Shout-out - Krystal Cantu

Krystal Cantu is a force to be reckoned with. Crossfit may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for Krystal, it's been her driving force, and has helped her find an outlet for her passion -- her passion for finding and exceeding her own limitations, as well as her passion for inspiring others to push themselves to do more.

"Every day I get stronger and every day I prove to myself that the human body is an amazing thing when you have the right mind set."

It has also given her an excellent opportunity to help CrossFit grow and adapt to the needs of members with different physical needs.

Krystal started Crossfit several years ago, drawn to it as a way to extend the positive feelings she'd experienced as she trained for and completed her first Tough Mudder race. She joined the local club and began working out five days a week. She was even inspired to compete in a CrossFit competition.

Then, tragically, a few weeks before that competition, she and her boyfriend were involved in a terrible car crash in which her right arm was so damaged most of it had to be amputated.

Even the loss of her arm couldn't stop her from participating in CrossFit, even though it did slow her down for a minute or two.

"As soon as I saw my arm, the CrossFit competition was the first thing that ran through my mind. It killed me knowing I wouldn't be able to compete, but I was so grateful to still have my life."

“I was really upset that I couldn't work out until the stitches were out.”

About a month after her amputation, she was back in the gym, figuring out how to adapt the tough CrossFit workouts so she could do them on handed. She's connected with other CrossFit athletes who have similar amputations, and come up with technique of using a strap to connect her right shoulder to the row machine and switched up her position on her snatches.



Three months after her amputation, she was invited to participate in the Working Wounded Games, the flagship event of the Crossroads Adaptive Athletic Alliance.

She hasn't taken a break since then. She's proud of the fact that she's stronger now, with only one arm, than she was before the crash. Sure she's had some set-backs, but she's become a kind of expert at adaptation.

And with that kind of stubborn determination, I imagine she'll be going strong for a long while now. If you'd like to tap into her motivation, you can follow her on Instagram.

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