For most of her life, Ellie never thought of herself as an athlete. Strength wasn’t a priority.
Then she discovered cross country in high school.
She loved it.
The miles, the structure, the team, the shared goal of getting a little better every day—it all clicked.
Running became a huge part of who she was. She continued competing at Penn State and, after college, trained for half marathons. It wasn’t just exercise anymore. It was part of her identity.
Then life changed.
Graduate school brought Ellie to Florida, and suddenly running wasn’t the same.
The Florida heat made training miserable, but what she missed most wasn’t the miles.
It was the people.
The built-in community she’d had in college was gone.
Like many people after graduation, she found herself trying to recreate something she’d lost.
She tried Beachbody.
She tried UFit.
She joined Planet Fitness.
She took fitness classes at Florida International University.
None of them felt right.
Eventually, she stopped exercising altogether.
Over time, she gained about 50 pounds—not because she didn’t know how to exercise, but because she hadn’t found something that made her want to keep coming back.
Starting Over in Connecticut
When Ellie moved to Hamden, Connecticut, she decided to start running again.
She figured maybe she just needed to get back to what she knew.
But something still felt different.
Running alone wasn’t nearly as enjoyable as it had been in college.
Without teammates waiting for her, it was easy to skip a run.
And mentally, it was difficult knowing she wasn’t as fast as she used to be.
“I kept comparing myself to who I used to be,” she says.
Instead of looking forward to running, it started to feel lonely.
“CrossFit Isn’t for Someone Like Me”
Around that time, Ellie met a couple who loved two things:
Beer…
…and CrossFit.
The more they talked about CrossFit, the more curious she became.
They kept encouraging her to try it.
But she had already made up her mind.
CrossFit was for athletes.
And she wasn’t one.
In fact, even her extremely supportive husband wasn’t convinced it was the right fit.
He didn’t think CrossFit was really “for her.”
It’s a belief we hear all the time.
People assume they need to be fit before they walk through the door.
That CrossFit is only for elite athletes or people who already know what they’re doing.
Ellie almost let that misconception stop her.
Instead, she decided to schedule a No Sweat Intro at CrossFit TRUE.
No workout.
No pressure.
Just a conversation.
She figured she had nothing to lose.
Finding Something She Didn’t Know She Was Missing
Walking into CrossFit TRUE wasn’t nearly as intimidating as she’d imagined.
The people were welcoming.
The coaches met her where she was.
The workouts could be scaled to her ability.
Most importantly…
She found something she hadn’t realized she’d been searching for all along.
Community.
The combination of coaching, accountability, and people working toward similar goals felt familiar.
It reminded her of what she’d loved about running in college.
Only now, instead of chasing faster race times, she was discovering new ways to challenge herself.
Learning to Love Being Strong
As Ellie continued showing up, something shifted.
She fell in love with setting goals.
Working toward them.
Achieving things she once thought were impossible.
Strength became exciting.
Not because of the weight on the bar.
But because every accomplishment reminded her she was capable of more than she’d believed.
Today, one of the things she loves most about CrossFit is proving to herself that she can do hard things.
And that confidence doesn’t stay inside the gym.
As someone who works in academia, Ellie regularly gives presentations and speaks in front of groups.
She says she’s noticeably more composed and confident than she used to be.
The confidence she built through challenging workouts carried over into challenging moments in life.
That’s one of the most rewarding things about fitness.
Sometimes the biggest transformation isn’t physical.
It’s believing in yourself.
Adapting Instead of Giving Up
Last year brought another major change.
Ellie started a new job that often required long commutes into New York City.
Some days meant catching an early train.
Other days stretched into 16-hour workdays.
She worried her routine would fall apart.
She had become comfortable with a consistent class schedule, and now every week looked different.
At first, the lack of structure was difficult.
She wanted everything to fit perfectly.
But over time, she learned something that many adults struggle with.
Fitness doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
If she missed the early morning class, she stopped seeing the day as a failure.
Instead, she’d come to an evening class.
Or fit in a workout another day.
Her schedule wasn’t perfect.
But it was sustainable.
That mindset shift has helped her stay consistent, even through one of the busiest seasons of her life.
More Than a Workout
Ellie’s story isn’t really about CrossFit.
It’s about finding a place where she belonged.
It’s about realizing she didn’t have to be an athlete to start.
It’s about discovering that strength isn’t just measured by how much you lift.
It’s measured by your willingness to keep showing up, adapt when life changes, and believe you’re capable of more than you once thought.
For anyone who has ever looked at CrossFit and thought,
“That’s not for someone like me,”
Ellie would probably tell you she thought the exact same thing.
She’s glad she decided to find out for herself.
Ready to try it out for yourself?
Schedule a No-Sweat Intro