Stephanie Hammerman is a first year graduate student in NSU’s M.S. of College Student Affairs program and works in campus recreation. She hopes to combine her passions for fitness and higher education into a career that’ll enhance students’ mental and physical health.
When people are brought into this world and given a chance at life, it is no accident. Some babies are born right on time, and some are born later than expected. But others, like myself, arrive a little too early and as a result, sometimes, must live life from a different perspective and with a different purpose.
I was born three months premature, and was diagnosed with a mild case of Cerebral Palsy (CP) shortly after birth. In my case, CP affects the messages that my brain tries to relay to the rest of my body, in regards to certain motor skills — such as walking and picking objects up from the floors, and dictates the time in which I can complete certain tasks.
I was lucky to be brought into a family that not only loves and accepts me for exactly who I am, but who saw my potential for success early on. While many people doubted if I’d ever be able to read, speak or even write, my parents had no doubts and treated me exactly as they did my siblings.
In our household, even at a young age, we learned that not going to college was not an option. I would hear things like “there is a place for everyone” and “it is the time to find out who you want to be.”
I don’t think I truly understood what my parents meant until I stepped foot on my undergraduate campus, Lynn University. I didn’t know it then, but by the time I would cross the graduation stage, my life and purpose would be forever changed.
Have you ever done something or met someone that triggered an “ah-ha” moment for you? In February 2011, I was introduced to the director of Achilles International, a hand cycling group for adaptive athletes; this is what sparked my “ah-ha” moment. I saw these men and women gearing up for a race. They had shown up to the starting line before the sun rose and were ready to compete.
These people, despite their different abilities, were true athletes. As I watched each person cross the finish line, working against the clock, something inside of me said I needed to try this. I quickly decided to approach some of the athletes after the race to see what it would take for me to become one of them.
It didn’t take much; in fact, I got in my first hand cycle that afternoon and instantly felt a power I had never felt before. A few months later, my first bike had arrived and I found myself training for my first full marathon. I wasn’t quite sure what I had gotten myself into, but I knew it was going to be the challenge of a lifetime.
On Dec. 4, 2011, with a huge cheering section around me, I set out to cross my first finish line. Before the start, one of our coaches looked at me and said, “This may be your first, but it sure won’t be your last.” I crossed that finish line with a time of 4:34:14, and although I couldn’t be prouder of my efforts, I knew shortly after that coach was right, this wasn’t going to be my last race.
I had been bitten by the fitness bug and the itch wouldn’t disappear. Race after race, my confidence grew. But something was still missing; I wanted to push myself further.
In May 2012, a close friend introduced me to the sport of CrossFit — a brand of functional fitness that incorporates the use of strength, agility, balance and endurance, along with other fundamental exercise principals to create a routine that is fun, yet challenging. It was unlike anything I had ever tried before.
Prior to my first workout, I researched CrossFit’s movements. So, I knew that it was a challenge I wanted to take on, but I still had to wonder: would the coaches and other athletes take me seriously?
Well, there was only one way to find out. I walked into CrossFit Hardcore of Boca Raton to meet the gym’s coach and owner, Scott Lefferts. Here was a man who had never before worked with someone of the adaptive population; now he planned to give me the challenge of a lifetime.
The two of us spent weeks getting the basics down. Little by little, as my body began to adapt, my brain started to understand complex movements that it had never understood before. After our first month together, we had gained a great amount of trust with one another. Leffert’s acceptance had not only helped me transform physically, but mentally as well.
As time went on and the workouts became more intense, other people started noticing my potential. I began to realize that if I worked hard enough and surrounded myself with likeminded individuals, I could make a big difference in this growing sport.
As summer 2012 drew to a close, I planned to move from Boca to Davie, miles away from Leffert’s gym. Yet, I knew that my fitness journey was far from over. Leffert introduced me to Steve and Heidi Bowser, co-owners of Broward CrossFit in Davie. It was here where my passion for this sport escalated. Heidi wasted no time; she saw my potential and immediately challenged me to start working toward it.
Little did I know, she wasn’t the only one tracking my progress. About six months into my journey, CrossFit headquarters featured my story on their website, and within a few days, I began receiving emails from coaches and other adaptive athletes from all around the country wanting to connect with me. This only added fuel to my fitness fire. I had put myself out there in hopes of helping others see that this sport is 100 percent adaptable, and I got more than I could have asked for in return.
It has now been nine months since my first workout and the goals I have achieved in such a short amount of time have been profound. As I geared up for my second marathon, one year later, I knew I was going to see improvements, but I didn’t think it would be a significant amount. As I crossed the finish line, looking up at the clock, I could see that I was wrong. I completed the course with a time of 3:22:15. I couldn’t be more excited to know that my hard work and dedication truly paid off.
As a CrossFit athlete, it is common to hear the phase, “you have drank the Kool-Aid.” When I hear that, I smile because I know I wouldn’t take that first sip back for the world. To me, fitness is all about choosing to take full responsibility for your health and overall wellness. CrossFit may have given me a new avenue to excel in, but it’s certainly not where I started.
I’m not sure where the next door of opportunity may lead, but I do know I will walk through it with a purpose to make a big difference in this small world. I believe that if you want something bad enough, you will find a way to make it work.
