Stronger Together (by Coach Marshall)
In the wake of our sudden separation from CrossFit, it is in our hearts to not address each of you formally, but rather as our friends, and neighbors, our doctors, our defenders, and law enforcement.
You are accepted here, and more importantly you are respected here. Each of us leads a different life, job, has a different family, and the sum of all of our differences is what creates unity among us. We support forward thinking and the hope that one day our community can share in experiences and not cower from what’s uncomfortable. Instead we’ll stand up for what’s right. We do not condone violence toward anyone. That means we do not condone police violence, looting, abuse, hate, or anything but the acceptance of our neighbors for who they are, and working together to create a meaningful future - one where we are stronger together.
For today, we must love on our black communities because it is clear injustice is present and alive in the fiercest ways. We will rally just as we have for pancreatic cancer, just as we have for our brothers and sisters who protect our country, just as we have our lgbtq+ communities. In step with the same love that compelled us to act then, we will act to support our black community and anyone else who stares evil in the face. We love our leaders, our protectors in blue, and our family! We hope you will stand with us.
We are heartbroken for our divided nation. For us to overcome this adversity as a community, It is important that we highlight our values for you.
We value each other: We are stronger together. The gym has become a place where friendship and fun are evident, and a genuine and powerful respect for all members, coaches, newcomers, and families is felt by just about everyone who walks through the door. It’s a place where you're proud to call each person your “Friend from the Gym”.
We value being together: Much of this thought comes in part of Petram’s humble beginnings and the original hope that our gym would become the 3rd Favorite place (with Home and work assumably being one and two). This idea mustered up feelings of eagerness and desire to continue to be a part of something great to support and be supported, to invest in something and/or someone that invests back.
We value the opportunity of being better tomorrow: A person can get the ingredients for growth anywhere, but the growth we seem to see happen at Petram is more than that. It’s more than PRs. It’s more than getting a better WOD time. This feeling of growth is one of both introspection and observation. It is the ongoing growth and the feeling that comes with seeing ourselves bettering, and transmitting the positivity out into the environment around us and seeing that positivity reproduce.
Our vision is to create a space where fitness, friends, and fun is inevitable. Naturally, when we let love win, when we listen, and when protect each other, these three things will follow.
This message hits home for me. I come from a mixed race family. A black father, white mother, a half-brother (white) half-sister (black) and two siblings (mixed like me). I love my family. I never understood the fear or concerns my mother had about how we might be treated because we are mixed. My dad had always been respected (if you’re a part of the club… if you know you know.. he just beams light) and everyone who knows him loves him. I’d literally be states away, and we would run into someone who is my dad's best friend. For real, no matter their color or nationality or orientation. Why did I ever have to fear, race wasn’t an issue. Until I saw it, and as I continue to see it. I know why now. This stuff is HARD! It is real. I’m half black and it’s hard for me to even get it! So if you’re struggling, it’s ok. The best thing anyone can do first is listen actively and openly. No one is saying you have to agree about everything, but when it matters, we have to work together. United we stand, we are stronger together.