"Life is not about discovering our talents; it is about pushing our talents to the limit and discovering our genius."
- Robert Brault
We all have talents and passions. For one its art, another its sports, and for some its just working until they're hands bleed. I always believed my passion was for sport, athletics, and fitness in general. But recently my perspective has changed.
My name is Logan Yates, I'm 19 years young and have been CrossFitting for almost a year and a half now. When I was first introduced to this amazing training system and community, I immediately fell in love with the intensely tenacious environment of the workouts, gym's, and people. And like all CrossFitter's I have a tendency to that which some would call insane.
So when I came to this point in my life I had to make the decision to make an insane move. You see, I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints (aka: Mormon). And as a member of this church, when young men turn 19 they are given the option to serve what we call a "Mission." Its a two- year commitment to leave behind family, friends, school, and carriers to serve God, talk to people about Jesus Christ, and perform community service. This "Mission" is kind of a "right of passage" in my faith. In my church its what distinguishes the boys from the men.
So for the past year I have excitedly prepared for my own Mission. And all throughout this journey I have been faced with many challenges, obstacles, and rewards. A few months ago I became a trainer and coach for CrossFit Hardcore. Right from the get-go I became close to all of the other members and trainers of this amazing affiliate. A few weeks past, and I was given the option to work and try-out for this affiliates competition team. Of course I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I worked hard and dedicated time and energy to train and better myself as an athlete. The Open came around and out team ranked 2nd in the South East Region of the 2012 CrossFit Games season. Regional's came around and I was pumped and confident that our team could make one of the top three spots that went on to Carson, California for the finals. But at the start of the weekend it became clear right away that earning one of those three spots would be a struggle. Never the less each of us on the team worked our butt's off and gave our heart in every event. In the end we placed ninth. We were all heart broken and a little discouraged. And for me the end of the weekend was a bitter-sweet experience. I was happy and excited that I had done well in my first CrossFit competition, and I became confident and sure that this was only the beginning. But my hearts strings were also tugged at the realization that I would soon be leaving for two- years.
Some may say that I shouldn't go, that I would be wasting two- years of my life, and that I could potentially ruin any future experience of competing in the CrossFit Games. And I won't lie, the risk of putting my life on hold is real. There is a stereotype amongst members of my Church that young men who leave on Mission's come back 60 pounds heavier, out of shape, and are total slobs. And part of this stereotype is true, missionaries tend to be feed very well, and physical fitness is often put to the side.
I hate stereotypes... They are often a justification to settle for a mediocre life and limit oneself on what is possible.
I always hear:
"Why are you working so hard? Your gonna loose it all on you mission."
"Get ready to get flabby around your stomach."
"Your gonna get fat."
"Your gonna be so scrawny and weak when you get back."
The list goes on, but the message has all been the same: That I will loose everything I have worked for, and that I will return home out of shape and fat.
Anyone who knows me knows that this infuriates me more than anything else. All my life I have heard people try and tell me what is possible and what limitations I can expect due to age, situation, or circumstances. So I decided to take a risk: I have committed to continue training on my mission and keep a record of what I do. Every morning, missionaries are given 30-minutes to workout. Perfect! 30- minutes is plenty of time to get in an intense CrossFit workout.
Now being on a mission I will be faced with non-ideal conditions and some obstacles. The biggest of which is the fact that I can't go to a gym. So equipment will be restricted. It is fair to say that I probably will not touch a barbell for two-years. Thankfully though, CrossFit is not all about barbells, there is an infinite number of functional movements that I can do with minimal equipment and minimal space. I can do Squats and Burpees in pretty much anywhere. There's always a tree to be climbed, a stone to be lifted, and a vast horizon to run across. Plus I can always run down to the nearest sports authority and buy a kettlebell or dumbbell. Needless to say, the world is my oyster. The only limitation to my fitness is my imagination.
On August 15, 2012, I will leave to Tempe, Arizona where I will be serving a two- year full time mission for my Church. I am both honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve God. To me there is no greater calling than to serve my fellow men in whatever task that may be. So I am excited to completely focus on serving others for two- years. And all throughout this journey I will continue training with my goals and passions still in view. No my priority for the next two- years will not be CrossFit, but I will still work my butt off to improve.
For the next two- years I will keep track of my training on this blog as often as I am able. Let me make myself clear now, this site is not meant to force my faith onto anyone, it is primarily meant for keeping track of my training in a none ideal environment. But my faith is still the biggest part of my life, so don't be surprised if I mention anything about my beliefs.
At the beginning I mentioned passions and talents. Yes I am talented in CrossFit, athletics, and sport. But they are not what I am most passionate about. I just use these talents as an outlet to express what I am most passionate about. Don't get me wrong I love all these things, and I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have these things in my life. But what I am most passionate about is something else entirely...
Humans tend to call hard things impossible. However, if history proves anything, its that impossibilities don't exist. After all, most everyone said it was impossible for man to fly...
I have never liked the notion of impossibilities. So to fight back I started doing things I thought were impossible. I couldn't swim until I was eleven years old, when I decided to throw myself in a pool and try using my arms and legs to move myself in the water. I couldn't ride a bike until I was twelve, when I became so frustrated that I finally just jumped on a bike and started peddling without the bike falling over. (I rode 10 miles that day). I was the most nonathletic and uncoordinated kid until I was fourteen, where I decided to join the wrestling team and football team. And when I turned seventeen I put myself up to the challenge to see how many push-ups I could do without stopping or bringing my knees to the ground; the result: 532 push-ups done in a row. And I competed with a team of amazing athletes at Regional's as an eighteen year old.
So this challenge is no different, in fact probably easier than the others... All I have to do is workout... Doubters, haters, realists, and pessimists beware. Another "impossible" feat is about to be put to rest.
My passion... Making impossible things possible.
God speed!
