No Excuses….yeah right! The name of the gym was motivational enough for me. I am the “queen” of excuses. I joined No Excuses CrossFit in December 2008. The owner, Kyle Maynard, barely had gotten the fire code clearance for the building. Kyle has been an inspirational young man in my life for several years. He wrestled at Collins Hill High School where my husband has been the head wrestling coach for the past 15 years. So when my husband told Kyle and his partner, Ben Davis, that I had just been closed out of a fitness boot camp, Kyle offered the chance for me and my daughter-in-law to try No Excuses. I was a 54 year old, unconditioned, over-weight female….looking for a miracle. When Celia (my daughter-in-law) and I first began we were skeptical. Both of us wanted to feel better and shed some pounds (me more so than Celia).
Ben began our initial training. I have known Ben for more years than Kyle. Ben and my son are the same age and became friends in middle school. I wasn’t sure if Ben could see me through the eyes of a trainer or would he only see me as Trevor’s Mom, coaches wife and Mrs. Ramos. I am blessed to say, Ben and the other coaches at No Excuses see me as a personal mission. When I lose faith in my abilities to complete a work-out (WOD)….they give me the faith and motivation I need to give all I have. After the first 6 months of training at No Excuses, I saw some changes in my strength. The extra pounds were still there but I was definitely feeling better (stronger and more energy). For the first 6 months Ben talked with me about my diet. I had very little confidence in myself and no will-power when it came to eating. I hated the scale and completely avoided it. Ben never judged….only encouraged and made suggestions. He even offered to go food shopping with me and clean out my pantry:)
In June 2009, I reluctantly participated in a challenge at the gym. The Hugo Challenge would last 4 weeks and along with increasing the number of WOD’s per week, I began changing my eating habits (this was part of the challenge). The challenge ended the first week in July and when I stepped on the scale I had dropped 25 pounds (a small miracle in my eyes). I am soon to be 55 years old, 25 pounds lighter (would love to see more shed) and certainly a healthier person. No Excuses CrossFit is an inspiring place. The young men and women who work and train there are like family. We cheer for each other and we encourage each other. I have never stayed with a training program this long and had this much success. No Excuses CrossFit is my excuse NOT to take care of myself!
Kathy Ramos
Lawrenceville, Ga.