Lori Azevado

After I moved to Austin with my husband and two small children in 2010, I struggled with balancing my fitness with my career and family. Having been a runner for most of my life, I had always been able to manage my weight. But with the demands of work and children, it was difficult to find the time or the energy to get in the long run. I had gained weight and I wasn’t happy with how I looked, so I decided to start Crossfit. My fitness routine was an hour of Crossfit 2-3 days a week with a run squeezed in here and there. I got in a groove and progress was slow, but it was progress nonetheless. 

Then divorce rocked my world and I struggled more than I had ever struggled in my life. In general, I am a happy, optimistic go-getter but I felt like the bottom had dropped out of my world and I was flailing trying to get a grip. I was stressed out, angry, lonely and pretty beat down. I kept working out, but I was inconsistent. And my nutrition was crap. My dinner consisted of chardonnay and french fries more nights that I care to admit. I didn’t feel good about myself or the choices I was making. I was not at all showing up as the person that I wanted to be for myself or my children. 

It was time to re-evaluate my life. I needed to pause and reset. How do I want to show up for myself? How do I want to show up for my children? When it came down to it, I realized that I wanted to show up as an example of what is possible. 

It was a new chapter and I could write it however I wanted. I reinstated my running and cobbled together a workout routine. I was active, but I wasn’t getting the results that I wanted. I decided to return to CrossFit hoping to get the accountability and challenge that I needed. 

Those first workouts at CFRR were way more demanding than I remembered from my previous CrossFit experience. Getting my butt kicked in 15 minutes was a humbling experience for sure. Even though I’d been working out for years, I realized that I hadn’t really challenged myself for a long time. It was just the kick in the pants that I needed. I knew immediately that this is where I wanted to be. I had found my people. 

I committed to consistently working out and focusing on my nutrition.  Now, I am stronger and faster with every workout. And I have my mind and my nutrition under control, so I perform better and live smarter. 

It’s not just about the workouts, it is the friendship and community that is rooted deeply into my life. I am energized and inspired by the CFRR team and their courage to be vulnerable. They put it all out there to show us that we are a family and we are all in it together. 

I will always be working to show up as an example of what is possible. I am 51 years old and I am Reborn. I am an athlete and I am damn proud of what I’ve accomplished and the hard work that I put in to get here. Every one of us has a story of overcoming adversity. I think that is why I feel so connected and inspired by the CFRR community. We all struggle, be it in a workout or in life, but we choose to show up anyway. I am honored to be a part of such an amazing, badass family.