A True Hero and Inspiration to Athletes

Everywhere.

And why you should keep Captain Dan Luckett’s story in mind during

your next WOD….

Heroic. Leader. Humility. Tenacity. Determination. Grit. Athleticism. Mental Fortitude. Inspirational.

Any of these attributes sound familiar?

As a Crossfitter and an Iron Tribe athlete, they should.

These characteristics define how athletes should be “living the code” of Iron Tribe Fitness. They embody what is expected of its athletes before, during, and after a WOD and in our daily lifestyles.

These honorable character traits are more than words in a blog. They are words to of describe the rare character of Captain Dan Luckett, a two time amputee, injured by an explosively formed penetrator, a bomb that hurls an armor-piercing lump of molten copper in Baghdad, Iraq in 2008  who is now serving ably and triumphantly in Ashoqeh, Afghanistan, as the “One-legged Warrior of Ashoqeh.”

He overcame all preconceived notions and expectations of someone in his position and mastered walking, running, and now patrolling in a prosthetic foot on one leg and prosthetic shin and leg on his other leg.

Luckett, who loathed the quiet and sympathetic demeanor others would revert to when speaking to him, worked diligently toward defying all odds to rejoin the 101st Airborne Division. He fine tuned his ability to walk and run on his prosthetic limbs step by step, tackling them one minute, one step, one day at a time, much like we approach a WOD.

He ultimately succeeded in passing the physical fitness test, required  to attain the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, by running 12 miles with a 35-pound backpack in a sub-3 hour timeframe. Luckett reached and surpass his goals, and joined his friends and confidants and was accepted with open arms by the Army and promoted to Captain.

Capt. Luckett, who currently serves proudly and without hesitation in the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, represents a hero and an inspirational figure for Americans, for military, and for athletes everywhere.  A hero serves diligently and humbly in an effort to serve others,  for a greater cause, and who often fights for his country’s freedom. Dan Luckett’s story is truly heroic, and one we should all keep in the forefront of our minds and hearts during those gut-wrenching WODs.

Read more about Captain Dan Luckett’s story here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100925/ap_on_re_as/as_afghan_amputee_soldier_3

Please share your thoughts and your comments about this inspirational story!

As always, let me hear from you, Tribe,

Molly

As you know, this past Saturday we held our Workout for Water (Fight Gone Bad) fund raiser, and we adopted a village and raised $4,000 to build a well for them that will last 20 years.

100% of that money goes straight to building that well. Not a single penny is used in administrative costs.

Imagine this: In a few months from now, a village full of husbands, wives and children, who are struggling daily for water – contaminated water at that – will have fresh clean water pumping into their village upon demand.

And it’s all because of you!

Wow! Chill bumps are running up and down my body as it type this even now.

We really did make  a difference! I am so proud of our Tribe!

And it feels amazing knowing that our ITF Tribe changed the lives of another tribe half way around the world.

It matters, and it matters big!

We all want our life to matter.

We want our time on this earth to have real meaning.

We all want more life in our years.

And I want you to experience the feeling of knowing you have really made a difference – again!

How?

You have a story worth telling.

Yes you do!

You have an Iron Tribe Fitness story of success.

We want to build another well for some of the poorest people in the world … and we can do that when you share your story with other Birmingham residents who need to hear your story.

Here’s how it works: Did you know that for only $20 you can provide one person in the Central African Republic, or in India, or in the Sudan access to clean drinking water for 20 years?

By now you know that 100% of that money goes straight to the building of those wells.

And did you know that if  you write ITF a case study of  your success as an ITF athlete, we will donate $20 to Neverthirst ministries in your name?

It’s true.

Write us a case study (click here to see examples) and we’ll donate $20 to Neverthirst where 100% of that money goes straight to the mission of building wells to provide clean drinking water to the poorest on earth.

For example: Did you know that the Central African Republic has a population of 4,511,488 and is ranked 178th out of 79 of the poorest countries in the world?

As a matter of fact, 62% of its 4.4 million people live on less than $1.25 per day.

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From the Neverthirstwater.org website:

When we considered these statistics, and that also 74% of C.A.R.?s population lives without access to safe, clean drinking water, we knew we had to be a part of the solution.

Initially, as Neverthirst was formed, we had a clear calling to serve the harder to reach areas and the dangerous places that desperately needed clean water and the hope of eternal life. Central African Republic fits that mold – and so we go gladly and willingly to raise awareness and give people hope through the local church.

