My name is Christine Pereira and I train here at Brethren CrossFit, this is my story.
Before CrossFit, I was miserable living in a body that I felt like didn't match my inside.
I was weighing 270 pounds and everything was impossible. Everything was difficult.
You know, just everyday going up the stairs.
You know, I was truly unhappy.
Well I always looked at myself and thought— you know, everybody would say "Oh, you have such a pretty face..."
And you know, "If only you would lose weight..."
And you know, I just— I felt helpless. I just— I couldn't do it.
There's just— it just seemed absolutely impossible.
You know, like I'd look in the— you know, magazines and you know, think, "There's just no way I could ever get like that."
You know?
And you know, I really just— I had— I didn't think I was possible.
Not at all.
I was gonna be that big fat person for the rest of my life.
You know, I just— you know, that's what I thought.
So, I was already over 200 pounds when I got here and I remember doing the Prowler mile with a team
and Lee running along the side— running or riding a bike I can't remember.
And him telling somebody, "Is she gonna be okay? Is she gonna be okay?"
I mean, I literally— I was in nightmare. But I remember when I came in, I said, "Lee I'll never finish first.
But I'll always finish strong."
And I just knew it was something that I wanted.
You know, and I was gonna get it. And, you know, it's made me so much more secure in myself.
You know, like, that whole cliché you can't love yourself you know, unless—
I mean you can't love somebody else unless you love yourself and you know, I'm just a happier person.
I'm positive and I mean you know, when people tell you, "You can do anything you want to do."
I truly believe it now because I came here at 240 and now I'm at 177.
My first mile back then was like 12 minutes now I'm at 10 minutes and I
could do a pull-up, you know?
Toes to bar, I got that finally.
And just milestones after milestone and just—
- How does that make you feel? - Oh my god.
Like, I just— I feel like I just started my life.
I just started my life and I'm just so— honestly, I'm proud of myself for sticking around like being
240 pounds and jumping around when you are seriously surrounded by nothing but
beautiful people and I'm— I feel like I'm making myself that way so it's more meaningful, you know?
Like, and I never thought of myself as being an inspiration, you know?
But now I— I feel like if I could do it, anybody could do it.
It's like a family you know, and I don't know how many times that people
come to me and say, "You know, I was sitting in bed and I didn't feel like
going to CrossFit, then I thought about you and I thought how you show up everyday."
You know, and there's times where I'm struggling and I can't get these things
done and they're right there you know, screaming at me, "You can do it!"
And, "Think about where you came from!"
And you know, I just— I feel so supported.
I am 34 and I keep making a joke you know, like,
"I'm gonna be in the Masters like I'm gonna compete in the Masters you know, I have all this time to
get really good, you know?"
And, you know, I've obviously past the timeline of all the young ones.
They're younger and they got their— you know, faster and stuff.
So I'm shooting to be a Masters and to compete in the Games.
That's what I'm shooting for.
I would say come and do it. You know, I mean, you look at the words
you know, "CrossFit forging the elite" and you know, those words are scary for a big fat person, you know?
Like, you look at that and you're like, "No way. I can't be that person."
But, that's totally not true.
Because if I can sit here and tell you that at 270 pounds, I came in here and just came everyday— being consistent
and not giving up on yourself, you know? You can do it.