From burnout to beast mode: Daniel’s story

Back in my junior year of college, I had to hang up my soccer cleats thanks to an achy left knee. The weird part? It wasn’t a big injury—it was a 3mm leg length difference (yeah, apparently that’s a thing). My left leg is slightly longer, which led to pronation in my foot, which led to knee pain, which led to me sitting on the sidelines.

To stay active, I got into weightlifting. And for a while, I was loving it. The gym became my new field. But after a few years of lifting solo, something changed. The spark fizzled. The gym started feeling like a dentist appointment—something I should do, but didn’t want to do. I’d show up, stare at the weights, do a few sets, and peace out in under 30 minutes. My motivation was gone. So was my discipline. And my mental and physical health? Not exactly thriving.

By late 2023, I had gained weight, felt tired all the time, and knew I needed a serious reset.

Enter: CrossFit.

While visiting Sacramento, a friend invited me to try a week of classes.

Spoiler alert: Day one nearly killed me.

I was drenched in cold sweat, dizzy, lightheaded, and convinced I was going to pass out mid-burpee. But somehow—I loved it. It was intense, humbling, and weirdly addictive. After that week, I knew: this was what I’d been missing.

So when I got back to Denver, I searched for local CrossFit gyms and Train popped up. I met with Abby, got a feel for the vibe, and immediately signed up for the 3-week on-ramp. I was a little intimidated to join the full classes afterward, but the coaches and community made me feel like I belonged from day one.

Now? It’s been 1.5 years, and I can honestly say I look forward to working out. (Okay, fine—some days I still feel like I might die during a workout.) And yes… I’ve actually puked in the bathroom once. (Hopefully no one noticed.)

But seriously – it’s been a game changer.