As Rich Froning Jr. stepped out onto the competition floor at the 2011 Reebok CrossFit Games, many wondered what was written on his shoes. He says it was a line from scripture focused on the crucifixion of Christ.
“If I ever got tired and looked down at my shoe, I was kinda like, ya know, ‘This is nothing compared to what he went through for us,’” says the world’s fittest man.
Dan Bailey, who finished sixth at last year’s Games, says that during competition he thinks about what he’s grateful for.
“It’s not all about where you finish. It’s about the effort you give,” he explains. “You can easily put yourself in the position where, ‘Well, I’m not going to win, so why try?’ And that’s the complete wrong attitude to have in anything in life. You have to do the best with what you have and do the best with what you’re given.”
Both men say God has given them gifts, and they understand that it’s not all about them.
“I figure this is my way to glorify him in all that I do,” Froning says.
5min 27sec
HD file size: 126 MB
SD wmv file size: 65 MB
SD mov file size: 33 MB
Please note: These files are larger than normal Journal videos. For smoother viewing, please download the entire file to your hard drive before watching it (right-click and choose Save Link As...).
Additional reading: The Fire Inside by Web Smith, published April 1, 2011.