Chyna made it to the CrossFit Games in 2010, when the Games were nowhere near the production or popularity they are now. The interesting part though, happened after Chyna's first trip.
On a quest to return to the Games, in 2011, she placed 4th place at Regionals, missing the Games by one spot. In 2012, she placed 4th again, and in 2013 she placed 6th, only missing 3rd place by 2 points. Then, finally, this year, in 2014, she made it to the Games.
In the moments after she didn't make it to the Games each year, Chyna was disappointed and confused. Why couldn't she make it back to the Games? Was she better on a team? Was she just not mentally strong enough? Why did she make it this year, when the Regionals were even more competitive?
After we talked about her training through those 4 years though, it all made sense.
When Chyna first started CrossFit, she could hardly squat below parallel. So in year #1 after her Games appearance, she worked with a coach to improve her movement quality. In year #2, she worked with the same coach to increase her strength. In year #3, she sought the help of an Olympic lifting coach to add skill to her repertoire. In year #4, she added intensity by training with Neil Maddox, a Games veteran, who pushed her harder in her workouts every day. No wonder she made it to the Games this year.
Movement Quality.
Then Strength.
Then Skill.
Then Intensity.
She dedicated massive amounts of time to these things, in this order. While in the moment Chyna was frustrated with herself for not making it back to the Games, from a coaching standpoint, her journey was absolute perfection. This is how we want our athletes developed in the gym. Build the foundations. Spend time on each level.
And even bigger than that, trust the journey.
The only thing that made the journey frustrating for Chyna was her expectation. She had already made it to the Games, and thus she placed that expectation on herself to make it again. Why weren't the results happening sooner? Why was she not performing the way she wanted? From a coaching standpoint, she really wasn't ready. Despite placing 4th place at Regionals, Chyna still had work to do. She had not yet reached the athletic development that she needed to compete at that level.
This is a lesson we can ALL remind ourselves. Your journey is different from everyone else's. You started at a different spot, and you will progress at different speeds. Work your foundations and build upon them when you are extremely competent at them. Do not allow your own pressures or expectations guide your journey; rather, trust your journey, trust your path, and know that even if your progress is slow, you're not injured, you're not burned out, and you are well on your way to becoming a well-rounded, healthy, present, aware, and accomplished human being. Be proud of your hard work, take pride in your progress, no matter how small, and have the courage and patience to do things the right way.
To listen to Kenny and I's podcast, The Positivity Project, click below!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/kenny-kanes-positivity-project/id689054138?mt=2