When Karen first walked into a CrossFit gym back in December 2013, she didn’t expect it to change her life. Her plan was simple: work out with her son for a couple of weeks and then go back to her regular routine. But those first few classes turned into something much more. Today, at 59 years old, she’s stronger, more confident, and more capable than ever, and she’s just getting started.
“It wasn’t what I expected… in the best way.”
Karen admits she had a lot of misconceptions about CrossFit before she started.
“I thought it would be too intense for me. I thought I might get injured trying to start it at my age. And I was used to doing solo workouts on my own, so I had no idea how motivating and fun the group classes would turn out to be.” she says. But it didn’t take long for those fears to fade away.
What she found instead was a supportive community, knowledgeable coaches, and workouts that could be adjusted to meet her exactly where she was.
Building Strength, Inside and Out
Over the years, Karen has experienced big changes that didn’t just affect her body. They changed in her mindset and attitude, too.
“I’ve built so much strength that I never knew was possible,” she says. “I had never done a pull-up in my life, not even as a kid. Now I know how to scale them to do as many as the workout requires. And I love lifting weights—it makes me feel so confident and capable.”
Karen is proud of what her body can do now, especially her deadlift. Friends and family are amazed by the numbers she puts up. Rightfully so! But for her, the most meaningful gains are the ones that carry into her everyday life.
“I no longer work out to try and make my body look a certain way (thinner, younger, whatever). Now I work out so that I can function fully in my every day life: able to squat and stand without help, to dance with abandon at concerts and festivals, to carry my own suitcases and lift them overhead, to pick up my grandson and hold him as long as he wants me to without getting too tired. It is so satisfying to gain mobility and strength in the gym that is actually useful every day in the other areas of my life.”
Pushing Through the Hard Things
Karen used to take the most pride in her lifting. But more recently, she’s realized that her biggest growth has been mental.
“Lately I’ve been realizing just how much mental toughness CrossFit is giving me. I know that I can do really hard things. I know that I can finish a really tough workout, that I can push myself, that there are still gains to be found. I’ve learned how to embrace the pain of intensity for a little while, knowing that doing so is going to make me physically and mentally more capable.”
That toughness was especially important during times of injury. Over the years, she’s broken her foot three different times but never from CrossFit. Still, she didn’t let those setbacks stop her.
“I kept coming to the gym. What was challenging was being patient and consistent in modifying the workouts so that I didn’t try to do too much too soon. My coaches really helped me keep the right perspective. If I had been trying to work out around an injury at home, I’m certain I would have either quit or made the healing take much longer by pushing too hard/too fast.
New Goals, New Growth
After 11 years of doing CrossFit, Karen decided to take things a step further. She signed up for the CrossFit Level 1 Training Course that begins the process of learning to coach CrossFit.
“I learned SO MUCH in this seminar, and it made me want to be a better athlete – to redouble my efforts to shore up my weak areas and maybe learn some skills I’d given up on. Also, I am curious about learning how to coach. I realized during the training that it’s much more involved than I had imagined!”
Even if she doesn’t coach right away, she’s excited about what this next chapter could bring. “I also know that learning to teach something makes you have to get better at it yourself, so I could see that getting into coaching, even on a beginner level, could really benefit me and help me grow.”
Advice to Her Past Self and to You
Karen’s advice to anyone thinking about starting CrossFit?
“Please do not wait until you are ‘more fit’ to try CrossFit! I was NEVER able to find consistency in exercise until the day I walked into my gym. CrossFit had what I didn’t know I needed: variety, structure, and friends who care about me and want to see me improve. At Dwell, I finally found the motivation I need to make exercise a consistent life habit.”
She also wants to clear up a big myth: “I discovered that all that time I’d been afraid that CrossFit would injure me – actually the OPPOSITE was true. It was CrossFit that would keep me SAFE from overdoing it. CrossFit has taught me how to scale any workout so that I can do it safely and for the long-term.”
“If I can do it, anyone can.”
Karen’s story is proof that it’s never too late to start. She wasn’t athletic growing up. She never played sports or considered herself particularly coordinated. But now, over a decade into her fitness journey, she’s thriving, and she is always inspiring others along the way.
“I started CrossFit when I was 47, and I am now 59. If you had told me before I started that CrossFit would be a huge part of my life, I would have laughed in your face. Now, in middle age, my friends outside of the gym always tell me how impressed they are with what I’ve been able to gain in the gym. I always reply, ‘If I can do it, ANYONE can.’ It’s really true. I’m not especially talented or gifted or coordinated. I just show up and follow my coach’s direction. That’s all it takes to see real improvement.”
Ready to Begin Your Journey?
Karen didn’t know what to expect when she first tried CrossFit, but what she found was strength, support, and a new way of thinking about fitness and aging.
You don’t have to be in shape to start. You just have to start.
At CrossFit Dwell, we meet you where you are and help you build from there safely, steadily, and with a team cheering you on.
Ready to take that first step?
👉 Schedule your free intro conversation today and find out how CrossFit can change your life, just like it did for Karen.