“It is your duty to not burn your own house down over anger for an enemy. It is your duty to fortify your own house, so that you may be a house of refuge in times of organization, and now is the time to plot, plan, strategize, organize, and mobilize.
It is time...”
- Killer Mike, Musician & Activist
First and foremost, I want to make it undeniably clear that there is no room in our house for anything but love and acceptance for one another. The community that makes up Infinite Strength is as strong now as it’s ever been, shown by our dedication to protecting the core values and inclusivity we’ve worked so hard to develop for years. This gym serves as a refuge for its members, and as a conduit for a greater message that transcends that of functional fitness. Today, we stand with the Black community in support of those whose voices have not been heard, and specifically address one voice in particular that is currently ripping the CrossFit community apart and still echoes while I write this message.
`
Greg Glassman shook the fitness landscape forever in 2002 when he defined fitness as, “work capacity across broad time and modal domains''. This weekend, he very well may have irreversibly shaken it again. In response to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation’s Twitter post about racism being a public health issue, Glassman commented, “It’s FLOYD-19”, with no explanation or follow-up, coupled with a scathing email made public to a fellow affiliate owner in response to their de-affiliating. This immediately ignited controversy throughout the CrossFit community, causing many brands (including Rogue & Reebok), gyms (including NCFIT & CFNE), and individuals (including Chandler Smith & Noah Olsen) to sever their ties with CrossFit®. In solidarity, others followed suit, pledging their allegiance to drop their sponsorships, cancel their affiliations, and withdraw themselves from competition. We at Infinite Strength fully support these leaders’ prompt and decisive actions.
`
As countless others have touted previously, words mean nothing without action. We have both an opportunity and obligation to show others that CrossFit is bigger than one man’s careless and flippant ramblings. CrossFit is all of us, and CrossFit® will not stand in the way of our ability to lend a hand to those in need, and to help pick up those who have been knocked down. CrossFit - the community and training methodology, and CrossFit® - the brand, are not inextricably linked, and unless there is similar prompt and decisive action on the part of leadership at HQ, Infinite Strength will not be renewing its affiliation.
`
In our house, we reward effort over ability. We make sacrifices today so that we can live in a better tomorrow. We choose the hard way. There is no room in our house for the hateful darkness currently casting a shadow over our nation (and more recently, CrossFit®), but rather than drawing the blinds and closing ourselves off to adversity, it is our duty to be the light and to illuminate a path to those who have lost their way. In the coming weeks and months, CFIS will be doubling down on its involvement in the black community. We will donate whatever time and resources we can muster. If you’d like to get involved, we would love for you to stand beside us. Understand that no contribution is too small, and together we have the opportunity to truly affect change and make this world a better place for EVERYONE.
“Waste no more time arguing over what a good man should be. Be one.” - Marcus Aurelius
Forever Yours in Fitness,
- Coach James
