60-Year-Old CrossFit Coach/Athlete Perla Herron Suffers Serious Spinal Injuries in Car Crash, Community Sets Up GoFundMe to Help
On the morning of March 24, Perla Herron was on her way to train at CrossFit TiCo in Mount Pleasant, TX. The 60-year-old CrossFit athlete and coach is a 5:30 AM regular, catching an early workout before teaching the next class at 6:30.
But that day, Herron never showed up.
- “One of the girls in the class said to me, ‘Where is Perla at? She usually doesn’t just not show up.’’’ Heather Barboza, a member of CrossFit TiCo, said.
- “I had to get home after class, but later, my husband came home and said there was an accident, and it just kind of… spiraled.”
Herron was in a terrible car accident, suffering serious spinal injuries.
CrossFit Strong at 60: “Perla is not your average 60-year-old woman. She’s CrossFit strong,” said Susan Agnew, owner of CrossFit TiCo. “Up until the accident, she was preparing for Age Group Quarterfinals.”
Agnew and Barboza say they fully expected Herron to make it to the CrossFit Games this year; she ranked fifth in her age group division during the CrossFit Open.
- “I have no doubt in the world that she was going to make the Games,” said Agnew. “Not to be boastful, but we were fully expecting her to be there. My husband and I already had a place to stay, we already have our tickets, and we were planning on watching her.”
- “Perla is the hardest-working woman I know,” added Barboza, “But she is very much a humble person. Even though she is good at what she does, she’s still so humble and encouraging, always uplifting, and makes the atmosphere somewhere where you want to be.”
On the road to recovery: Herron is recovering, but there is a long healing journey ahead. To help with medical costs, Agnew and the community at CrossFit TiCo have put together a GoFundMe and plan to hold a dinner and live auction on May 6. All proceeds will help relieve Herron’s financial burden as she recovers.
- “There’s no community quite like the CrossFit community; especially in the way that we come together in times of success, as well as in times of crisis. We are incredibly thankful for the outpour of love and support that we’ve received and we know that it’s a testament to the incredible person that Perla is,” Agnew wrote on the GoFundMe.
- “We really do thank you for helping us care for Perla; she is not just our coach and fellow athlete, but also our friend and our hero.”
Donate to Herron’s GoFundMe here.
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