To date I have lost 270lbs. At my heaviest, in Jan 2012, I weighed 480lbs and today I weigh in at 210lbs.

Before I stepped foot into Beldam I had already lost 100lbs on my own through watching what I ate and getting myself moving.

In July 2013, my beautiful girlfriend (now my gorgeously strong and amazing wife), Jenn ask me to go with her to workout at Bedlam and meet her friend and Bedlam owner, John Austin Emmons. I didn’t know much about Crossfit, but I knew that even with the weight that I had already lost on my own, I was way too out of shape for anything like Crossfit.

As soon as I met John Austin, I remember looking at him and thinking to myself that he must be looking at me thinking, “wow…fat, so so fat!”, but he didn’t. John Austin talked to me about his passion for Crossfit and the training. After a few minutes he took me through my first workout, which was: 3 Rounds for Time…200m row, 10 20” Box Step Ups, and 100m FM with 35lb kettlebells. I remember walking out of there thinking, “To hell with this place! I’m never going back! I’ll die!”

A little while later I decided to have another conversation with John Austin about Crossfit, the Crossfit Community, my concerns, my fears, and my goals. At the end of our conversation I decided to give Crossfit a shot and officially become a member of Bedlam Crossfit in September 2013.

My Crossfit experience, and most importantly my experience at Bedlam, can be summed up in one little phrase…don’t give up. Crossfit, in and of itself, is an excruciatingly hard workout and sport. It pushes you further than you think is possible both physically and mentally. Walking in to see the workout be something like 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 or 21, 15, 9 is overwhelming. I don’t know how many times I walked into Bedlam, saw the workout on the whiteboard and had already given up in my head; however, the Bedlam coaches never let me give up and made sure that I always made it through the workout.

If you’ve ever seen that show called The Biggest Loser, you see how the workouts they do bring those contestants to the point of exhaustion that it starts to break them down mentally, physically, spiritually, etc. That is what Bedlam Crossfit did for me and I am thankful for that. I have never cried during a workout, but there were a few that pushed me so far past the point of exhaustion that I had nothing left and just wept afterwards. Some people think that it’s terrible, but when you workout that hard and give it all you have, you don’t have the strength to hold up those walls and barriers that you have been building. That is when you start to transform yourself and realize that you can do it and you don’t have to give up; that is also when the Crossfit community steps in.

The most unique thing, at least for me, about Crossfit, especially at Bedlam, is not the programming or exercise philosophy behind it, it is the community. I have never been part of a community, outside of my family and church that fight for you and with you as you struggle through those grueling workouts. There’s no judgment, no ridicule, no patronizing. There’s only unconditional support, encouragement, and love…that’s Bedlam at its core.

In September 2013, I stepped into Bedlam Crossfit, as a member, for the first time. I was 111 pounds lighter than I was 18 months before. Now, one year later, I’m weighing in at 210 pounds, which is a 270 pound total weight loss (159 pounds lost since doing Crossfit). I can now climb a rope, do 30” box jumps, row 2K meters, do 20+ burpees without breaking, 30+ wall balls without breaking, double unders, and toes to bar. Additionally, my recent blood work tests showed all readings in the normal range, and my blood pressure medication was greatly reduced from 5 medications down to one. I’d say that’s pretty darn awesome!

     Beldam Crossfit embraced me without judgment or expectations; they just wanted me to get healthy and to stay healthy for myself and my family. That’s why I love this place so much and the fact that I get to do this with my wife and be encouraged by the awesome coaches and friends fills my heart with joy.