When I first joined a gym in 2010, I only wanted to do cardio; as a massage therapist, I was already aware of my “bulky” shoulders/arms. The reason for joining was to stay fit in the soccer off-season. After my usual lunchtime circuit class got boring due to the change of trainer, I tried the Wednesday 9.30 am CrossFit class, now back then, I was not a morning person, Wednesday was my sleep-in day, and I used to struggle to get up for the 9.30 am class. The class coach Kylie was unlike any fitness professional I had met. Every week was different; she asked how I was going, I was invited to join the relay for life team and the most annoying part of all, she stopped me mid-workout to correct my technique. I soon became hooked; I was stuck, I was going to the gym, but I had no goals, this CrossFit thing gave me things to aim for, and when Kylie moved her home gym into space in Tuggeranong I joined her beginner classes, 7 am on a Monday and Friday and kept up club lime on other days until my membership ran out. I then joined CrossFit Base 100%, and I have never looked back. CrossFit gave me fitness goals and strength, but most importantly, it gave me friendship and connection with my siblings, as my womb mate (twin sister) and brothers have all participated in CrossFit. I now regularly train at 6-6.30 am and have even trained at 5 am when required. To this day, Kylie is still my coach, and I know that I would not go to the gym five days a week if I did not have her programming for me.
So why am I reflecting on this today? Well, yesterday I helped my friend Kelly move house. Three women and a truck. We loaded and unloaded the white goods and the heavy furniture out of the rental and into Kelly’s brand-new apartment. (I’d also like to point out to future developers that when you’re planning complexes, don’t make an already compact entrance more compact by putting in a tight gate with some stairs in front. It makes getting the bulky items in and out mighty difficult, but we managed nonetheless). It was such an empowering and satisfying thing to do, and whilst we were tired, we felt very accomplished and proud.
Women’s sport is well behind men's, and it stems from the ancient Olympics, where it was decided that if women participated, their ability to carry children (which was our only purpose in the world) would be negatively impacted. Even in 2022, there are beliefs that weight training is bad for women and women will end up being too bulky and not looking like the skinny delicate angels we have previously been conditioned to be. Thankfully, these days there are more positive female athletic role models for young girls to play any sport they choose. I wish I had started weight training in my teens; it wasn’t encouraged back then. It’s great to see many schools employing strength and conditioning coaches in conjunction with PE teachers to help the physical and psychological development of boys and girls.
There’s Something About Mary
After the first lockdown ended, I changed from training in a CrossFit gym to club lime, which I had joined, to use the gym's machine weights as I could not squat due to my injury. I am motivated and disciplined to train on my own, some days, it’s hard, but I have learnt when I need to train with others (heavy training sessions) and when I can push through.
Mary was 60 when she joined CrossFit Base and started training and competing in Olympic Weightlifting. Fast-forward 8 years, she is still going, and she is a huge inspiration to me, more than she will ever know. Mary and I train in her garage on Thursday mornings, and I treasure this day. Exercise is a common topic of discussion in my treatment room, and I find myself using Mary and other amazing patients as examples of it is never too late to start. I also have a 77-year-old patient who sees me as needed, but she started figure skating at 38 and is still going.
In summary, women have been conditioned to depend on men for “manly” tasks when the fact is; women can do anything a man can. We may take a bit longer or get the job done differently, but we can do it. Women naturally are not as strong as men. Therefore we tend to use more skill and strategy to get the job done. I have faced similar stereotypes in my line of work. Before I graduated and was on a placement, a female participating in the Pacific School games said to me, “do you mind if I wait for him? I just need a firm massage”. One of the things I am not okay with is changing the standards for gender quality. We need to accept that some jobs attract more of one gender than others, and I feel that’s okay. A patient of mine is a firefighter. He once asked me if I was interested in joining and told me how they were considering reducing the fitness requirements of women so that they could comply with hiring the same number of women as men. I told him I’m a woman, and I was offended because regardless of gender, the job demands are the same. I have another patient in the AFP, and he recently told me that a colleague of his learnt a better way of completing a task after watching his female colleague. We can all bring different skills to the workplace and life in general, and if we open our minds and change previously held beliefs of “that’s men’s work” or “woman’s work”, we can work together and, more importantly, learn from each other.
<3 <3 Very lovely blog Clare. #FemalePower. Kelly x