Demonstrators at the Climate Strike in San Francisco. 9/20/19 Photo: Natasia Voynovskava

If you are even the slightest bit on the fence about whether or not global warming is happening, ask a kid. They know what's up and they are doing something about it. Or go to Alaska. I saw it with my own eyes: the Mendenhall Glacier is melting. Fast. The rising temperatures in the world's oceans are causing a ‘perfect storm’ of disaster to entire ecosystems. Off the coast of Northern California where I grew up, the kelp forests are nearing extinction because the warming waters have caused a surge in population of purple sea urchins that feast on the kelp, which in turn has caused the abalone population (which feed on kelp) to diminish. And there is the Great Barrier Reef- where the coral is suffering unprecedented loss due to changing ocean temperatures.

But I digress.

The most bracing scientific fact, the one that is most difficult to swallow, incredibly hard to accept, yet painfully true, is that the CrossFit Open will actually take place in OCTOBER. Which as I write this is less than 3 weeks away.

Over the past 7 years I've gotten used to doing the Open in February. In the dead of winter in the dark and cold it just seems fitting to suffer at that time of year. But now in the early fall, which where I live is actually summer, seems just plain not right. Aside from the fact that I AM NOT READY. I am NOT PEAKED. I’m still recovering from the 2019 Games for Christ’s sake. Okay, that's a different story, but just to quickly catch you up: I had yet another amazing experience at my third consecutive trip to the Games. The highlight as always, was getting to compete with and meet the incredible athletes in my division. With the field of competitors cut to 10 it was extra intense. It also seemed more than ever that us Masters are an afterthought. Like the guy in charge really doesn't care what happens to us. Just like the guy in charge of our country snubs climate change in the face of brutally harsh facts, competitive Masters CrossFit athletes are seemingly barely recognized, and definitely not highlighted.

CFHQ most certainly did not consult with me when they made this horrific change and moved the Open to October. No one asked me. If it WAS up to me, since it wasn't broken I wouldn't have bothered fixing it and everyone would be responsible and take care of our Mother Earth. We would have been recycling and using solar power ages ago. All new cars would be electric and public transportation would be efficient and convenient and we would have quit our single-use plastic addiction by now. Nor was it my choice that the same month my older daughter finally moved out to attend University, my younger daughter decided to move and finish her senior year living with her Dad two and 1/2 hours away. So it's no surprise that I've gone through the five stages of grief with the loss of 3 things I was used to having around: clean air and a cold Pacific Ocean, my children living in my house, and the Open at the end of February.

When it was first announced that there would be two Opens this year. I thought it was a joke, and definitely wouldn't apply to us Masters. How could they do that to us? Cruel and unusual punishment for what crime? Being old? It just couldn't be true. Just like I was having a hard time accepting the fact that my babies were both going to be leaving the house at once and I was entering the empty nest stage of life. I was really struggling with these new changes to my world. I was in denial. The planet isn't going anywhere! Our leaders will fix it! Surely they aren't talking bout the Masters doing the Open TWICE in the same year?!? And my kids would never really leave. Right???

The denial quickly turned to anger. How could anyone be stupid enough to ignore the clear and irrefutable evidence of climate change?!? All the evolving I had done in the past decade disappeared and I was mad as hell at my Ex for taking away my younger daughter. Ooh, and was I PISSED at CFHQ for making all of these dumb changes! HOW DARE THEY!!

But ok- wait a sec, maybe we can work out a deal? I started to bargain in my head. If I committed to carrying around a stainless steel straw with me and not driving my car two days a week, can I still eat meat? How about if I promise to have all the good snacks at home, will my kids stay? What if we don't actually do the Open in October and just say we did?

Sadly I knew it wouldn't work. The Amazon burning drove me to tears. I fell into a funk. Whenever Morning chalk up posted another link to some Open prep program I was filled with despair. The week before both of my daughters left I couldn't sleep I was so sad. Then it hit me. I was going to have to confront the reality in front of me and figure out a way to deal with it. What can I do to possibly make a difference in climate change and how can I survive the second Open of the year AND adjust to the empty nest ALL AT ONCE?!? I had finally arrived in the 5th stage: acceptance.

Have I learned anything in my almost 53 years on this planet, 21 years of being a mom and 11 years of CrossFit? If nothing else it is acceptance. Take a stand and fight for the things I CAN change, control what is in my control, realize what isn't, and let that shit go! It’s about realizing the difference between what is in your control and what is not and what is important enough that you can do something about trying to change. Not just sitting idly by and let something you care about disappear. Because as Greta Thurnberg says “change is coming whether we like it or not”. So what are you going to do about it? It's how you react that counts.

I can get educated and hold myself accountable for my own carbon footprint. I can't make my kids stay little forever and never leave, nor do I really want to. I have caught a glimpse of a full life that comes with an empty nest and my Lulus are no longer mysteriously disappearing!

I have no control over the what Glassman decides to do about the CrossFit Games season, so this one I have decided to let go and accept.

Like it or not, change is here.

The 50-54 Masters Women right after the final event of the 2019 CrossFit Games

Climate Change is Real + the Open is in October