BY KIDDY KLAIR
TRUST THE PROCESS
BY KIDDY KLAIR
My fitness journey has been an extraordinary adventure , filled with personal triumphs , struggles and transformative experiences .
I did not grow up being overly athletic . In fact , in gym class , my peers would gloss over me , ensuring that I was always the last one to be picked for any team sport . This left me feeling unwanted and isolated at times ; even self conscious that I was not good enough or skilled enough . Over time , it became clear that I preferred non-team sports such as swimming , skating and track and field . Focusing on a sport where the emphasis and sole responsibility was on me allowed me to block out the noise .
Fast forward into my adult life I found myself feeling lost and inadequate . The pursuit of a lifelong goal to pursue a career in medicine had left me feeling beaten and bruised . Although I had finished medical school and completed two separate Residency programs , I was not working as I didn ’ t pass my licensing exam . I could not figure out what was the barrier that prevented me from succeeding in those exams . I did everything that I thought was necessary to pass - I studied ; I made cue cards and bulletin boards ; I practiced with multiple study groups . I went through all the motions , yet I could not get through those exams .
Feeling dejected and burned out after my second last attempt , I discovered CrossFit , and I fell in love with it instantly . CrossFit allowed me to free my mind from all my real life worries and the ability to just “ smash ” some weights allowed me to let out all that pent up anger and disappointment that I had trapped inside of me . At times , I would think about some of the other women , who were meant to mentor and advocate for me but instead bullied me and told me that I should consider other options and a fire inside me would burn more intensely . I thought I was alone in the battle , but then I met some wonderful people and got to know the meaning of “ community .” I met some badass women who pushed me , comforted me , showed me what it meant to fix another woman ’ s crown . By working on my physical fitness , I began to learn and harness discipline , consistency , and confidence . I realized that these were missing from my life and the very things that were holding me back from realizing my full potential . Also , the reason I could not get through those exams .
As I became healthier and fitter , I started to feel more confident . I put myself out there and increased my network where I found support and encouragement from people who were willing to bet on me .