Chica Inspired: Barbells for Boobies

Many of us associate October with Halloween. October is also National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For a disease that affects so many women and touches so many lives, I think it is really important to raise awareness. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women aside from skin cancer. As a woman and a mother of a young tween girl, it is awareness and early detection is key. I just turned 40 this year, so I am scheduled to have my first mammogram. For me, this is just step in my preventive health care, but for those who don't even have health insurance, getting a mammogram might not even be on the top of the list.

That is why last weekend, I, along with my husband, participated in a "Barbells for Boobies" fundraiser sponsored by Anaheim Crossfit to raise money for Mammograms in Action, charity to raise money for women who can't afford to get mammograms. We even brought along Maggie as the cheering section.

First let me explain what a crossfit workout is, if you have never heard of it. Crossfit is a bootcamp-like workout utilizing weights and strength training exercising. Every workout is called a WOD or "workout of the day", and most of them have names, like "Angie" or "Barbara". For instance, the Angie WOD is: 100 Pull Ups, 100 Push Ups, 100 Sit Ups, 100 Squats. Barbara WOD is 20 Pull Ups, 30 Push Ups,40 Sit Ups, 50 Squats, Rest 3 Mins, Repeat All For 5 Rounds.

The WOD for the fundraiser is "Amazing Grace" which is 30 clean-and-jerks as fast as you can. The recommended weight for males is 135 lbs and for females 95 lbs. Let me just say, I have never done a clean-and-jerk in my life, but that didn't stop me. After some one-on-one instruction from one of the other attendees, and making sure my barbell was at a weight I could handle-35 lbs-I powered through the WOD at a time of 4:23 minutes.

I just kept looking at Maggie cheering us on, and that is what fueled me to power through. Being the tween girl that she is, we are in the in-between stage of her being embarrassed of me and still needing me. I can't dance or sing in public anymore but I can still give her a piggyback ride or heal her boo-boos with a kiss and a hug.

All in all, it was an empowering and inspiring day for all. Stephanie Amato, one of the co-owners of Anaheim Crossfit—and one of the strongest women I know— recently lost her mother to cancer just a week earlier. I got a bit teary watching her complete the Amazing Grace WOD. She said she used her mothers spirit to motivate her to carry on and be strong. The event raised over $1000 to go towards Mammograms in Action that day!