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'Texas Strong' event combines health and philanthropy
Yoga and CrossFit enthusiasts showed off their strength at Ross Middle School’s Texas Strong event Saturday morning, but it had nothing to do with muscles and flexibility.
Athletes of all levels and ages came together on that day to show the power a united community can have in providing help for those affected by recent natural disasters.
“Our students came up with this fantastic idea to bring people together,” said RossFit coach Bobby Macias. “We had been watching Channel 1 together and saw the devastation in Houston and they wanted to do something to help.”
Texas Strong drew hundreds of community members including students from other EPISD campuses to join with the school’s RossFit program and their partners in education Get Lifted and Casa de Yoga. Burges, Chapin, Wiggs, Henderson, Terrace Hills and MacArthur students participated in the event, bringing in a mountain of non-perishable items for victims of Hurricane Harvey.
A community event to showcase the RossFit program and its fitness partners was already in the works, so the students decided to combine the two efforts.
RossFit, an afterschool program funded through the Army Youth Program in Your Neighborhood, teaches students CrossFit-like movements that build their strength and endurance. Macias and his students are proud of the success of RossFit and wanted to share it with the community.
“Most people think our generation is kind of lazy and couch potatoes and that we’re on our phones all day, so we’re proving the stereotype wrong,” said eighth-grader Noah Casarez.
More than 400 registered for Texas Strong on Eventbrite with 110 students and parents joining for the first CrossFit Workouts of the Day (WODs). Also participating in the event were chiropractor Dr. Patrick Campbell of Airrosti, who offered a workshop on foam rolling, and Evolution Foods, an area meal prep business that provided lunch.
Rain fell on athletes taking part in one of the WODs but it didn’t damper their spirits. They continued their running, air squats, lunges and toes to bar – all exercises which were modified to match the participant’s ability.
“This is a good opportunity to strengthen bonds with other schools and make our district better in general and show we can help each other out in different projects,” said Chloe DuBois, a Chapin High freshman. “RossFit was a big part of my life in 8th grade and I wanted to come back and show support and help other people get the same experience. We also need to show support for the victims of Harvey and show we care about them.”
RossFit made a difference in DuBois’ life, boosting the military-connected student’s middle school experience.
“The best part of RossFit is the comradery and encouragement we give each other,” she said. “Nothing is individual. Even though the workout is individual, we do everything as a team and cheer everyone on.”
Macias sees how RossFit also can be a social emotional learning tool, an extension of EPISD’s SEL initiative to educate the whole child.
“This changes their life because it provides community,” Macias said. “They’re out here doing hard, rigorous, intense workouts and, at the end, everyone feels better. When they come together, you instantly see six graders making friends with eighth graders.”
RossFit has also become especially important for military-connected students new to the campus and those experiencing the deployment of a parent.
“For one hour a day, they put their phones down, come together and sweat together,” Macias said. “It’s a bonding experience. They become instantly family and a lot of them will tell you this is their second home.”