Every now and then someone walks through our door who really amazes me with their hard work, determination and positive spirit and I want to give them a great big shoutout. This is one of those times!
Cutest baby EVER! 
August’s Extraordinary Athlete, Kimberlee Gromatzky, a 68-year-old mom, Realtor @luxehomesdallas, fitness enthusiast and grandmother of quite possibly the most adorable baby I’ve ever seen, came to me last November and said she wanted to get into shape to run her first Spartan race in March – 4 months away! I have to be honest, I was worried. Spartan races can be very long and hard and involve some very difficult feats including rope climbs, monkey bars, and a whole bunch of burpees! This was going to be an adventure for both of us!
She told me upfront that her back hurt when she did burpees, so we worked first on strengthening her core and teaching her how to scale the movement so it wouldn’t hurt. Then came the hanging movements. We practiced hanging from the pullup bar, switching hands, and learning how to do a rope climb by using your feet instead of just your arms – and again, lots and lots of core!
Wall Walks in The CrossFit Open Getting that Rope Climb! And the Spear Throw!
What made her an even more extraordinary athlete was not just her incredible dedication to accomplish such a phenomenal feat, but the fact that she never for one second allowed her age – or the fact that no one her age wanted to do it with her – to affect her hard work. Kimberlee showed up three days per week religiously and we worked before and after class on extra things to help her get better. She even brought her spear (yes, she bought her own spear to practice spear throwing!) to the gym so that we could practice throwing it through the tires like they do in the race. To top it all off, she participated in The CrossFit Open – a worldwide online fitness competition to find the Fittest On Earth!
In March, Kimberlee traveled down to the Texas Hill Country and FINISHED her very first Spartan Race – all by herself! She finished #7 out of her age group consisting of about 120 participants! If you or anyone you know is interested in trying a Spartan Race, she will be doing another race in October – and I, along with a few others around here, will be by her side cheering her on and challenging ourselves.
Congratulations Kimberlee on your Journey to Extraordinary – living your life to the fullest and never letting anything get in your way!
