Thank you.
Yesterday, after posting about Adaptive Athletes and their desire for competition, novelty, and challenge, I received several emails asking, "How do I get started?"
I've also been fortunate enough to connect with a few Affiliates who HAVE started. This post will serve merely as a conduit between the willing and the enabled.
We've been lucky enough to host several athletes requiring slight modifications to the workouts to participate - notably those with MS and brain injury, but also including others on crutches, in wheelchairs, and with different numbers of limbs.
Our coaches threw together a quick list of some modifications we use, and I've attached it as a Google Doc in hopes of attracting ideas from DBA readers.
Good sources for information include No Excuses CrossFit, home of the legendary Kyle Maynard, and CrossFit Walter Reed, which coaches MANY Adaptive CrossFitters.
Above all else, don't be a 'caretaker.' My favourite quote from CFWR was on Monday's WOD blog:
"Scaling for box jumps should be any height off the ground, even if it’s one inch. Jump on something."
When all else fails, ask the athlete what they think; they'll find a way. They're good at it.
Absolutely! I have been training a wonderful lady with MS for about 8 months, and have seen awesome gains in box jump height, running distance, consecutive single unders, etc. Form is key and safety in every movement and having the athlete help decide how to scale.
Posted by: Justin Havard | 04/27/2012 at 10:25 PM