I chucked myself in at the deep end with a session that included a workout that was used in the Crossfit Open in 2019 – it was hard work but it felt awesome! The coach was amazing and as well as being really encouraging, she taught me some really useful things about technique too. I pushed myself more than I probably would have done at home and left the gym feeling great! I’ve done six classes in the last two weeks – all different types of classes to ensure I’m working on all the elements and skills in Crossfit and I’ve loved every one. With a mix of strength, lifting, gymnastics and cardio over the classes, it’s been a really good exercise in working out where my weaknesses lie so I know what I need to work on.

However, it’s not just the coaching and equipment that I’m grateful for, it’s the people too! I had no idea how much I’d missed being around people during the pandemic and to start becoming part of a community of like-minded people with a shared interest in health and fitness has really given me a boost. I’m keen to meet as many coaches and members as I can in the lead up to my challenge in the hope that lots of people will want to get involved on the day but, more than that, I really want to get to know everyone and become part of the crowd at the gym. I had a feeling they were a lovely bunch of people before I signed up and it seems I wasn’t wrong!

Being around people who have similar goals and interests, who encourage you and make you feel part of a team are wonderful people to have in your life. Connecting with others is so good for mental and physical health with research suggesting that people who are socially connected are happier, healthier and live longer and that positive relationships can improve our sense of belonging and give us a purpose. When it comes to my challenge, my sense of purpose will not just be about fundraising but also about getting through the 24 hours with an awesome team of people who I certainly don’t want to let down – it will be amazing to smash this challenge together and feel proud of everyone that gets involved!

The thing I love about Crossfit is the community and inclusivity. It can be perceived as quite an elitist sport with images of people lifting heavy weights and doing impressive things on bars and rings but in reality, everything can be scaled back to suit your abilities and the buzz you get from working with other people and encouraging each other to get through workouts is awesome. When you feel like you can’t get that last rep or run those last few metres, having your team mates cheering you on makes all the difference.

I feel very fortunate to get to know the coaches and members of the gym I have joined – there is so much knowledge, experience, camaraderie and support and I will be soaking up every bit of advice, taking every opportunity to connect with people and working hard to make this challenge a success. Hopefully, I will even be able to call some of them my friends soon too!

On one particular day recently, when I felt sluggish and low on energy but had planned to do a workout, I put myself to the test. Despite my head trying to coerce my body into a mid-morning doze on the sofa, I decided to ignore the messages and crack on with some training anyway. Opting for a pretty challenging bodyweight workout, it wasn’t going to be an easy test but 45 push ups, 90 lunges, 90 burpees and 180 squat jumps later, I felt so much more energised and the feeling lasted for the rest of the day! I proved to myself that I can push through those weary moods and actually turn it around by doing the last thing my body thinks it wants.

It got me thinking about my 24hr Challenge: how would I feel if the pre-event nerves sabotaged my sleep the night before? What if the event landed on a less than ideal day of my menstrual cycle? How do I make sure I don’t have one of those days where I’m on the verge of passing out with the simple act of standing up (a fairly regular issue for me)? Of course, I’ll be spending the next six months getting as much expert advice as possible around rest and nutrition in order to feel my best on the day, but on doing a bit of reading, I found a great article by Olympic Medalist, Courtney Thompson. It was entitled “8 Reasons No-one Cares You’re Tired” and as a volleyball player, Courtney explained that playing in a team means it’s not just about you so you have to get over how you feel, go out there and give it your all regardless of how much “all” you have at the time.

Reading Courtney’s article explaining that getting through a training session or game required selflessness, a commitment to show up and the ability to embrace the fatigue of pushing to your limits was inspiring. I may not be doing this challenge as part of a team but I am doing it to raise money and awareness for a charity and committing to support the gym and community who are facilitating the event. That makes me accountable – to all those people and myself – so I need to show up and push through for that team of people!

Courtney’s article goes on to highlight the power of the mind and how we can train our brains to overcome our physical feelings. It also reminds us to be realistic and understand that we won’t be able to perform at 100% every day but not to let that worry us and instead, focus on maximising what we are able to give. There are so many factors that can impact our energy and motivation but I am determined to give this challenge my 100% wherever possible – that includes the fundraising, training, promotion of the gym, event and supporters and, of course, the challenge itself.

The eighth and final point in the article was “Remember: the pain of not going all out is much bigger than the pain of holding back.” It was a great reminder that regardless of winning or losing, the real satisfaction comes with knowing that you gave it everything you had to support your teammates in reaching your shared goal. I will be keeping that thought at the forefront of my mind throughout my training and the event day – however I feel, I have made a commitment to achieve something and I’m damn well going to do it… for everyone!