Jimmy Viola reports how Elizabeth McTear discovered CrossFit and reconnected with her body—shedding three sizes along the way.
All her life, Elizabeth McTear says she lived the right way. She snacked on vegetables and fruit instead of junk food. She spent her childhood adventuring in the outdoors. As an adult, she prefers living in cities so she can walk and bike to get around.
And yet, she says, “I was always the chubby kid.”
She eventually heard of CrossFit through a friend, and with her 30th birthday and wedding both approaching in the spring, McTear signed up for an on-ramp at CrossFit South Philly in October 2010.
The first session concluded with a 6-minute AMRAP. McTear thought it would be easy.
“I got my ass kicked,” McTear says. “At work the next day I was afraid I’d fall down the stairs because my thighs burned so much.”
But McTear persisted and quickly grew to love the grueling aspect of CrossFit workouts.