But it?s not all despair – our partners, Integrated Community Development International (ICDI), employ over 100 indigenous staff who are working hard to restore hope one village at a time through clean water, sanitation training and Gospel advancement. Handing out Bibles in their local languages and sharing the Gospel is as much a part of ICDI?s water program as teaching sanitation and hygiene.

In 2009, we joined charity:water in an effort to fund ICDI?s water program and bring thousands clean water through their holistic approach. Additionally, we are supporting a local pastor who spends his time sharing the Gospel and encourage local believers in each and every village where we fund water and sanitation projects.

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So write us a case study, won’t  you, and help us build a well for children who desperately need clean drinking water.

It’s easy to submit, too.

All you need to do is type it up in a Word document and email it to aaron@irontribefitness.com, and I will take care of the rest.

Thanks in advance for your case study and for helping us build a well for the thirsty children.

Well this was just flat out interesting…

Martin signed up for the FGB/Neverthirst fundraiser for last Saturday. I decided to go to jeer  cheer him on. He went through his heat, and I have to say, he did great! So then, I’m just sitting on one end of the gym waiting for the second heat and I hear a voice screaming “I need a counter! I NEED A COUNTER!” I looked over and it was Luan. My first thought was- no way, if I add it wrong, he’ll have me doing burpees for the next six weeks. But then, another thought entered my brain…hmmm I could yell at him. I could tell him his squats weren’t low enough on the wall balls. I could say “LUAN, IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT?!?!?” And I could do it all in the name of charity?!?! Sign me up! So I walked over and grabbed the score sheet and stood beside him, waiting for the 3-2-1-GO! Right before it started he said “Listen Gates, I need to hear from you. I need to know where I am. If I rest, count 3-2-1 and then tell me to go!” I thought Uh-oh, this is serious. I have to do this right… He started on Push Press and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. He was dong more than one a second. For a minute, I thought he had to have the wrong weight or something. It seemed super-human. Then we moved to box jump, and again he was flying through them. Then to wall ball, same thing. SDHP- same thing, and then he rested a little on the row. So we went to round two, and I freaked out because his numbers dropped dramatically. About halfway through I said “Luan, you have to pick it up!” You have to remember, I don’t know anything about strategy with crossfit. I just try to survive every workout. The whole way through the second round, he seemed out of gas. I was surprisingly worried for him. Then the third round started and I said “Pick it up!”  This slight grin came over his face, you know the kind that says “I’ve got this” and he said “I have to beat the second round on everything…..everything, got it.”  So the third round started. Luan again went so fast on the push press that I thought Whoah! he’s back! On the box jump, he would knock out about 5 and then rest. “3-2-1 Go LUAN!!! you have to get 6 more in the next 14 seconds!!” And he did.  Then wall ball- he looks tired now, but in total control. Then SDHP- He knocks a couple out and dumps the bar. TWICE during these the equipment malfunctioned. I stood there freaked out the first time, and he said “fix it” in a stone cold voice. I did. Then row- this time there was no resting on the row. He went for broke. I was screaming at him and all caught up in the moment “THIS IS IT LUAN, LEAVE NOTHING IN THE TANK! ROW LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!” Totally over-dramatic, but that’s what I said. Then it was over. Luan, who was tired, but not the “I need an ambulance” tired that I would have been, looked over at the score sheet and smiled. I had no idea what he was smiling at, because I hadn’t totaled anything up yet. It was just rows and rows of numbers, but somehow he knew he had done well. So I added them up and I told Luan the score (355- I think- which Ironically was also Tra’s exact score) It was a PR for Luan, so he was thrilled. So here’s what I learned

1.- The second round is supposed to be your slowest (news to me)

2.- rest on the row a little, and get off of it a few seconds early so you don’t lose any time getting to the next thing

3.- Never rest on anything more than 3 seconds

4.- Don’t challenge Luan to any sort of Push Press competitions (even if I just have a PVC pipe)

5.- Fight Gone Bad is no joke

It was so fun watching everyone’s tenacity all in the name of a great great charity! Maybe, next time, I’ll actually have the courage to do it.

The Sweetest Words I’ve Heard From Another  ITF Member.

And I’m betting you’ve heard them, too.

So, I really didn’t think I’d get a chance to write anything for this morning. Quite frankly I’m in the middle of a huge deadline and the last thing on my mind right now is working out. In fact, as I’m writing this there is part of me that is being pulled to my other computer where a video project is waiting for me.

But, as we all know, one thing CrossFit teaches us is how to jump from one task to another and put our all into each thing we are tackling.

What, you might ask, got me to take a few moments to write something for my weekly blog? A call from a friend. You know how they can be. One minute you’re focused on what you think is critical and the next they remind you of what’s important.

