Beyond The Box w/Grant

Finding His Pace

Grant was diagnosed with ADHD and high-functioning autism around the age of five. Growing up, sports were always a challenge for him. Team sports were especially hard, and he often struggled with feeling like he fit in with the other kids.

Around age ten, I enrolled Grant in a kids CrossFit class, and that was when we first started to see his confidence grow. CrossFit gave him a place where he could focus on himself, get stronger, and see what he was capable of. It was one of the first times I really saw him start to feel confident in an athletic setting.

In middle school, Grant found track and discovered his love of running. He had finally found a sport that clicked for him, but he still didn’t really see himself as one of the “athletic kids.” He loved running and worked hard at it, but he still wasn’t sure that was where he belonged.

High school started to change that. Grant began spending his summers training at Defiant CrossFit while also participating in summer track programs. CrossFit continued to build his strength and confidence, but the mentorship and friendship he found with Marcus really made a difference. Marcus believed in him, pushed him, and helped him start seeing himself as an athlete.

His high school track coaches and Texas Select coaches have continued to build on that confidence. They have challenged him, encouraged him, and helped him see what he is capable of. All of these coaches have played an important role in his journey, but Marcus and CrossFit helped build that foundation and gave Grant a place where he felt like he belonged.

For years, Grant struggled with feeling like he fit into the athletic world. Now he doesn’t have to wonder if he belongs there. He knows he is an athlete, and more importantly, he finally feels like one. As his mom, watching that confidence grow in him has meant more to me than any race, time, medal, or finish ever could.

-Grant’s Mom, Sherry