I haven’t mastered according to the standards. I know my coach and judge will be right there with me to encourage and cheer me on every step of the way. One year it was box step-ups, another time lunges. Each time, I stuck it out and never gave up.”
She also enjoys meeting members of her affiliate community that she might not otherwise know because they attend different class times.
“I meet people every year in the Open whose names I only know from seeing them on the whiteboard,” she said.
Before she joined CrossFit Anazao, she recalled seeing members of the affiliate (which is near her home) running by, and she joked with her husband, saying, “Look at those crazy CrossFitters.”
“Now I’m a crazy CrossFitter,” she said, “and it has been well worth it.”