“…someday this pain will be useful to you.”  This is the CF Intrepid motto and I’d like to share about a “someday” that I experienced yesterday.

I was walking from my office to my car on the Air Force Base here in El Segundo. It was raining a little and my car was parked in front of the Base’s medical clinic. All of a sudden I hear a woman’s voice ask, “Excuse me, Sir. Can you help me?” in a rather casual tone only about 15 yards away on my right. I look over and see an obese lady standing over a body sprawled out faced down on the wet asphalt in between two parked cars. The body on the ground resembled a dummy the way the limbs were contorted in unnatural positions. Being that the Base often has exercises I anticipated this being an exercise scenario where I’d have to walk an inspector through everything I’d to remedy the situation. However, as I approached I noticed a pool of blood and suddenly realized that this wasn’t part of any training or exercise scenario where everything is staged, but this was a real person, with real blood, and they needed real help!

As I approached I was confused as to why the woman didn’t seem to even be trying to help her elderly aunt off the ground. Her frail aunt had slipped and face-planted into the parking lot and was clearly in pain, but perhaps feeling helpless just stood to the side as I approached. I noticed the aunt had a portable wheelchair and luckily it was assembled; so if I could just pick her up and get her into the chair I’d be able to roll about 150 ft into clinic for medical care. Since she was face down I had to crouch over her and get my hands under arms and around her chest. She was as limp as a wet noodle and was unable to offer any assistance of her own. Once my hands were around her torso I basically deadlifted the poor woman off the ground, slowly turned her around while still holding her up, and sat her into her wheelchair. As I turned her around though, I saw that her face was covered in blood from large gashes on her eyebrow and nose, and her lip was pretty busted up as well and I knew she needed help fast to stop the bleeding.

She was spitting blood and seemed to be in a daze.  Once she was in her chair I had to actively pull her back in order to keep her from falling forward and out of the wheelchair as I pushed. Stuck between two cars, we only made it a few feet toward the sidewalk before I realized a cement parking divider was in our way and we didn’t really have enough space to safely turn around. Gauging her weight from the deadlift earlier I figured the quickest way to get her to help was to pick her up in the chair and manually carry her over the short divider and onto the sidewalk. Luckily my plan worked as I was able to pick her and her chair up and over the divider while keeping her from falling out and set her back down on the sidewalk where it was a smooth roll from there to get her into the clinic and to medical assistance.

Still covered in her blood, my adrenaline rush began to dissipate now that I knew she was in the safe and capable hands of our Base medical personnel.  I found myself contemplating what had just happened…and let’s just say that I’m felt thankful that I CrossFit and lift heavy things on a routine basis. Otherwise I may have felt helpless like the woman who couldn’t lift her injured aunt off the ground when she had to. I also thought about the elderly aunt on the ground who had difficulty supporting her own body weight and it reminded me of Ruth’s post and why we squat and deadlift in the hopes of keeping our independence and mobility into our golden years.

Ultimately, I’m fortunate that I was able to effectively assist the injured aunt to safety, and I am thankful that CrossFit gave me the means and confidence to spring into action when needed. With the prospect of many more “somedays” to come, I experienced first-hand how the patience and toughness we display in our training pays off.  I’ll continue to push my mental and physical limits in the gym so that I’ll be able to answer the next call to action. I urge you to do the same.

WOD 2.10.10

Back Squat 3×5

10,9,8,…1
Burpees
Power Snatches
Sit-ups