It’s just before 10 o’clock in the morning. In the past, Tom Butler could be found sitting at home, watching TV and eating pancakes. On this day, he’s at CrossFit Five Star.
“Instead, I get to run in 19-degree weather. God, this is so much fun,” the 55-year-old says with a smile.
About a year ago, Butler was up to 280 lb. He was wearing size-42 pants and XXL clothing. He had consistent knee problems after years of playing football and being overweight.
Shawn Butler, his son and the owner of CrossFit Five Star, kept asking him to come into the affiliate. But the elder Butler resisted for nearly two years, reluctant to be coached by his son.
“I couldn’t swallow my pride. He said, ‘Ya know, you can recover. You can rebuild. It’s going to take time,’” Tom recounts. “He says, ‘You come here, you make the effort. You can get back to where you were.’”
CrossFit has taught him how to enjoy life more, Tom adds.
“It’s a cold day, but it’s a beautiful day. I mean, there’s people this morning that didn’t wake up. There’s people that are just sitting on their couches doing nothing,” Butler says. “In this gym, there’s nothing you can’t do. I mean, CrossFit has taught me that. I can’t believe I can do some of the things I do.”
Video by Mike Donofrio.
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Additional reading: Training Silvers by Joey Powell, published May 28, 2010.