Reborn Athlete – Tranise Jackson

Have you ever seen the show Spartcus on Starz?  Maybe 2010 to 2013 timeframe?  It was one of my favorite shows.  Mostly for history and drama reasons.  More on that later though. 

My CrossFit journey began post-pandemic. There wasn’t any one thing that brought me to CFRR. Do you know how you just get sick and tired of being “sick and tired”? Well that was me. It was years and years before I fully committed to working out and taking my health seriously. I lived a lifestyle that was fun, full of good food but not sustainable. Pre-pandemic, I just sort of did “fly by night” diets and working out only for short term goals like looking good on vacation, upcoming weddings or high school reunions (so shallow I know) but something just clicked inside two years ago.  

That “click” was probably me fully realizing my mortality and how life just passes you by. My mindset has been… “I’ll start in January” or “I’ll start in the fall and winter” or “I’ll start next week”. I never would fully commit to anything. Then my dad got really sick. I saw how his diabetes debilitated him and ultimately claimed his life at the young age of 65. I think what broke my heart was not just losing him but his health condition was reversible and in some ways avoidable had he changed his lifestyle and changed his eating habits. But everyone is on their own path and their own journey. He used to say to me “you can’t make the horse drink tequila”. A little inside joke between us. Gosh I miss him!  But instead of really getting down on myself and letting myself go into deep depression, I decided to turn pain into power.

So for those of us who were fans of the show Spartcus. Do you remember Season 2, episode 10 when Spartacus and the rest of the gladiators rebelled against the Roman Empire and fled up to a mountain? They were down, somewhat defeated, and hungry after successfully alluding Roman soldiers. Then Oenomaus, one of the main characters, who trained and mentored the gladiators, spoke to the rebels after Spartacus lost his wife. He said, “A man is never too weak or too wounded to fight. If his cause is greater than his own life.”

That “click” that I spoke of earlier was exactly that. I want to LIVE. I don’t want the same fate as my dad, respectfully. I don’t want to die young due to poor diet and physical inertia. I want to LIVE and see my son get married. I want to LIVE and meet my future grandchildren. I want to LIVE to hike Machu Picchu. I want to LIVE take my future grand-baby to Paris for their sweet sixteen. I want to LIVE & visit Capetown South Africa.  I want to LIVE and party on Bourbon Street at 70 years young and flash the crowd for beads (not really but it could be cool). 

All in all, I just want to live a quality life… full of happiness, good health, and the same sense of wonderment as I did in my 20s and 30s.  I want to be Reborn. And in a lot of ways I have been. This could not be at all possible without CrossFit Round Rock. Thank you for guiding me, mentoring, holding me accountable, not letting me slack off, and challenging me in new ways.  Most importantly thank you for the love, support and helping change lives and helping me to LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!