August 7, 2015
Meet Juan – Education Grant Awardee
“We have the chance to change our cars, change our houses, change our electronics. But the body–we only get one–one body is all you get–so it is our responsibility to get the best out of it and to take care of it like the greatest treasure on earth.” – Juan Maires
Juan applied his Crossroads grant to earn a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer certification. This is the first step for Juan, who is a leg amputee from below his left knee, to become a CrossFit coach.
“I am proud to consider myself an adaptive athlete, and I look forward to helping others in any way I can,” he said. Juan hopes to find a CrossFit coaching opportunity and to work with Paralympic sports organizations to help athletes condition and prepare for competition.
Determined to raise awareness of adaptive people worldwide, he leads by example, pushing himself to improve mentally and physically each day. And he plans to start writing a blog to share his mistakes, his improvements, and his experiences to motivate others.
As an adaptive person, Juan understands the insecurities, the psychology, and the perspective of being adaptive, not only in sports but also in everyday life.
“Now I understand it’s not about being an elite athlete, it’s about starting somewhere and working hard to improve.” When Juan saw a CrossFit workout for the first time in 2012, he wasn’t sure he could perform the intense exercise. Now he wants to coach it.
Juan’s foot was amputated after chemotherapy and drugs failed to resolve a tumor discovered when he was seventeen years old. His primary personal goal is to “keep moving toward fitness and as far away as possible from sickness.”
Juan is from Panama and currently lives in Montreal, Canada.
Story by:
Jeanie Simoncic
Refined Edits
Certified Personal Trainer, NSCA-CPT
www.refinededits.com
