The Beginning: A Barbell and a Goal
I started bodybuilding at 15, originally as a way to get stronger for rugby. What began as a means to an end quickly became a passion, and after school, I set my sights on competing. Between the ages of 21 and 23, I stepped on stage three times — placing 2nd, then 1st, and again 1st.
But over time, I came to realize that bodybuilding is a selfish pursuit. To be truly competitive, you have to sacrifice your health, your social life, and often your mental wellbeing. On top of that, it didn’t really prepare me for life. That’s what drew me to CrossFit — a methodology built around functional fitness, designed to help you thrive in the real world.
Discovering CrossFit in Lockdown
My CrossFit journey began during the COVID lockdowns. I’d heard of it before but didn’t fully understand it. That changed after binge-watching the Fittest on Earth documentaries — the passion, the grit, the athleticism… I was hooked.
As a gym owner, I had access to a barbell, some plates, a few dumbbells, and a skipping rope at home. I started trying to teach myself the basics: cleans, front squats, dumbbell snatches, and the notorious double-unders (which mostly involved whipping myself endlessly).
The First Taste of Real CrossFit
Two months into lockdown, with gyms still closed, my business partner — a former CrossFit Regionals athlete and top 5 finisher in Africa — and I started sneaking into our gym to train. I told him I wanted to give CrossFit a real shot. Without hesitation, he introduced me to Fran — the infamous 21-15-9 thrusters and pull-ups benchmark.
My bodybuilding mobility (or lack thereof) showed immediately. I couldn’t rack the barbell on my shoulders, so it floated a couple of inches below my chin. I only knew how to do strict pull-ups (with some creative kipping near the end). I finished in 4 minutes and 40 seconds… then collapsed, coughing up phlegm and wondering what had just happened to my lungs and soul.
And I loved it. That level of challenge lit a fire in me.
Learning, Failing, Progressing
From there, I started teaching myself everything I could: butterfly pull-ups, handstand walks — anything I could learn from YouTube. When gyms reopened, I finally joined a real CrossFit box and everything accelerated.
The strength base I built through bodybuilding paid off in many ways. I progressed quickly with movements like ring muscle-ups and strict handstand push-ups. My weightlifting improved fast — even if my technique was often a hot mess.
But I was also humbled. During WODs, I struggled to keep up, often outpaced by people with half my muscle mass but double my engine — sometimes even women twice my age. I was carrying a lot of “oxygen-hungry” muscle and not enough fitness.
Stepping Onto the Competition Floor
Still, I kept pushing. I started competing locally. In 2021, I qualified through Battle’s “Hell Week” online qualifier and competed as an individual at The Battle. In 2022, I stood on the podium for the first time at Herd Games. And in 2023, I won my first competition at Fittest in PE.
What Bodybuilding Gave Me — and What CrossFit Changed
Looking back, bodybuilding taught me how to grind. But I only ever enjoyed winning — not the process. CrossFit changed that.
Now, I love the process. I choose the pain of training every day. I get to suffer alongside others, not in isolation. I get support from a community that understands the grind. And I get to express my fitness in a way that feels meaningful.
The Hard Lessons
That said, bodybuilding left some scars — both literally and figuratively. Years of moving poorly under heavy loads led to injuries. My tight, aesthetic-focused muscles weren’t built to endure fatigue, which resulted in strains and tears.
I’ve learned the hard way that there are no shortcuts to sustainable fitness. Moving well must come before moving fast or heavy.
The Ongoing Journey
My transition from bodybuilding to CrossFit has been anything but smooth. But it’s been worth every setback, every adjustment. I’m still learning and growing — not just to become a better athlete, but to be stronger and more capable in life.
