My 5 years at CrossFit Kyoto

 

Five years ago when my wife Susan asked me: ‘Shall we join CrossFit?’ I asked: ‘What IS CrossFit?

However, since retirement was approaching and I knew that physical exercise was good for me, I decided it was a great idea to join the box. 

 

At that time, CrossFit Kyoto had only been running for a few years and there were very few Japanese members. I felt as if I was going to a gym in a foreign country. I was far from being a sports person, although I sometimes had to run to catch the train or lift heavy books from my desk. I was out of shape, especially compared to the younger people at the box, and I was afraid to do a forward roll. I had never thought about how I moved before doing CrossFit, but since joining I have become more aware of my posture and balance and I’m improving steadily. 

 

Due to a long commute and busy work schedule I couldn’t come to the box more than once a week, but I always felt refreshed and had a sense of achievement after each session. So far I have had no injuries at the box. I sometimes have backache or other physical problems but they certainly stem from getting older.

 

The members of our box come from various backgrounds with many different occupations and we often have visitors from abroad too. This makes the box a great place to exchange all kinds of interesting stories.

 

Last but not least I want to mention that Russell’s sophisticated leadership style and Ela’s solicitous management contribute to attracting people to the box. I retired at the age of 65 in April 2019 and I will work hard to participate in the CrossFit Masters Championship in 20 years, if it still exists by then.