This past Saturday, our gym did the workout Eva Strong in honor of slain Uvalde teacher Eva Mireles, who was one of the two teachers killed along with 19 students at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on May 24, 2022.

Eva was an avid CrossFitter who regularly attended her home gym Shotgun CrossFit. Her gym designed the partner workout based on her favorite movements, which was as follows:

5 Rounds for time:

24 Double Unders (partners do together)

19 Toes to Bar (split between partners)

2 Clean & Jerks 205/135 (split between partners)

400m Run (partners do together)

The significance of the numbers are 5 for the month of May, 24 for the day she was killed, 19 for the number of students who lost their lives, and 2 for the teachers who lost their lives.

CrossFit is full of hero WODs. Workouts that are created to honor those who are no longer with us. We have them for law enforcement officers, military members, the VA Tech shooting, and now slain teachers. It’s terrible that we have these workouts, but it’s one small thing we can do as a community to honor those we’ve lost. It’s a shared suffering, knowing we’re honoring something bigger than us.

I think it’s one of the things I love the most about CrossFit. On the CrossFit main page and in gyms around the world, they completed Eva Strong on Saturday. We don’t have to personally know the people we’re honoring, but we come together and do it for them. We push ourselves through some of the harder workouts there are to honor them, to remember them, to keep their memories alive.

I know when I coach and I brief hero WODs, I typically end up with tears in my eyes explaining the workout and why we’re doing it, who we’re honoring, and the significance of the numbers and movements in the workout. Knowing the stories and the reasons for the workouts help keep me moving, even when I’m tired or sore or just don’t want to continue moving.

Yes, we have our normal workouts. And yes, we push ourselves in those. But there’s something about a hero workout that just gives you the extra push. That enables you to continue working, especially when you’re working out with other people.

So I’ll continue completing the hero WODs. I’m honored to be able to do them. And if you ever get the chance to do one, do it. And remember the reason why you’re doing it.

Have a great week, y’all.

Whitney