Laura P.

When Laura’s husband convinced her to try CrossFit in 2016, she expected drill-sergeant “bro” workouts. Instead, she found a sport that changed her life. It took exactly one class to get her hooked.

A little encouragement got Laura through the door, but it’s not what has kept her coming back 4–5 days a week for a decade—as an athlete and, since 2019, a coach. Laura considers herself a very normal person: never a college athlete, never particularly talented at sports. Yet her strength, endurance, nutrition, and overall health have improved more than she imagined possible, and she came to see that the CrossFit methodology simply works better than anything else she’d tried. There is always another skill to learn and another weakness to chip away at.

Just as important is the community. Some of Laura’s closest friendships were built in the gym, among people who genuinely celebrate one another’s successes, show up for each other every day, and become part of each other’s lives.

Laura especially loves how CrossFit has normalized strength training and shifted the conversation from how our bodies look to what our bodies can do. That message matters at every age—and especially for women as they enter their 40s, when maintaining muscle, strength, and functional fitness becomes essential for long-term health. For her own part, Laura plans to be doing Crossfit for decades to come.

• CrossFit Level 2 Trainer