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For Alexa Serret, being able to return to the CrossFit Games means everything.
She’ll get a chance to go up against the best athletes in the world when she competes next month in California.
What’s even more inspiring is the fact that she’s able to do this despite having Cerebral Palsy.
Serret, who teaches second grade at Cameron Elementary, is also a member at Odessa CrossFit and is excited to compete in the CrossFit Games which will take place July 24-26 in San Jose, Calif.
When growing up in Spain, Serret said PE was the only subject that she would fail because of her condition.
“For me, this is amazing,” Serret said of being able to qualify for the CrossFit Games. “It’s like a life gift actually because I was always rejected as a kid for my disability. I used to be bullied in school. I used to fail PE … It was always something I was failing and it was not my fault because it’s something I couldn’t control. But being in the top 10 worldwide is pretty amazing. I’m super grateful.”
Because of her condition, Serret will be competing in the adaptive category.
The Adaptive CrossFit Games bring together the world’s top adaptive athletes in the ultimate test to find the fittest person on earth.
Alexa Serret poses for a photo at Odessa CrossFit Friday. Serret will be competing in the CrossFit Games next month in San Jose, Calif. Michael Bauer|Odessa American
To qualify for the games, Serret competed in a series of preliminary competitions that began back in February.
“So we have what we call is the Open,” Odessa CrossFit owner BJ Cleere said. “And the Open starts in the end of February and it goes to probably the middle of March and they release workouts, like one workout a week, and you have 3 weeks of workouts that you do. And you do them. If you have measurements that you have to do, you have to videotape them and those workouts qualify you for the next round, which is the quarterfinals. And if you pass that, which is — I think it’s like the top 20 percent in the world — then you qualify for the semifinals. And then after that, you have to be in the top five percent in the world to qualify for semifinals.”
From there, if a competitor does really well in the semifinals, they qualify for the CrossFit Games.
In Serret’s division, only the top 30 in the world qualifies.
Next month, will come the real fun when Serret competes at the games. She said she doesn’t know what the workouts will be just yet but they range from weight lifting to gymnastics to endurance like bike riding and running.
“At the games, it’s three days of competition and they will release different workouts,” Serret said. “You just go from one to the other … it’s a whole weekend. Two years ago, we had seven workouts, more or less. It was pretty fun. It was hard because it’s like a tough weekend but fun in the end.”
The last time Serret competed at the CrossFit games, she didn’t compete in the adaptive games.
“That time, I was not (competing) in my category because I registered for the open for the first stage on the last day because I didn’t know what to do. So I signed up, then when I got to interview to assess my disability, they noticed that I should get more adaption but it was too late for the change. I couldn’t perform some of the exercises because of my disability.”
“I showed up and met amazing people. The environment was really good and people were always trying to help you. I learned that adaptive athletes, we’re not competing against the others but against ourselves.”
Alexa Serret poses for a photo at Odessa CrossFit Friday. Serret will be competing in the CrossFit Games next month in San Jose, Calif. Michael Bauer|Odessa American
During the school year, she shares her story with her students to inspire them.
“I always share my story with them because since I was bullied, and nowadays, you know, like, kids are mean. They don’t realize that sometimes a comment — like what my PE teacher and my doctors used to tell my parents about how ‘this girl will never be good at any sport’. But look at me now. I’m going into the games. So I tell them, be nice to each other because kids were not nice to me when I was a kid … And don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot do anything because of course you can. You just need to show up. You just need to keep practicing and just ignore what people tell you.”
Because each athlete has to pay for their own meals and lodging during the CrossFit Games, travel expenses can be pricy.
A fundraiser was held at Odessa CrossFit Friday to help support Serret’s expenses for next month.
“We have to cook our own food during that competition days and they are super expensive,” Serret said. “So I’m so grateful that these people out here are helping me and they are supporting me like pretty much.”
She’s earned the support of Odessa CrossFit and the entire community.
“We’re super proud of her,” Cleere said. “She’s just the epitome of hard work and what you can do if you set your mind to it. Making the games is one thing, but making the games as an adaptive athlete with not having full capacity of your left side — I mean, doing some of these exercises is hard enough, but to be able to do it with half your body is even crazier. We’re just super proud of her and we’re so thankful that she’s a part of our community.”
The post Cameron teacher to compete in CrossFit Games appeared first on Odessa American.
