From Darkness to Deadlifts: How Train Denver Helped Me Find Myself Again

“The path to success is to take massive, determined action.” – Tony Robbins

I didn’t walk into CrossFit Train looking for six-pack abs. I walked in because I was drowning.

Fifteen years after college, I had traded my fast-paced career as a television news producer for something even more meaningful: raising two beautiful kids and supporting my husband as his career soared. On the outside, everything looked perfect. But inside? I was quietly crumbling.

I didn’t recognize the woman in the mirror. The same fire that once fueled me as a young girl cliff-jumping into Montana rivers, or boxing my heart out in college, had gone dim. I loved being a mom. But I missed me.

Then came a Facebook ad. One of those random pop-ups promising a fitness challenge that could “change your life.”

Spoiler alert: it did.

I had no clue what CrossFit even was. But something in me whispered, “Just go.” So I did.

My first workout rocked me. I cried. I puked behind Brooke’s trash cans. But something else happened, too: I woke up.

Something primal reignited. The movement. The community. The challenge. It stirred up memories of wild Montana adventures and the strength I thought I’d lost.

One class turned into dozens. One hour a day for me became the foundation for everything else. Slowly but surely, the darkness lifted. I got stronger—physically, mentally, emotionally. My body did things I never thought possible. My confidence returned. I became not just a better mom and wife, but a better human.

CrossFit didn’t just help me find fitness. It helped me find myself.

To every woman who feels like she’s fading in the background of her own life: there is power in reclaiming space for YOU. Start with one step. One class. One breath. You’ll be amazed at what’s on the other side.

-Tiffany Reppenhagen