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Stacie Tovar Is Working to Give People Their Life Back

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is powered by Rx Smart Gear, crafting the the best fitness gear on the planet.

The biggest mental hurdle for learning double-unders is thinking a lot has to happen in a short amount of time. Just give yourself more time by elevating your bound higher. Then everything can slow down. Learn more tips and tricks with Rx Smart Gear’s online coaching.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” — Georgia O’Keefe

Giving Patients Their Life Back with CrossFit

 

The story.

Last fall, QLI decided they wanted to reimagine accessible fitness for their patients. QLI is an Omaha-based nonprofit that provides unmatched post-hospital rehabilitation for people with brain and/or spinal cord injuries. They care for individuals with everything from Parkinsons to Gillian-Barre to spinal cord injuries.

So in October, Steph Roob, Director of Nutritional Services for QLI Omaha, reached out to Stacie Tovar about starting a CrossFit program specifically for patients at their facility. 

Tovar was on board right away. “Our vision is to tie fitness together, to help them long term, and to tie the community together through fitness,” she told us in a phone interview.

That’s what it’s all about.

After months of planning and coordinating, they kicked off the program at CrossFit Omaha in June. Two of CrossFit Omaha’s coaches go out to the QLI facility, twice a week for three hours. “The same coach goes every time for the 12 weeks each program runs. We know their needs, their wants, goals and background,” Tovar said.

Program attendance has more than doubled since the launch and patients are seeing the same kind of success as everday CrossFitters across the globe. 

“Every day you push yourself to the point of failure,” said Chad Arnold, who graduated from QLI’s spinal cord injury rehabilitation program earlier this spring. “But then you get further beyond. To have people around you who truly believe you can stomach going beyond your limits, you start to believe it, too. You gain the strength to become your own hero. That confidence, that community — it changes your life.”

Same goals, different scaling. 

“It’s no different than in the box. We measure everything; how long it takes them to get out of their chair, how long it takes them to stand up if they can, how many steps they can take unassisted. It’s no different than a CrossFit benchmark WOD. Thirty get in and out of your chairs is no different than Grace,” Tovar said.

Stacie plans to keep the program running with QLI and CrossFit Omaha. “It’s really about breaking it down to the most basic fundamentals, because at the end of the day that is all they want. They just want their life back.”

Coffee Break Conversations

 

So you can’t get your kids to eat a vegetable…

You should work on that. But while you do you should also sign up for a Smoothie Box subscription. And if you sign up right here today with code “20CYBER18” you’ll get $22 off your first two boxes. That’s a pretty sweet deal, just as sweet as watching your kiddos slurp down all those precious nutrients you just snuck into their growing little bodies. 

Still need a gift for your Swolemate?

Easy day. Jacob Heppner’s “Winston” roll up workout mat is available for pre-order now. They’re $99 and expected to ship 12/15. You’re going to want one, we promise. 

Things To…

 

WATCH: The Difference Between Technique and Intensity

Ever questioned why your coach makes you scale a workout? Certified CrossFit coach Chuck Carswell speaks to CrossFit Level 1 Certificate Course participants about the relationship between technique and intensity, and the quest to achieve both simultaneously.

THE BASIC PRINCIPLES.

 

HEAR: Actor Max Greenfield on AMRAP Mentality 

Host Jason Khalipa welcomes actor and CrossFit enthusiast Max Greenfield on the show to discuss how he came about being an actor, how he found CrossFit, and the importance of commitment and consistency.

LIFE THROUGH FITNESS. 

 

EAT: Baked Oatmeal Crisp with Apples 

This baked oatmeal is the make-ahead breakfast your holiday plans need. It’s easy to pull together, feeds a crowd, and just happens to be delicious. Substitute coconut oil and your favorite alternative milk to make this dairy-free too.

IT’S APPLE SEASON.

 
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Chalk Up Community

 
  • NEW CROSSFIT — Bad Wolf CrossFit is coming soon to Nolensville, TN. Co-owner Ryan Gaffney, a firefighter, will offer discounts to first responders.
  • A FRESH START — CrossFit Hays, now being run by Victor Rubio and Quincy Clendennen, is moving to a new location in Kyle, TX.

CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES (a highlight reel around social media of CrossFit pros and average joes)

Congratulations to 12 Labours’ Wilson Pak and Kristina Strine on their engagementKristi Eramo got a 7 rep back squat PR at 285 poundsKate
Vibert
 hit a 235 pound snatch PR and a 281 pound clean and jerk PR • Alyssa Ritchey hit a 185 pound snatch PR • Michele Letendre cleans 205 pounds • Alexis Johnson got a 50 second PR on 30 muscle-ups • Anthony Davis got a 465 pound front squat PR.

OFFICIAL: Fittest in Cape Town Roster — CrossFit Fittest in Cape Town qualifier has officially wrapped up and the complete roster is set with two exceptions:

— 1). Cape Town still has three male and two female wild card invitations should they choose to use them, and

— 2). Through their partnership with Wodapalooza, the 2nd and 3rd place male and female finishers will receive an invite to compete in Cape Town.

