Growing up, I believed in the girls on magazines, the facade that in order to be beautiful, you needed six-pack abs, large breasts, large butt, small waist, and still look dainty and cute. Not once did I ever see a muscular girl on the cover of any magazine. I thought muscles and strength were for boys because society never taught me any different.

I had always had a very athletic build (thanks, genetics), and this made it a lot harder for me to fit into the standards that society had laid out for me, which brought on a lot of insecurities at a young age. It isn't much of a confidence booster when you have to wear women's jeans at age 12 because your legs are too muscular for the pre-teen sizes. No matter how hard I ran, or how many sit ups I did, I could not escape the way I was built. And I never accepted it — until I found crossfit.

I had been involved in strength and conditioning training for almost two years before I found Crossfit, but I had barely lifted heavy weights for fear of gaining muscle. I really was only doing it for the cardio aspect. My first crossfit class at my local Box (gym) was a real eye opener. There were a ton of women there ranging in age from 16-50, lifting weights that I had never imagined that women could lift. I'm talking about weights into the hundreds and 200. And they didn't look bulky! They were toned, with defined arms and legs, muscular backs and huge smiles on their faces. These women inspired me and showed me that I could be strong, and still be feminine. They pushed me to lift heavier, run faster, stay longer and work harder.

As time went on, my family and I moved to a different crossfit Box, where I was introduced to even more kick-ass women who continue to inspire me every day. I started to finally get the hang of lifting and crossfit in general. I started to hit new personal bests on my lifts. I became stronger, faster, more agile and very, very happy. I began to notice some significant changes in my physical appearance. My back was very defined, my legs were more muscular than usual, my arms were bigger and I started to get abs! For the first time in 18 years, I finally learned what it felt like to love my body wholeheartedly.

Crossfit has given me the ability to love myself and my body in spite of what the social norm may be. It has allowed me to meet and talk with inspiring women every day who show me that it's OK to be strong. It has given me a thrill every time I lift a heavier weight and achieve a new personal record. It has allowed me to be the "crossfit girl" around my school, who won't let a boy tell her that she's weak. Crossfit continues to show me every day that strength knows no gender, that there is beauty in being strong and that it's OK to love yourself as you are.