Solcana blog

My journey starting CrossFit came about when I decided to apply for a career in law enforcement one year ago. Before then, I didn’t really know anything about the sport. I did a Google search to find a place where I could learn how to use and train on a Concept 2 Rower so that I could pass a physical readiness exam. Thanks to my findings on Google, it lead me to Solcana.

My entire life I have felt restricted in terms of fitness capabilities. I have had asthma since about the age of 4, and anything that resulted in my heart rate rising also came with a tight chest and wheezing. As a child, it was often embarrassing for me. I could never do the activities that all my friends did. I remember playing on a basketball team, and my asthma was so bad that I spent most of the games on the bench cheering on my teammates. I only got to play the required one quarter of each game, where I spent most of my time on the defense side of the court, because running up and down the court to make a goal with my team was too strenuous for my lung capacity. The pain I feel with an asthma flare up completely takes over me, accompanied by a loud voice in my head that tells me I can’t keep going, and I give up. It is also triggered by anxiety; panicking never does an asthmatic person any good.  With asthma, there are good days and there are bad days. Sometimes it’s a mental struggle, and I feel a wall rising between me and my destination. If I can get over this wall before it gets too high, I can sometimes overcome a challenge, where my breathing calms down and I forget about it enough to finish what I started. Often times however, the pain and the voice get to me way too quickly and it’s game over. This kind of mental struggle has been a big problem even through much of my adult life, until I came to Solcana.

When I first started CrossFit, the struggle was so real and the loud voice in my head (the one that always convinced me to quit sooner than I should) was present. I remember looking at a MetCon wondering how was I ever going to get through that. The answer was this: a Solcana coach. For the first time in my life, I experienced someone counteracting the voice inside my head. Someone who wouldn’t let me give up on myself, who knew better than I did what kind of potential I really had. The coaches at Solcana didn’t know what it was like to deal with asthma first hand, but I didn’t hold it against them. Since I was full of self doubt and lacking confidence, having someone encourage me to keep going was exactly what I needed. To learn that the struggle was only temporary. That you really can do something difficult for 7 minutes and survive. Through experiencing workouts with a coach and consistently participating in the workouts week after week, I learned to extend my personal threshold capacity. I’m not saying I didn’t have my rescue inhaler by my side to do it, but I learned that I could take a puff and then keep going. This time last year, the moment I felt pain, I would stop. Now, I push through the time clock.

I became interested in becoming a CrossFit trainer at Solcana because of the impact the coaches had on me. Plus, Solcana has this sense of community I’ve never experienced before. These qualities align with my own desire to work with others. My goal as a new coach is to help others experience what Solcana has done for me: to realize my potential and to feel confident to show up exactly as I am (inhaler in hand.) Now I know that I have the power to take control of my asthma, not let it control what I can and cannot do. You’ll see me show up for CrossFit with my inhaler proudly (if you haven’t already,) because I have learned to embrace it as a part of who I am and I can work through my own pain to the best of my ability. At Solcana, that’s what we do. At the end of each day, I reflect on how grateful I am to be a part of this strong AF community, where we show up and give it all we got, together.

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There 3 responses to “My Story: Solcana Coach Kristina Meanley”


gladys meanley

Well written my love, so proud of you, love you always, Grandma xxx

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Bill Likes

Kristina is an amazing woman and overcome overwhelming obstacles in her life

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John A. (from MD)

Way to go, Kristina! Inspiring!

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