This friend is a new graduate of CrossFit 101. Tribe, I’d like you to meet Teresa Hartley. Teresa was the benefactor of my gift certificate that I won for the paleo challenge last month. She had been saying that she was ready to do something about her health and it seemed like the perfect timing.

She and I have been friends now for two years or so. Met at what used to be Cool Beans Coffee House in Edgewood. She and her cohorts had a Tuesday morning coffee club and little by little they pulled me into THEIR tribe. Here we are in our glory days. Teresa is third from the left:

Yes, turn about is fair play, isn’t Teresa?

The last four weeks has been a challenge that Teresa met head on. The first day she called me close to tears, saying she could barely get up the stairs. I remember smiling to myself and recalling my first experience with Luan and how I thought, “what the heck am I doing?” Teresa pretty much mirrored those sentiments the first two weeks and we spent many afternoons talking about her progress and how she needed to just stick with it. I knew in my heart that she had it in her, but I also knew that when you’re going through it you have your doubts.

Sweet Vindication

To be honest, there was a part of me that worried if I had pushed her too hard. After all, CrossFit isn’t for everyone and maybe my success didn’t necessarily mean it was right for her. I’m sure any of you who have recruited friends go through that; hoping they don’t hate you for convincing them to do it.

Last Thursday night, Teresa called me to talk about her upcoming graduation. The re-test of her baseline was the next morning. And like most of us, she had her doubts about if she’d learned anything. I told her that she had improved more than she realized; that she was going to be surprised by her performance tomorrow. Even if she just shaved off 30 seconds, that is an accomplishment. She hesitantly said, “o.k. We’ll see.”

That brings me to the sweet words I heard the next morning… “I have to admit, you were right.” Uh, excuse me? What was that? Say that again?

“You were right. You knew what you were talking about.”

Mmmm, now that IS what I’m talking about. It wasn’t so much that I was vindicated, but that she was feeling good about herself; she was feeling encouraged and motivated. Did I tell you she shaved off 2 minutes?!!!!  Now that’s sweet!

So just remember. When you persuade a friend to join ITF — and I hope you do — they may go through days when they’re convinced you are the devil. But by the time they graduate, they will not only believe in themselves, they’ll believe you’re the best friend ever.

Welcome Teresa! Good luck on your first day as a full-fleged Tribe member. And thanks for making me part of yours back at Cool Beans.

Oh, and speaking of Cool Beans, for those of you who don’t know, Teresa will be welcoming all of us back when she re–opens SoHo Sweets and a cafe in that same space (next to New York Pizza). Trust me, you’ll find the same “tribe vibe” there, so stay tuned. And join us for a cup of Jo!

I missed the workout today, so Martin (who has never missed a workout before…Right, Tra?) decided I should do a workout at home. So I thought, ok, fair enough. Well  I figured out about half way through the workout that it was, in fact, Fight gone bad. (I’ve only done it once before and I guess I had blocked it out, so although I could tell from writing it out that it didn’t look easy breezy, it took me actually going through it to realize what it was)…. Isn’t he cute? SO as soon as I can lift my arms up, and get out of this chair, and off of oxygen, he’s toast.

Tribe,

We just broke the $750 mark which we will double to $1,500.  We are not quite half way to our goal of $4,000 raised to drill a fresh water well in a village in Africa but I know we can hit it!  Go here to donate and sign up!

The workout is Fight Gone Bad and it is an awesome workout.  We have about 20 athletes signed up so far and need about 30 more to hit our goal.  It is a $40 entrance fee that will be doubled and then goes entirely to Neverthirst.  They will in turn send 100% of that money towards a well to impact a village of 500 for 20 years.

Neverthirst’s executive director, Spencer Sutton, is traveling to Sudan next month and will be filming a special video from Sudan showing you exactly which village we will be adopting and where our ITF well will be drilled.  We will get to see first hand the before and after of our adopted village and the impact that your $80 will make in these individuals lives.

On top of that Spencer wants to donate a $50 ticket to the upcoming Neverthirst banquet on October 14th hosted by famous comedian Henry Cho.  Here is more information on that.

See you Saturday!

Forrest

P.S. – I will never forget the children I saw in Sudan like this child to the left that were dying from simple water related illnesses.  Your $40 entrance fee can literally save a life!  Go to the Neverthirst site here to donate and sign up for the event.  Even if you can’t make the workout you can still donate.

http://www.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=341678&tr=y&auid=6457297

Anyone interested in running this 5K on October 9?