{"id":249180,"date":"2021-07-15T18:47:38","date_gmt":"2021-07-15T23:47:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=249180"},"modified":"2021-07-15T14:08:38","modified_gmt":"2021-07-15T19:08:38","slug":"man-down-syndrome-purpose-community-crossfit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/man-down-syndrome-purpose-community-crossfit\/","title":{"rendered":"Man with Down syndrome finds purpose and community with CrossFit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A young man with Down syndrome has found an incredible community, thanks to the local CrossFit gym.\u00a0Nevin Smith, 31, started working out at CrossFit The Challenge in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, five years ago. And in the beginning, it wasn’t easy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he first started it was really a challenge,\u201d Andrea Janzen, co-owner of the gym, told KCRG<\/a>. \u201cHe had a hard time comprehending, and just executing most basic movements. Over time, [he was] just be able to pick stuff up, get more confident.\u201d What helped was Smith’s determination; he never missed a workout.<\/p>\n

One of his coaches and the other co-owner of the gym, Coco Janzen, said Smith is never hesitant to try a workout, no matter how hard it might be. \u201cOther people see him pushing. It is contagious,\u201d she said. \u201cI mean, if he can do it, there\u2019s no excuses for anyone to not even try.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smith even competed in the CrossFit Open in the adaptive division, finishing third in the U.S. and fifth in the world.<\/p>\n