A CrossFit Love Story

By Various

In CrossFit, HD Videos, Medical/Injuries

September 24, 2012

If there’s one word that describes Bob Brown, it’s “competitive.”

But in 2004, a motorcycle accident changed that for a while.

“Went into a coma and woke up two weeks later and my leg was gone,” Brown explains.

What followed was depression.

“I didn’t cope—that was the problem. Dealing with the physical loss of a leg is remarkably easier than dealing with the mental loss of a leg,” he explains. “The first day you get out of bed and you forget you lost your leg and take that step—that’s a bad day.”

Brown adds: “When … these passions in your life that you have are gone, full-blown depression sets in.”

Then he stumbled upon CrossFit.

“One day and I fell in love,” Brown says. “It hit all the buttons that I needed to get my life back.”

His wife, Tracy, says CrossFit helped her husband do much more than regain his competitiveness.

“I do think it has helped him love himself more as a person,” she says, “and who he is as a person.”

23min 26sec

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Additional reading: Serving the Soldiers by Brian Wilson, published April 16, 2012.

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12 Comments on “A CrossFit Love Story”

wrote …

Wow what a motivating video! I can't wait to workout tomorrow!

wrote …

Ya man, I agree totally! I'm ready to do another WOD right now!

wrote …

Awesome video overall as well!

wrote …

This video is a major "WOW".

wrote …

Bob Brown, I am impressed. Going through adversity as yours and learning more than you ever thought possible is worth more than gold.
I know a little about your experience through my own. I am 66 years old, have gone through three knee surgerys and one for a complete seperation of my shoulder. In addition I have a form of Atrial Fibrillation (irregular heartbeat).
These situations occured over time and I went from being a competitive triathlete and healthy personal trainer to at at best coaching from the sidelines and feeling very little self worth. I could have continued having my pity party but I found CrossFit and the journey for me started back for "getting the mind right and the body will follow". The doc's said don't squat or lift anything overhead, that was possibly the best and worst advice I ever recieved. Best because it made me angry enough to pursue the ideat that they were wrong (they were)and worst because for a long while I bought into it.
Even though I had been a personal trainer for 12 years I did not have the knowledge or resources that is CrossFit. Their knowledge and teaching has brought me from a quarter squat to full blown squat in less than a year plus my shoulder strength and mobility are the best they have ever been.
I also have gone through the CF Level 1 back in April and what is ironic is that Cheri Chan also helped scale the WOD for me also. Bob, seeing you and her on the video brought back great memories and inspired me even more.
You are a great competitor and you and your wife's spirit shine through all your trials, I wish you and her nothing but the best on your CF endeavors.

wrote …

Thanks everyone for the kind words. The CrossFit experience has been an amazing learning curve for me. Both is fitness and in life.

wrote …

Being deployed right now, it is often difficult to view the journey as the adventure. Thanks Bob for bringing that into perspective. You have overcome tremendous adversity, and I have a great deal of respect for you and your journey. Thanks for sharing your heart and being transparent. You are an inspiration.

wrote …

Bob you are CROSSFIT.....fact. Wednesday afternoon in rainy England and you inspired me to be b the best I can be ( with a little cry). Know that you story has bettered my life for knowing it. Thank you. PT PAUL ,Birmingham-England.

wrote …

Bob, You sir are the MAN!! Very Very Inspirational!!

on another note I Here GARY ROBERTS at the end of the Fran workout talking! WE NEED AN UPDATE GARY!!

replied to comment from Alex Elias…

I agree! Gary, Where are you man?

wrote …

Bob. Outstanding work good sir! I am a below knee amputee and a coach at both CrossFit Rubicon and CrossFit Walter Reed. I want to talk with you about competing in the first annual Working Wounded Games. This is a competition geared towards the adaptive crossfitter. In your video you mention being a competitive person. I would love for you to come out and compete with us!

If you would like to discuss this with me, you can reach me at sturmjas@gmail.com. The competition has both video proxy submission of the WODs as well as a live, local event. There are even grants through Team RV4 for competitors to travel to CrossFit Rubicon; the live site for the event.

Let me know if you are interested!

http://www.cvent.com/events/working-wounded-games/event-summary-4befd8bcca364480bed3e0e29efa4860.aspx

Thanks and keep up the good work!

Jason

wrote …

Bob, great story and I can relate! I also went through a life changing accident at about the same time as yours which eventually led me to Crossfit. I have also learned to embrace the journey and not the destination! Continue to strive to be the best that YOU can be. You are an inspiration to our community! Brig Edwards