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Some sessions stay with you for reasons that have very little to do with the workout itself.
As part of Mental Health Week, we had the opportunity to welcome residents from Fondazzjoni Suret il-Bniedem to CrossFit Martell for a specially designed team session.
Fondazzjoni Suret il-Bniedem is a Maltese non-governmental organisation providing support and accommodation to people experiencing homelessness, social vulnerability and mental health difficulties.
When we started planning the session, we knew one thing: we didn’t want people to walk into the gym and feel like they had to prove anything.
No CrossFit experience required.
No pressure to keep up.
No expectation of being “fit enough.”
We just wanted them to have a good hour.
We created a team workout using simple, accessible movements that could easily be adapted to different abilities. There were bikes, dumbbells, kettlebells, squats, ring rows, sit-ups, push-ups and plenty of teamwork along the way.
But the movements weren’t really the important part. What mattered was making sure everyone could participate.
Some people were more confident than others. Some movements needed adjusting. Some people needed a little more explanation or encouragement. And that is completely normal.
It’s actually one of the things we love most about coaching. A good workout shouldn’t demand that everyone arrives at the same level. The workout should meet the person where they are.
Walking into a CrossFit gym for the first time can be intimidating even when you’ve chosen to be there. There’s equipment you may have never used before, movements you don’t recognise and people around you doing something completely unfamiliar.
So seeing the group gradually settle in was probably our favourite part of the session.
People started encouraging one another. There were laughs between stations. Teams worked things out together. And little by little, what began as a room full of unfamiliar equipment simply became a group of people moving together and enjoying the experience.
That was enough.
A few days after the session, we received a message from the coordinator at Fondazzjoni Suret il-Bniedem. She told us that throughout the week, the residents were still talking about the workout.
“The residents were talking about the session along the week. They are so happy… it was the first time for us doing it and we are so happy to hear that they liked it. They want to say a big thank you to both of you!”
That message meant a lot to us.
When you organise something like this, you hope people enjoy the hour. You hope they feel comfortable, have some fun and leave with a positive experience. But hearing that they were still talking about it days later made it even more special.
For some of the residents, this was their first experience of something like CrossFit. They walked into an unfamiliar gym, tried movements they may never have done before, worked alongside one another and gave the whole thing a chance.
And apparently, they took a little piece of that experience home with them. That’s probably the part we’ll remember most.
We’re incredibly grateful to Fondazzjoni Suret il-Bniedem for trusting CrossFit Martell to be part of their Mental Health Week. And an even bigger thank you goes to everyone who came through our doors, stepped into an unfamiliar environment and gave the session a chance.
You brought fantastic energy into the gym, and it was genuinely a pleasure having you with us. We hope you left a little tired, hopefully smiling, and with a good memory from the day.
For us, it was certainly one of those sessions we’ll remember.
Thank you for spending it with us.
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