Notable names on the list:

— Men: Streat Hoerner, Tim Paulson, Jason Smith, James Newbury, Mitchel Stevenson, Sean Sweeney, Lucas Parker, Khan Porter, and Cole Sager.

— Women: Carol-Anne Reason-Thibault, Chelsey Hughes, Alessandra Pichelli, Courtney Haley, Lindsey Valenzuela, Mia Akerlund, Michele Merand, and Katrin Davidsdottir. 

Notable names NOT on the list…Jacob Heppner, who qualified and again declined due to work conflicts. 

Wrapping Up Today: Australian CrossFit Championship — Scores are due by 3:00 PM PT today. We’ll have more of the who’s who on top of the leaderboard tomorrow. 

SNEAK PEAK — Big announcement coming from FNX later today. From CEO Adrian Conway, “we will share a life changing opportunity for anyone who wants in! We wanted to do something big, and this is bigger than we even dreamed up. This will be the best Christmas of someone’s life.” Stay tuned. 

Annie Thorisdottir Shares How She Sets Goals — Another favorite Dottir, Annie Thorisdottir shared the importance of goal setting and dreaming: “There’s nothing wrong with dreaming big, just as long as you understand you need to put in hard work to make things happen. Also, it’s key to have the right people around you to help and support you,” Thorisdottir explained.

— “I’ve always been passionate about training and eager to test my limits. I’ve always enjoyed challenges so one of the best ways to get me going is to say I can’t do something. That’s a sure way to get me to put all my effort into that challenge, just to prove that I can.”

— “I feel like I still haven’t peaked. I have more in me and I know I can get stronger and run faster. I have small gaps in my training that leave room for improvement. I’m not yet the best version of myself — but I will be!”

Reads

CHALK UP READS

“An Open Letter to Those Who Need to Lose Weight,” by Kai Rainey, CrossFit Journal.

I know it feels like you woke up fat one day. You didn’t, of course, but by the time you realized your weight had become a problem, you had more than a few pounds to lose. Maybe you saw a photo of yourself and didn’t recognize the chubby person in the back until you identified your own shirt. Maybe laundry-day desperation made you realize you can’t even pull up a formerly too-snug pair of jeans you had been avoiding.

You are angry with yourself for letting it get this bad, and you know this isn’t who you are meant to be.The mirror is not your friend. You look at your face and wonder how you didn’t see all the extra padding start to appear. You used to have cheekbones and a defined jaw. You used to wink at your reflection, excited to take on the day. Now you glance at yourself and regret doing so. You stare into those eyes and dare the old you to fight your way out. You know this reflection isn’t really you, and you want to change it. You just don’t know how to start.

It’s not that you haven’t tried. It seems like everyone is an expert on how to lose weight. Take this pill. Stop thinking about bread. Drink this tea. Everything works for a short time. You are living proof. You’ve tried every approach and some of them more than once. You lose a few pounds, maybe more than a few. But the turnip-and-bacon diet gets boring, and pretty soon you are showing everyone exactly what you would do for a Klondike Bar.

As the failed diets pile up in your rear-view mirror, you still have a sense that you will find the key—the holy grail of health—that will allow you to live life the way you know you should be living it: looking and feeling confident, capable, strong and healthy.

Reads

CHALK UP CALENDAR

11/30 – 12/16: Naughty or Nice Toy Drive (Online)

11/30 – 12/2: Rogue Winter Classic (Cleveland, OH)

12/1: Rock It CrossFitMas Classic (Fort Worth, TX) 

12/1: Barbells For Bootstraps (Beverly, MA)

12/1: Bro Down Throw Down for Cancer Awareness (Bridgeport, PA)

12/1: Push/Pull for Pancreatic Cancer at CrossFit Pawling (Pawling, NY)

12/1: Winter Throwdown 2018 (New York, NY)

12/1: Reindeer Games 2018 (Medford, OR)

12/1: Heroes Challenge (Dallas, TX)

12/1: Vekter Games (Columbia, MD)

12/1: New England Co-Ed Classic (Bedford, NH)

12/8: Fittest Alive in the 845 (Poughkeepsie, NY)

12/8: The 2018 Reindeer Games Finale (Del Mar, CA)

12/8 – 12/9: WOD Godz (Shreveport, LA) 

12/8: Rampage Christmas Throwdown (Murfreesboro, TN)

12/8: A Very Krampus Kilofest (Hickory, NC)

12/8: CrossFIt Raeford 3rd annual WOD for Dogs (Raeford, NC)

12/8: Reindeer Games at CrossFit 321 (Topsham, ME)

12/12 – 12/15: Dubai CrossFit Championship (Dubai, UAE)

12/15: Masters Mania (OKlahoma City, OK)

12/22: The Flanders Throwdown (Zedelgem, Belgium)

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Is there something we missed? Email us at [email protected].
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