From overwhelmed to all in: My CrossFit origin story

Booming music filled the huge warehouse.
An enormous gymnastic rig dominated one side of the space. People in incredible shape were hanging from it, moving in ways I didn’t even know how to describe.
Everyone seemed to know each other.
Heavy weights were being thrown around with ease – weights I couldn’t imagine lifting.

I’d love to say I found it inspiring.
And looking back, I did.
But in that moment? Inspired wasn’t how I felt.
My head was somewhere else entirely.

Because one thought cut through the pounding music and the clatter of barbells:
“There’s no way I can do this. I’m way out of my depth.”

It was daunting.
There’s no better word for it.
Every fear I had about not being “fit enough” surged to the surface.
The gap between where I was and where I thought I needed to be had never felt wider.
And if a realistic way out had presented itself right then and there…

I would have taken it.

It’s easy to forget how overwhelming gyms can be.
Especially CrossFit gyms.

But here’s the thing…
That feeling? It walks through your doors every single week.
Sometimes it’s disguised as bravado.
Sometimes it’s buried under humour.
But it’s there.

How do I know?
Because the picture I painted at the start of this blog isn’t fiction.
It’s a memory. My memory.
From my first visit to CrossFit Southampton, over five years ago.

I felt the overwhelm.
I knew the fear.
I heard it in the self-deprecating way I spoke when someone asked about my fitness level.

How could I not with everything going on around me?

But whether you’re a coach, the owner, or just the first person who says “Hey, welcome…”
You can change everything.

That first moment of connection? It might be the breath that person hasn’t taken since they walked in.
You introducing them to other members? That might be the start of a friendship group that keeps them coming back.
Your encouragement? That could set them on a path they can’t even imagine yet.

That’s exactly what happened for me.

The coaches welcomed me.
The community welcomed me.

Fast forward five years—
I’ve made lifelong friends.
Competed on teams.
Achieved things I never dreamed I could.
My fitness is the best it’s ever been.
CrossFit genuinely changed my life.

And now?
I’m a Level One Trainer myself.

Sometimes I still can’t believe that when I think back to that first visit.

Because not coming back? That was on the table. Not just that day. But for weeks.

I needed encouragement.
Someone to help make something terrifying feel possible.

Now I’m the one on the coaching side.
Trying to calm the fear behind the wide eyes of a first-time visitor.
Trying to spot the overwhelm before it takes over.

And that gives me a platform to write stories like this. Because I believe in them.

These aren’t just nice blog posts.
They’re mirrors.
For the people reading them.

So if you want your gym’s culture to be more than just a tagline on your website.
If you want people to actually feel it…
I’d love to help you tell your stories too.