Lift the Earth

Sometimes it is the most seemingly benign events that turn out to be the richest in meaning. Such was the case on a recent trip to Sumner Washington where a group of CrossfitEastsiders turned up to support and cheer on our colleague in Crossfit Rainier’s first ever Strong Man Competition.

Not being entirely sure what I would be in for, I approached the day with some amusement. My mind admittedly, filling with images of puffy, pigeon-chested men vying to see whose testosterone sprayed the furthest. It is a bit of silly stereotyping, but we all do it – right? Well, the contest I turned up at was anything but stereotypical and Kurtis and Laurie, the very nice owners of Crossfit Rainier planned a wonderful and successful community event and all for a good cause too! The Fragile X Foundation.

The Strong Man competition was fun to watch, with the crowd enthusiastically cheering on all the competitors, encouraging best efforts and sportsmanship. Once the title had been decided, the rest of us 'regular' folk were able to take part in a Novice competition, which allowed us to play around with the various implements (axel press, keg carry, farmers walk, atlas balls and bus pull). I never thought I would have so much fun lifting (or should I say trying to lift) heavy things and it sure was a great way to put to test all the past years Crossfitting.

The absolute highlight of all the strong man events was the double-decker bus pull. And for the curious - that bus is 28 000 pounds of fun! To quote a friend “some people's friends pressure them to drink, we get pressured to pull buses”.

While actually being able to pull a double-decker bus makes for a great water-cooler story, the most memorable aspect of the event was the display of community spirit from all involved. While it is easy to talk about a ‘Crossfit Community’, it is another to help set a high-standard for what that community can look like.

The Crossfiteastsiders, with all their positive energy and enthusiasm, helped provide a fun and non-intimidating environment so that everyone felt comfortable trying on something a lot new and a little strange. To add to the spirit of community, we spent several hours helping dismantle the event and moving everything back to Crossfit Rainier (no easy task considering the weight of the toys!). The helping hand was a nice gesture of support for Kurtis and Laurie, who despite Kurtis’ torn achilles, were able to pull off one helluva fun event.

We often talk about being a part of a community and then go on to act in a way that results in deep divisions and animosity. I’m proud to be a part of such an amazing group of people that take such good care of all those around them.

Smell

There is absolutely nothing good that can be said about air pollution!

Sight

I remember gazing across the luggage carousel at the Seattle airport and thinking that everyone had been super-sized. Plenty of ink has been spilled discussing the obesity crisis in North America and through my jet lagged eyes, I could clearly see that reality in epic proportions. Not that I would suggest that the Chinese diet is particularly conducive to optimal health, the culture does, however, promote another important aspect of wellness, that being exercise.

From the morning hours until late into the night, Shanghai's parks are filled with people exercising. Whether it is practicing traditional arts like Tai Chi, or modern sports like basketball or even the truly bizarre (and highly popular) 'sport' of walking backwards, it is clear that physical well-being is highly valued. It was not uncommon to see some very flexible people (and of course, front row seats to see the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe probably biases me a little too).

I was also impressed by the number of great squats that I saw people busting out. While everyone should be capable of doing so, it seems that sitting in chairs has seriously hindered many people's ability to get in touch with their posteriors.

Street vendor in Old Town