Seven years ago, Cristina Martinez had no intention of doing CrossFit. In fact, it was one of the last things she wanted to try.
At the time, Cristina was struggling deeply with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Her mental and physical health were suffering, and her sister finally told her, “You need to go to CrossFit.”
So she agreed to try one class.
She couldn’t do a burpee. She couldn’t run 200 meters without stopping. Everything about weightlifting was completely new. But something kept bringing her back, and it wasn’t the workouts.
It was the people.
Cristina found a community where she felt supported, accepted, and, perhaps most importantly, safe. She describes CrossFit Reincarnation as a place where she could simply breathe and be herself.
Over the next seven years, Cristina got physically stronger. The woman who once couldn’t get herself back up from a burpee eventually deadlifted 235 pounds. But the strength she built went far beyond what she could lift.
Today, Cristina is working full-time as a preschool teacher, teaching dance, doing things she loves, and continuing to advocate for herself and her mental health.
Her story is also an important reminder that there wasn’t just one thing that helped her. Family, professional help, medication, community, meaningful work, movement, and people willing to stand beside her have all been pieces of her journey.
And that’s the message Cristina wants others to hear:
There is hope.
You don’t have to have everything figured out. You don’t have to be strong enough to do it alone. Sometimes it starts with one person, one conversation, one class, or simply one first step.
🎥 Watch the full podcast to hear Cristina tell her story in her own words.
