Letter from Chris Holt

Dear Reader,

I am not an elite athlete. In fact, 9 years ago, my doctor told me that I was no longer going to be allowed to lift weights. But that’s getting ahead of the story. Let’s start from the beginning.

My first of what would become over 5 lung collapses and 4 painful surgeries began with a simple elbow to the chest during a basketball game. Before I knew it, I was in the hospital having a chest tube shoved through my ribs. I was living in Norway at the time and having what the Norwegian doctors consider (a routine occurrence) all I received for the pain was a simple shot of Novocain which only numbed the surface. Needless to say, I know what it feels like to be impaled with a blunt object.

It’s called a spontaneous pneumothorax. I’m a triplet and I was the lucky one to be born with blisters on my lungs called blebs; whenever there is too much pressure in my chest cavity, my lung collapses. Fortunately I’ve only had them collapse one at a time. If you’re wondering, it feels like there’s a little man stabbing you from the inside. Fun stuff.

This would go on to be several years of trips to the hospital, ERs, pulmonologist offices, countless xrays, tests, and rehabilitation. (For the record, you’d be surprised how many times the radiologists skimp out on the lead aprons. For all you dudes out there, don’t be shy to ask for that lead apron.) I’ve had a procedure called a thoracotomy. The surgeon goes in with cameras and small surgical tools and removes as many blebs as possible, and staples them shut. With a brillo-like pad, they rough up my chest and lung wall and then apply a talc-like powder that acts as an adhesive ensuring that my lung cannot collapse again. The procedure on my right side was successful and I haven’t had a problem since. However, the left side is a different story. Since the first procedure (on my left side) was not done properly which lead to another collapse (only months out of recovery), I was given a choice. Since there was too much recent scar tissue from the previous operation, there were only two areas they could enter from; through my sternum or through my back. Either way, it was going to involve a long rather painful recovery. As most would agree, I opted for keeping my sternum in tact.

Yep, that incision across my back looks like a hand could fit in there

This procedure would be the worst ever because it didn’t involve camera scopes and small incisions. It involved a catheter, epidural, intravenous needles in both my hands and one in my bicep, hours of dry-heaving, and lots of morphine (what a fantastic drug!). That would be a cake walk in comparison to what would happen prior to the aforementioned “perks”. The worst part involved opening my back and having the doctor stick his whole hand in my chest cavity to detach my lung in the areas it was attached, to then redo what I like to call the “scrub a dub dub” procedure. My doctor liked to call it a formal kick in the ribs. What a euphemism! I couldn’t stand straight up for months and hobbled around like the hunchback of Notre Dome. I had withered away to 120 lbs. It’s a frightening realization when you don’t recognize your own face in the mirror.

Each doctor would reiterate the same diagnosis. “No more weight training”. They advised me to take up yoga or pilates. I refused. I was determined to get back into shape because sports and fitness are what keep me sane. I needed something different because not only was I getting bored of bicep and tricep days, chest and back days, etc, the heavy body building type of lifting was not only ineffective but it was making my family extremely worried.

A couple years ago, I stumbled across CrossFit. This site single handedly changed my life as I know it’s done for thousands of other people. This whole program just makes sense and it’s by far geared more towards someone like myself that really just needs functional fitness. I always thought it was important to be able to curl 75 lb dumbbells. How wrong I was. I’ve been CrossFitting for two years now and I’m proud to say that I’ve proved the doctors wrong. I ran my first half marathon in 2007 and ran my first full marathon this year. I’m in the best shape of my life and I have CrossFit to thank.

chest tube and scopes

In Professor Randy Pausch’s “Last Lecture”, he states this: “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” I can’t help that I was born with these health problems but I make the most of it each and every day. One of the most humbling experiences was my recovery from each surgery. They seemed to always be worse than the previous one. There are so many day-to-day functions that many people take for granted. Taking a shower, walking, or going to the bathroom by yourself. Not being able to live an independent life was eye-opening. It quickly put things in perspective. There are millions of people today that have all their motor functions and are capable to exercise and be healthy. So why don’t they? It is fear? Excuses?

It’s my belief that people don’t realize how important it is to be fit. Not only fit, but fit to the degree that CrossFit acknowledges and preaches. What’s the point in working so hard to build a life for yourself or your family if you’re not going to be around to enjoy it? Like I said, I am not an elite athlete. I’m a designer at an architecture firm down here in Miami living the 9-5 life. So when I say that CrossFit is perfect for the 9-5iver, I mean it. Like everything in life, it boils down to efficiency. CrossFit is as efficient as it gets. If I can overcome 4 lung surgeries, work the 9-5 life and be co-owner of CrossFit Threshold, anyone (I don’t care who you are) can do it and is right for this program. I’m living proof. In CrossFit we are all on the same playing field. So whether you’re pushing a PVC pipe or 95 pounds, you’re doing work based on your limits and threshold. I have unwavering faith in CrossFit and what it can do for anyone that has enough gumption to try it. So to everyone out there reading this that wishes they could get in shape or is looking for something that’s not boring but challenging both mentally and physically, CrossFit is your answer.

There are no more excuses.