CrossFit is a way of life. It isn’t something to try one time and move on, at least that’s what junior cross-fitter, Lauren Stollman has found out a year after starting CrossFit 913 in Overland Park, Kan.

“When I started it after the first time I was unsure about how I liked it, but I wanted to try it again so I did. Then I wanted to do it again and again and again,” Stollman said.

Crossfit is a fitness program that targets weightlifting and other types of sports and exercises to create a high intensity workout. The program is designed to prepare their clients with overall fitness so that they are ready for any workout. With crossfit no one knows the workout until the day of the workout. The workout of the day (WOD) is posted on their website every day so that the workouts are always new and exciting. The workouts have not only strengthened Stollman’s body but also taught her how to see herself in another light.

“It has changed the way I think about the body. I have gained so much confidence about my body and I love every part about myself because of it. I see how useful every part of my body is and the importance to keep myself properly nourished so that I can sustain my energy and care for my muscles,” Stollman said.

Though the workouts are challenging and the result are clear, neither are the reason that keeps Stollman coming back; the reason is the community.

“There is a really big community of cross-fitters, and it just feels like a different breed of human. The one thing that keeps me going back is the community because it is so strong,” Stollman said.

Stollman and thousands around the world are dedicated to their crossfit lifestyle. The competitions and the day to day activities teach them to be strong and stay ready for any type of obstacle in life.

“I am so glad I got into CrossFit. It has taught me to have not only physical strength but also mental strength. I rarely look at something in the gym and say ‘I can’t do that,’” Stollman said. “Instead, I put aside negative thoughts and begin to work on whatever it is and I relate that to so many things in life when I feel myself getting stressed.”