SEE HER BE HER

Hi, I'm Marina!

I’m a nutritionist and holistic wellness enthusiast based in Palmerston North, New Zealand.

I have always loved being active. Growing up, I enjoyed participating in a range of sports. From netball and equestrian, vaulting to hockey and cheerleading, each activity expanded my appreciation for how incredible our bodies are created to function.

At the age of 15, a diving accident left me paralysed from the chest down, which drastically altered the course of my life. I spent nine months in a spinal hospital followed by many years of rehabilitation and activity-based therapy. Through the constant, endless support of others, and by God’s grace, I slowly learned to function again.

As a quadriplegic, being active looks quite different than for most people. It requires more planning and more intention to reach even just a basic level of movement consistently, because the daily default tends towards inactivity, assistance, and being sedentary.

In my typical week, I attend four CrossFit classes and complete two to three home workouts, which consists mainly of electrical muscle stimulation and dumbbell exercises. I also try to get outside, go for prayer ‘walks’, and look for little ways to move as much as possible. I mostly need assistance to be able to be active, which is why I am incredibly grateful for my friends, family, and support workers who assist me in being active, and who help me manage pain and spasms through many hours of stretching and care.

Movement is so much more to me than mere ‘fitness’. Movement is how people express themselves, interact with others, and experience the world. The more I get to move, the more I get to experience. For me - movement is both the most effective pain relief and it also brings me deep joy.

Movement and being active in any way possible is such an incredible gift - something we far too easily take for granted. Taking action and doing what I can to maximise my wellbeing is important to me, not just personally, but ultimately because I want to live well in order to love and serve God and others well.

In February last year, I began attending CrossFit classes at CrossFit MANA. They were incredibly welcoming, and super keen to adapt whatever was needed in order to remove any barriers that may have kept me from participating. Their kindness and eager inclusivity blew me away.

Shortly after starting, I had the opportunity to compete in the CrossFit Open alongside other quadriplegics worldwide. This led me to compete both at Torian Pro in Brisbane, and at the Adaptive Crossfit Games in Texas. CrossFit has challenged me in new ways, and has grown both my strength and skills, greatly affecting my daily life. Not only does it help me physically, but being active, whatever that may look like, greatly influences my mental health as well.

I am overwhelmed by the amount of encouragement I have received since starting Crossfit. The community is my absolute favourite part. I also find a lot of joy in CrossFit, not moving with a focus on changing my body or ‘recovering’, but simply focused on savouring the gift, easing discomfort, cheering others on, challenging my limits, and eagerly awaiting the day when I will have a new, painless body. Truly fit. Finally able. Fully free.

If you are thinking about being more active, I would encourage you to start small, stay consistent, and find something that you enjoy! There are so many ways to be active. Whether that is through doing some stretches on the floor, getting outside, joining a sports team, dancing, or trying your first CrossFit class! If you have the opportunity to move, please receive it with open hands, savour it for the gift that it is, and share it with those around you.

‘Fitness’

Fitness is a good thing,

But fit for what? You see,

May be fit to lift a dumbbell,

But can we get down on our knees?

Stewarding a body well

May physically be seen,

But am I fit for serving others,

Or is my fitness just for me?

Do I merely strive for strength,

That vanishes with time?

Or do I strive to speak the truth,

Be bold, and yet be kind?

A mighty grip is well and good

But can you tell me this

When enemy’s not flesh and blood

What use will be your fist?

- Marina