Continue reading...
She’ll get a chance to go up against the best athletes in the world when she competes next month in California.
What’s even more inspiring is the fact that she’s able to do this despite having Cerebral Palsy.
Serret, who teaches second grade at Cameron Elementary, is also a member at Odessa CrossFit and is excited to compete in the CrossFit Games which will take place July 24-26 in San Jose, Calif.
When growing up in Spain, Serret said PE was the only subject that she would fail because of her condition.
“For me, this is amazing,” Serret said of being able to qualify for the CrossFit Games. “It’s like a life gift actually because I was always rejected as a kid for my disability. I used to be bullied in school. I used to fail PE … It was always something I was failing and it was not my fault because it’s something I couldn’t control. But being in the top 10 worldwide is pretty amazing. I’m super grateful.”
Because of her condition, Serret will be competing in the adaptive category.
The Adaptive CrossFit Games bring together the world’s top adaptive athletes in the ultimate test to find the fittest person on earth.
Alexa Serret poses for a photo at Odessa CrossFit Friday. Serret will be competing in the CrossFit Games next month in San Jose, Calif. Michael Bauer|Odessa American
To qualify for the games, Serret competed in a series of preliminary competitions that began back in February.
“So we have what we call is the Open,” Odessa CrossFit owner BJ Cleere said. “And the Open starts in the end of February and it goes to probably the middle of March and they release workouts, like one workout a week, and you have 3 weeks of workouts that you do. And you do them. If you have measurements that you have to do, you have to videotape them and those workouts qualify you for the next round, which is the quarterfinals. And if you pass that, which is — I think it’s like the top 20 percent in the world — then you qualify for the semifinals. And then after that, you have to be in the top five percent in the world to qualify for semifinals.”
From there, if a competitor does really well in the semifinals, they qualify for the CrossFit Games.
In Serret’s division, only the top 30 in the world qualifies.
Next month, will come the real fun when Serret competes at the games. She said she doesn’t know what the workouts will be just yet but they range from weight lifting to gymnastics to endurance like bike riding and running.
“At the games, it’s three days of competition and they will release different workouts,” Serret said. “You just go from one to the other … it’s a whole weekend. Two years ago, we had seven workouts, more or less. It was pretty fun. It was hard because it’s like a tough weekend but fun in the end.”
The last time Serret competed at the CrossFit games, she didn’t compete in the adaptive games.
“That time, I was not (competing) in my category because I registered for the open for the first stage on the last day because I didn’t know what to do. So I signed up, then when I got to interview to assess my disability, they noticed that I should get more adaption but it was too late for the change. I couldn’t perform some of the exercises because of my disability.”
“I showed up and met amazing people. The environment was really good and people were always trying to help you. I learned that adaptive athletes, we’re not competing against the others but against ourselves.”
Alexa Serret poses for a photo at Odessa CrossFit Friday. Serret will be competing in the CrossFit Games next month in San Jose, Calif. Michael Bauer|Odessa American
During the school year, she shares her story with her students to inspire them.
“I always share my story with them because since I was bullied, and nowadays, you know, like, kids are mean. They don’t realize that sometimes a comment — like what my PE teacher and my doctors used to tell my parents about how ‘this girl will never be good at any sport’. But look at me now. I’m going into the games. So I tell them, be nice to each other because kids were not nice to me when I was a kid … And don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot do anything because of course you can. You just need to show up. You just need to keep practicing and just ignore what people tell you.”
Because each athlete has to pay for their own meals and lodging during the CrossFit Games, travel expenses can be pricy.
A fundraiser was held at Odessa CrossFit Friday to help support Serret’s expenses for next month.
“We have to cook our own food during that competition days and they are super expensive,” Serret said. “So I’m so grateful that these people out here are helping me and they are supporting me like pretty much.”
She’s earned the support of Odessa CrossFit and the entire community.
“We’re super proud of her,” Cleere said. “She’s just the epitome of hard work and what you can do if you set your mind to it. Making the games is one thing, but making the games as an adaptive athlete with not having full capacity of your left side — I mean, doing some of these exercises is hard enough, but to be able to do it with half your body is even crazier. We’re just super proud of her and we’re so thankful that she’s a part of our community.”
The post Cameron teacher to compete in CrossFit Games appeared first on Odessa American.
Continue reading...
