The Thank You Blog

What a year!

First of all, I want to thank you, my fans, for following my Quest for 2013. I am excited that this year, I can conclude this with a happy ending, as it sure was a pisser writing the conclusion to the Quest for 2012.

I grew a lot in 2013. I stayed the same height but I am pretty sure I was a beefcake by CrossFit Games time. Ha! Back to being serious… As an athlete, I became aware of what it means to compete and to give full effort in my endeavors. I learned to control what I can control and, for the most part, let go of what I cannot. It is still a work-in-progress but this clarity was undoubtedly embedded into my psyche by CJ. And that has made all the difference. (Yes, that’s Frost.)

As I alluded to in a previous post, my success isn’t mine alone. It is the product of my entire support system, dubbed the Kinney Pit Crew (KPC). Each individual deserves to be recognized for his/her contributions to my Quest for 2013. Unfortunately, this cannot be an exhaustive list. It’s like the acceptance speech where you forget to thank someone who was pivotal in your journey. To them, I offer my sincerest apologies in advance.

Well, here it goes any way…

Mom,

Thank you for being my biggest fan. You’re like the biggest fan of all. Even though others claim they’re my biggest fans, I’m pretty sure that you take that prize. Thank you for thinking that I am the best CrossFitter to ever walk the Earth. Thank you for always getting mad at me for “working out too much.” Thank you for getting mad at CJ for making me “workout too much.” Thank you for being genuinely pissed that I trained immediately before all my Open events. Thank you for believing that every rep I ever completed was a good one and that the judge was clearly blind or not paying close enough attention. Thank you for the Friday lunches to break from my time at the gym. Thank you for all the Sunday dinners with ample supplies of great food, beer, cheesy poofs, and desserts. (I hesitate to reveal that nutritional secret of mine; but you guys deserve it if you’ve made it this far with me.)

Dad,

Thank you for instilling in me such a strong work ethic. I constantly try to be the best I can be and never settle for any level of achievement regardless of my successes. “It’s only pain,” after all. Thank you for not coming to Regionals. You are bad luck there.

Amy,

Thank you for dealing with my “crazy” and always being supportive of me regardless of how ridiculous I was acting. You got to see it when it got ugly, really ugly. You got to ride the volatile roller coaster of Games training with me and I know it wasn’t always enjoyable. Perhaps, you found humor in my behavior. Thank you for picking up food or coffee or whatever I felt that I desperately needed at the time and bringing it to the gym. I am incredibly fortunate to have you there for me. Thank you for believing in me.

Robby,

Thank you for supporting my dreams, my dreams of owning an affiliate and competing at the CrossFit Games. CrossFit Chickasaw has been life changing to say the very least. I’m more thankful for that conversation at Republic than you could ever know. Thank you for all the breakfast and coffee dates. My coffee consumption habits feel normal around you. Thank you for being a coach to me as well.

Maria,

Thank you for being the voice on my shoulder that never let me give up. Thank you for pushing me to compete and thrive. Thank you for all the positive and inspirational texts, emails, pictures, and conversations. Sending me to Summer Crush was such a decisive and significant event that turned me around. You believed in me more than I did which made a huge impact on my Quest, if not allowing for the formation of it.

CJ,

Dude… thank you! Thank you for taking a chance with me as your athlete. I am honored to have you as my coach and lucky to have you as a friend. Thank you for every minute you spent programming for me. Thank you for flying to Columbus, OH to coach me at Regionals. I’m not sure that you understand how much it meant to me to have you there. I have learned so much about myself and about true victory under your wings. This, too, has been life changing. Thank you for showing me what it means to be part of the Invictus family. You and the Sea of Green are an extraordinarily supportive group who were not only crucial in my qualifying for the Games but also my success at the Games. Lastly, thank you for the celebratory hug in the athlete warm-up area once the final Games’ standings were announced. I will never forget that moment!

            CrossFit Chickasaw Tribe,

Thank you for your unending support throughout my Quest. Even at the beginning of the Open when you were new to the concept of the CrossFit competitive season, you were still there in full force to cheer for me. As the Open weeks passed, it humored me to have fewer and fewer people participate in the Open workouts with me and more and more fans that just wanted to watch me. That was a cool little phenomenon to see unfold. Thank you for the incredible and surprising send-off to Regionals and Games. Your actions were very moving, as you may have noticed. Thank you to Amy, Robby, Josh, Amanda, Christine, Sarah, Carley, Maria, and Chris who all made the trip to Carson, CA to watch me compete at the Games. Thank you for the Games after-party at Local where I couldn’t keep a beer or shot out of my hands. I paid dearly for that night, but it was well worth it. Thank you to the coaching staff (Chris, Alan, Hunter, Gavin, and Josh) that helped cover classes for me so that I could train and focus all my energy on my Quest.

I could not have done this alone. Period. These are the people with whom I share my 8^th place 2013 CrossFit Games finish. Not only did I achieve my Quest for 2013, I represented my crew, the KPC, to the best of my ability. I hope that I made you proud. Love you guys.

Taking it all in after Cinco 1 & 2