I was introduced to CrossFit at the age of 13 and have been “WODing” ever since. I’m a firm supporter of involving teenagers in the box because it provides the opportunity for them to be challenged and, more importantly, it provides an atmosphere where they are loved and supported by their fellow CrossFit athletes. I was fortunate enough to grow up in CrossFit surrounded by amazing people of every age and occupation who taught me these important lessons:

1. Integrity is valuable.

Each and every rep is torture, but each and every rep gets completed no matter how bad it hurts; there are no short cuts. A person’s integrity reflects their character. A lot of people can’t even define integrity, but my CrossFit family showed me what integrity looks like. You know that if someone has integrity, they are someone you want on your side when you go into battle. CrossFit is hard. There were so many times when I wanted to give up, but as I watched my friends working hard I knew that if they weren’t going to quit, I couldn’t. Their example held me to a higher standard.

2. Healthy is beautiful.

I was blessed enough not to face the negative body stereotypes that most girls my age faced. CrossFit taught me that it doesn’t matter how skinny I am; what matters is how healthy I am. “Strong is the new skinny,” as we say. Every day I saw women of different body types and sizes crank out an insane amount of burpees and throw around incredibly heavy barbells. They may not have loved their bodies all of the time, but they were confident in their abilities. They were strong and beautiful and I wanted to be just like them. Every person’s body is created differently and CrossFit taught me to see beauty in every form.

3. Confidence is key.

CrossFit gave me a confidence and self-assurance. I set goals, challenged myself and fought to accomplish hard things. Starting out, I never imagined that I would be able to do double unders, pull-ups or power cleans. Something about that showed me that I can do anything I set my mind to. It gave me the confidence that I needed.

4. Humility is smart.

I’ve seen what pride looks like in a gym. People that try to do more than the next guy always get hurt because they’re physically incapable of completing such tasks. I promise that there will always be someone in the gym who can lift more than you, run faster than you or do more hand-stand push-ups than you. CrossFit taught me humility; if you don’t know your limits, you’re going to get hurt.

5. Community is indispensable.

CrossFit is, above all else, a community. Ask anyone what their favorite thing about CrossFit is and they’ll tell you that it’s the people they work out with. I learned more from the diverse people that I spent time with in the gym than I did from peers my age. Yes, CrossFit is a global competition, but at the end of the day, there are no losers. One of the great things about CrossFit is that fellow competitors and athletes encourage you and cheer for you. In CrossFit, people celebrate others’ victories as if they are their own and they are genuinely excited for them. Those people became my family. They loved me, supported me and looked out for me. As a kid, I needed that more than anything else. In CrossFit, people will come together when you’re in need -- inside and outside of the box. No one gets left behind and no one finishes alone.