When Ellie Bamber first walked into CrossFit SCL, she wasn’t thinking about competing on an international stage.
Ellie was born with a lower limb impairment, that caused issues with her mobility. Following an operation on her legs, that would improve her mobility, she was looking for a way to rebuild her strength.
Around two years ago, she moved to Salford, just around the corner from the box and decided to give CrossFit a go.
“I’d just had an operation on my legs and joined the box as a way to get stronger and help with my recovery following surgery.”
It was a very different experience from her earlier relationship with sport. Ellie had been a swimmer as a junior, but had gone through a period where she had lost interest in swimming and fitness.
“I’d got to a point where I’d really gone off swimming and fitness and I felt like I was sort of just exercising for the sake of exercising.”
CrossFit changed that.
Not long after starting, Ellie was introduced to the world of Adaptive CrossFit.
“When I first got into CrossFit, I didn’t know that disability competition within the sport was a thing. But someone from another gym told me about the Adaptive CrossFit Games, so I signed up. It was a way of getting back into competition after stepping back from competitive swimming. It gave me something to work towards.”
What followed was a rapid progression from someone finding her feet in the gym to competing against some of the best adaptive athletes in the world.
The format of the Adaptive CrossFit games was three rounds of qualifiers, followed by the semi-finals. The semi-final was held online, with athletes filming themselves completing the prescribed workouts and submitting their performances for scoring.
Ellie finished 11th in the semi-finals. The top 10 athletes qualified for the finals, but when one competitor dropped out, Ellie was offered the opportunity to take their place.
Although it was an unexpected development, it was such a unique opportunity, Ellie felt like she couldn’t let it pass her by. Suddenly, she was heading to San Jose for her first in-person competition.
“Early on it was all quite improvised. I was borrowing people’s grips and all sorts. To go from that to the Adaptive Games in less than a year has been such a whirlwind.”
The Adaptive Games were a completely new experience.
Not only was it Ellie’s first in-person competition, but she was competing against some seriously experienced athletes.
“There were some really impressive athletes. One was a former Paralympic rower!”
It was nerve-wracking, but what struck her most was the atmosphere.
“There was strong competition, but the whole thing was so friendly and welcoming.”
The competition itself was anything but easy.
Over three days, Ellie completed two workouts each day, pushing her body further than she ever had before.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired in my life.”
But alongside the exhaustion came some major personal breakthroughs.
One of the workouts included double-unders; something Ellie had thought she would never be able to do.
“I didn’t think I could do those, so I was so pleased when my reps were counting.”
“When I first started CrossFit I couldn’t skip at all. Chris started me just on small jumps over a rope on the floor and then, in July at the Games, I was able to complete those double-unders in competition!”
For Ellie, it was proof of just how much progress is possible when exercise is made inclusive and you are able to work at your own pace.
The physical progress is only part of what CrossFit has given Ellie.
She remembers hating PE at school, where there was often little flexibility in what she was expected to do.
“It’s difficult to be different, but since finding CrossFit and adaptive CrossFit I have found something that can be adapted to me and something that I can be good at. I think my school PE teachers would be surprised if they found out what I was doing now!”
That sense of achievement has had an impact well beyond the gym.
“The confidence I’ve gained from being able to do things I never thought I would has given me much more self-belief in other areas of life.”
For Ellie, that is one of the biggest benefits of adaptive CrossFit.
“The nature of CrossFit is very much to give things a go, adapt skills to where you’re at, and have an aim to work towards. The more you do, the stronger you get, which really helps with my disability and makes day-to-day things easier.”
The people around her have played a huge role too.
“What I like about this box? The people are amazing.”
She also credits Chris with helping her develop, particularly his focus on adaptation, technique and making sure movements are performed correctly.
“The sessions are always really challenging and you always get a good workout. I need that. I’m one of those people. I want to feel like I’ve had a good workout! But, Chris will help and support you too, he’s always really focused on technique and making sure you complete the exercises correctly.”
And the welcoming atmosphere isn’t something Ellie keeps to herself.
Her partner had never done CrossFit before and was initially anxious about coming along. After Ellie brought him to the box a few times, he was won over.
“He just loves it! He trains here now. Sometimes even when I am not coming”
The flexibility of the timetable has also made it easy to fit training around work, while the workouts themselves provide a welcome release after a difficult day.
“It’s so great to get in the gym and just throw some weights around.”
After finishing 8th at the Adaptive Crossfit Games, and improving on her semi-final qualification position in the process, Ellie has plenty more goals to chase.
She plans to compete in the adaptive category at the forthcoming Rainhill Trials Adaptive Classic.
“I’m excited to be able to compete in person a little closer to home” says Ellie.
And there are personal goals too.
“I’m aiming to be able to do an unassisted pull-up. I’ll get that soon hopefully!”
For Ellie, one of the great things about CrossFit is that there is never really a finish line.
“You can never really ‘finish’ CrossFit, so there’s always a goal. There’s always something else you can work on. Even if you don’t have a competition coming up, that’s really motivating”
She is planning to work hard through the autumn, with the aim of being in the best possible shape for the Adaptive CrossFit Games qualifiers next year to see if she can improve on this year’s performance.
“I think CrossFit really is for everyone. Not everyone can do everything, but every workout can be scaled up or scaled back, and everyone has been on their own journey. There’s no expectation that yours has to look the same.”
Her own journey is perhaps the best example of that.
She started with borrowed equipment and small jumps over a rope.
A year later, she was completing double-unders in San Jose, and finishing eighth in the world at the Adaptive Games.
And it seems like Ellie is just getting started!
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