A coach isn’t just someone who counts repetitions. A coach is a mental guide, a person who sees beyond your exhaustion, deeper than your doubts, and further than your limits. For Lynell Koolman, the same CrossFit many view as an extreme sport is, at its core, a human language of resilience. A training method that, in its essence, teaches people not only to prepare for the workout of the day but for the challenges of life itself.
LYNELL KOOLMAN
LYNELL KOOLMAN
After 10 years inside the box at RedStarLions (RSL) Sports, he sees the same story repeat itself: people who walk in timid or insecure but walk out proud and confident. “CrossFit, teaches you to reset your mind every day. If you can face a workout of the day, you can face life,” he says.
For Lynell, CrossFit isn’t a sport of punishment, it’s a system of growth. “CrossFit is a mental sport. Every day you’re exposed to something different: strength, intensity, time. It forces you to reset your mind and keep going. In the end, the greatest lesson is that whatever life throws at you, you can handle it.”
If he had to describe CrossFit in one word, it would be: “Empowering.”
“Training your body is great, but when you train your mind and body at the same time, you learn to defeat the thought of ‘I can’t.’ Every day you don’t quit, you build mental strength, and that’s the real victory.”
At RSL Sports, they train both men and women. Many who walk through the doors for the first time come in shy, especially if they’re new to the sport and the community. But as the weeks go by, they realize they can handle more than they imagined. Their self-confidence rises, and for Lynell, that’s the definition of winning. “To me, everyone starts at their own Level 1. There’s no comparison.
Every fitness journey begins at Level 1. Whether you started at age 4 or 18, everyone starts from somewhere. Level 1 could mean being skinny and wanting muscle, or being overweight and wanting to lose weight and tone up. But what stands out to Lynell is this: those who practice CrossFit become so focused on completing the workout of the day that, without realizing it, they level up. “They do their first push ups, their first strict pull ups, their first toes to bar, maybe even hit a new personal record on their back squat. In the process, they prove to themselves that they can do it. That’s winning.”
“To be honest, doing 30 push ups, 30 pull ups, or 30 squats with weights won’t make a woman ‘big’ or ‘manly.’ CrossFit is nothing more and nothing less, than a program that transforms self doubt into self belief. No matter how many setbacks there are, just keep moving. If the workout lasts 10 minutes and you’re tired halfway through, digest the negative thought and keep going. That’s what we call resilience.”
He also addresses another myth, that CrossFit causes injuries or makes you bulky overnight. “CrossFit is a sport that prepares you for the different stages of life. It teaches you not to give up when life throws setbacks your way.”
“As coaches, we know our athletes. We know when they’re at 100% and when they’re not. When someone’s low on energy, we adjust the workout so they can still finish it and feel proud of themselves. The best part? Many times, even if they walk in feeling down, by the end of the workout, they feel so much better.”
“There’s a time to guide, and a time to shout.” A coach’s job is to guide athletes so they can move as safely and efficiently as possible. “We guide calmly, with patience, learning to be resilient ourselves. We stay by your side, giving you tips until we see the movement done right. And sometimes, our job is also to shout, not out of anger, but motivation. ‘Don’t give up!’ ‘You’ve got this!’ ‘Great job!’ ‘Master, bo ta!’ those words can make the difference.”
“If you can sit and stand back up (squat), pick something off the floor (deadlift), place groceries or weights on a shelf (press), climb stairs, or keep up with your kids, CrossFit is for you.”
Getting to know different women in the various ways they live their lives and still showing up for themselves, to me, that’s mastery. There are women who have battled different challenges, and I’ve had to learn to understand all the phases and changes they go through and be present with each moment.
“Don’t wait until you feel ready, just start. CrossFit will show you a version of yourself you didn’t even know existed. A stronger, more focused, determined, and capable version of you. Start and let the journey teach you just how strong you truly are.”
Built with Shorthand