My CrossFit Journey

Some sports don’t enter your life by choice, they find you when you’re searching for something familiar.

 
After stepping away from modern pentathlon for two years, I found myself missing more than just training. I missed the structure, the discipline, and the constant pressure of pushing my limits. I tried to fill that gap in different ways, even running a half marathon during that time simply because I needed a goal, something to keep me moving.

But deep down, I knew I wasn’t just looking for activity.
I was searching for something that felt like home.

Finding CrossFit

In 2021, I found CrossFit.

At the time, I had already returned to structured training, and my coach introduced me to it while I was transitioning from pentathlon. What started as performance training quickly became something much bigger. It became the foundation of who I am today as an athlete.

During that phase, I was introduced to Olympic weightlifting to enhance my performance, and that’s when everything changed. I unexpectedly fell in love with it: the precision, the power, the discipline, and the constant pursuit of mastery. It challenged me in a completely different way.

CrossFit gave me exactly what I was missing. It allowed me to combine Olympic lifting with everything I already loved, running and swimming. Coming from a pentathlon background, that mix felt natural. But while some aspects felt familiar, others pushed me completely out of my comfort zone.

Facing Weaknesses

Gymnastics was my biggest challenge.
It didn’t come naturally. Progress was slow, frustrating, and at times discouraging. Learning new skills at a later stage requires a level of patience most people underestimate. But instead of avoiding it, I leaned into it. Through consistent mobility work, strength training, and repetition, things started to click.

That experience shaped my mindset.
I don’t avoid weaknesses, I build them.

What keeps me committed to CrossFit is that it demands everything from you. There is no comfort in routine. Even in training, no two sessions feel the same. Every day exposes something, physically or mentally, and that constant challenge is what drives me.

Consistency and Lifestyle

Over time, I have learned that consistency is not about motivation. It is about showing up, regardless of how you feel.

Balancing a demanding work life while maintaining high level training has not been easy. But in many ways, CrossFit became my escape. It is the one place where everything else fades away, where I can reset, refocus, and be fully present.

Competing in CrossFit gave me more than just results. It gave me a community, friendships that turned into family. Through national and international competitions, I have met athletes from different countries, built real connections, and shared experiences that go far beyond the competition floor.

That is something I do not take for granted.

Stepping Into Competition

Many people ask how I transitioned from scaled to intermediate, and then to elite. The truth is, I am still in that process. I am still working to prove myself at the elite level internationally. And that is exactly what keeps me moving forward.

In 2022, I made a decision that many questioned. I entered Elfit in the Elite division, my first international competition and the biggest fitness event in Egypt.

I was not fully ready. I had not mastered ring muscle ups. My handstand walk was not consistent. But I was not there to feel ready, I was there to challenge myself.

It started better than expected. I placed second in the first event, a 5K trail run. People were surprised, especially since I was still relatively new to the sport, only a year and a half in.

That moment shifted perception, but more importantly, it confirmed something to me: I could compete.

The rest of the competition tested me in every way, heavy lifts, high skill movements, and unfamiliar pressure. It was humbling. It exposed gaps in my performance, but it also showed me what I was capable of.

My advice? Do not rush it the way I did. It is not easy.
But at the same time, I do not regret it. I embraced the challenge, and it accelerated my growth.

Growth and Progression

My first international competition abroad came next, in Carthage, Tunisia, where I took first place. It was not something I expected, especially considering the challenges I was still facing with certain skills. But it reinforced an important lesson: performance is not about being perfect, it is about adapting.

After that, I shifted my focus to competing across the Middle East, both individually and in team formats. Those competitions were some of the most valuable experiences I have had. They taught me how to handle pressure, adapt to different environments, and perform consistently.

They also played a big role in shaping me, not only as an athlete, but as a coach.

The Elfit 2025 Experience

One of the most defining moments in my journey came during Elfit 2025.

I came into that competition prepared, with clear strategies, structured training, and specific targets for each event. But competition does not always follow your plans.

The day before the event, I got sick.

During check in, I was not feeling well, but I kept telling myself it was not the first time I had competed under less than ideal conditions.

Day one started with a long endurance event under extreme heat. I managed the first part well, sticking to my pace and strategy. But midway through, everything shifted, severe dehydration, nausea, and a spike in body temperature. I felt cold despite the 36°C heat.

At that moment, I had two options, stop or push through.
I pushed.

I missed my target pace and knew it would cost me, but I finished the event, and that mattered.

The rest of the day, I had a fever, but I kept competing. Day two was even tougher, physically and mentally. Every event became a test of resilience more than performance.

By day three, I started to recover. I fought my way back, climbing the leaderboard and securing an event win.

That competition did not showcase my best performance, but it revealed my standard.

I do not step off the floor.

It taught me that not everything will go your way. Sometimes, the hardest competitions are the ones that build you the most.

Current Challenge

Last season was one of growth, multiple national and international competitions, consistent performances, and a deeper understanding of what it takes to compete at a higher level.

And I am still building.

Now, I am facing a different challenge, coming back from a severe ankle injury and surgery.

This phase requires a different kind of discipline, less intensity, more patience, more awareness, more control. It is about rebuilding the right way, without rushing the process.

Because longevity matters.

On Consistency, Burnout and Discipline

Burnout and boredom are part of the process, especially in a sport that is both physically and mentally demanding.

For me, consistency does not come from always feeling motivated. Most days, I do not feel like training.
But I show up anyway.

Because I have learned that discipline will always take you further than motivation.

What keeps me going is my addiction to progress.

Coming from a modern pentathlon background, I have always been driven by challenges, the need to improve, fix weaknesses, and constantly evolve. That mindset is what I carry into everything I do.

Progress is not always visible. It is not always measurable. And most of the time, it goes unnoticed.
But that is what matters most.

There are days when training feels heavy, when every session feels like a struggle. And there are days when it becomes my escape, the one place where everything else disappears.

Both are part of the journey.

You have to be ready to suffer in training.
But more importantly, you have to learn how to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

Not every session will feel rewarding.
Not every phase will show results.
And not everyone will recognize the work you are putting in.

But that is the reality of competing at a high level.

You are not doing it for attention.
You are not doing it for validation.
You are doing it for progression.

And that is what builds real consistency over time.

Final Note

For anyone who wants to compete in CrossFit at a high level:

Build your foundation properly.
Follow a program tailored specifically to you.
Take the time to master the basics before chasing advanced performance.

There are no shortcuts.

And most importantly, earn your level.

I am still earning mine. ✌🏼