There is a 77-year-old woman in Brookyln that’s stronger than you. Her name is Constance Tillet, she does CrossFit and… we’ve really gotta get back in the game, don’t we?
After years of avoiding exercise and struggling with diabetes, heart failure, high blood pressure and arthritis, Tillet’s son suggested CrossFit. Now, according to CBS News, Tillet is down 50 pounds and taking only a few pills a day, a vast improvement over her previous 60 pills per day.
“People love seeing her. She lights up the room when she comes in,” gym owner David Osorio said.
Osorio has been training Tillet for 10 months and their work dovetails with new research (which also dovetails with common sense): According to a National Institute on Aging study, doctors who followed about 1,600 seniors over a two-year period learned that regular and moderate exercise meaningfully reduced the risk of disability in the elderly.
Tillet says that her CrossFit folks have become her family, and even came with her to bury the love of her life in June.
“When my husband died and the word spread, in my wildest dreams I never thought they would be there with me, and they were there with me to his grave site,” Tillet said. “And they are still with me and they will be with me till I leave here. South Brooklyn CrossFit is my family, my children, and I mean it with the bottom of my heart.”
It’s cool, you can cry now... and then get your ass to the gym!
Contact the author at Hillary@jezebel.com.
Image via CBS.