Olivier Huebscher
Age: 30
Music Teacher
I knew that I needed to make some life changes. I was medically obese (5’7″, 195 pounds) with blood pressure in the hypertensive range. I had tried running and doing some bodyweight workouts, but I lacked structure and didn’t really feel like I was making any progress in reaching a healthier me. I had thought about trying CrossFit before, but was intimidated by the perception of required starting ability. I was doing a workout in the park with my friend Suyeon and she mentioned that she wanted to try CrossFit. Having an immediate support system convinced me to start and the people and coaches convinced me to stay.
CrossFit now provides an anchor point for my day. On days where I am not there I miss the people and that feeling of accomplishment at pushing myself to do things that I did not know I was previously capable of. In a little less than a year, I lost 45 pounds, cut my body fat percentage in more than half and am in the normal range for blood pressure and glucose. I have also gotten sick less often and have more energy day to day. But what it has really done is give me an anchor point, something that allows me to work towards daily progress. I have even learned about teaching methods from the coaches, something that I apply to my life as a music teacher.
It is a little cliche, but the “best hour of my day” line is applicable. I know that walking in there will be friendly people, helpful coaches, and an environment that pushes me to be the best version of me. Because of this I look forward to the time that I am there, carving out time between doing Doctoral work and a full time job. It is difficult, but worth it for the personal gains and the support system.
