The Story of Team CFCH

by Teresa Trojanowski

The journey of Team CFCH has not unfolded quite the way that we had all planned…..but it’s purpose has and always will be the same.

When the members and coaches of Team CrossFit Central Houston sat down in December of last year, we agreed that the purpose of this team was one greater than participating in a fitness competition. While qualifying for Regionals or for the CrossFit Games would be an incredible accomplishment and honor, we determined that the goals of this team would be to 1) glorify God through any gifts we had or circumstances presented, and 2) serve one another over ourselves. We felt that they fell completely in line with the core values of CrossFit Central Houston, which are : Relationships, Excellence and Integrity.

As this year’s Open neared a close, the team was seated in 6th place - a spot that would qualify us to move forward to Regionals. However, we also recognized that one of the team members had not met the attendance eligibility requirements outlined by CrossFit. The extremely emotional and heartbreaking decision was made that we could not move forward with integrity, knowing that the standards had not been met.

We contacted CrossFit HQ to petition an exemption, but it was denied, and the male team member’s scores were removed. After his scores were pulled out, Team CFCH was ranked in 10th place - still in a qualifying spot to advance to Regionals….but was now going to need a second male team member. The team requested that Phil be the athlete to step up and fill in the roll, and join Camzin, Teresa and Greg in representing CrossFit Central Houston.

As you can imagine, a bond forms amongst those who train, compete and spend so much time together. Eight months of practicing together, traveling to competitions, spending time with one another’s families and building trust together forms a strong relationship. The decision to self-report a disqualification of a dear friend was tear-filled and disappointing. Ultimately, however, the team felt led to uphold the values of CrossFit Central Houston, rather than do something dishonest to get ahead.

That being said, Team CFCH is absolutely thrilled to be moving forward and compete together at the South Regional in Salt Lake City. Regardless of what the scoreboard says at the end of the weekend, our purpose there remains the same: to honor God, and to represent this community and it’s values to the best of our abilities.