CrossFit Dad Life: My Motivation

By: Lam Nguyen
Photo by: Two Leaf Photography

One of the greatest things about the CrossFit community is that we all have our own story about how we got started and why we continue.  We dedicate our time, our sweat, our blood and, sometimes, tears to work towards each one of our goals.  I’m reminded each and every morning of what drives my dedication to fitness and wellness.

My first reminder usually strolls into the bedroom at 5:45AM and puts her warm little head on my chest.  My other reminder usually starts screaming in the other room fifteen minutes later.  “DADDYYYYYYYY!!!!MOMMMMYYYY!!!! LEEEEEIIIILLLAAAA!!!! OPEN MY DOOR!!!  PLEASE!!!”  We like to teach our children to be polite even if it is while screaming at the top of your lungs to be released from your nightly cage.  These moments are reminders and my mental anchors when I feel too lazy to go downstairs to lift, when I’m too tired to wake up at 5:00AM to catch a 6:00AM WOD or when I just don’t want to eat healthily anymore.  They give me the motivation to make the right decisions even when I don’t want to.

Through the daily failures and successes, I learn more and more about what it means to become a good dad.  One of the main contributors that allows me to be both physically and mentally present in my children’s lives is the focus on fitness and wellness.  The strength training, the mobility work, the WODs, and the nutrition all contribute to that one goal of being the best dad I can be.  I can throw both my kids on my back, crawl through the living room, around the kitchen, up the stairs, down the stairs and heave them on the couch only to have them giggle and yell, “AGAIN!” and “AGAIN!”  Additionally, I’m able to manage the stress and anxiety I experience throughout my workday by sweating it out.  I take it all out on the barbell and the WOD which deflects from taking it out on my family.

In the long run, when I’m much older, my wish is that I can play a pick up soccer game with my kids without worrying about keeping up.  My hope is that when we go mountain biking, whitewater rafting or trail running there is no hesitation in my mind in the ability to do so.

In the end, there are only a limited amount of hours throughout the day.  It means a lot to me to be an active participant in Leila and Eli’s lives.  It means I have to prioritize the activities to make that happen.  I want to be able to show other busy parents out there that it can be done.  You don’t have to do it by yourself.  Lean on your CrossFit community, lean on your coaches and, hopefully, lean on your spouse to help you get there!  If you want it bad enough, make it happen!  You can do it!