I thought it was very, very important because there wasn't really any representation at all in the cross the community.

And I was one of those kids growing up in the sport, like I knew I was gay and I like didn't have anyone to look up to I didn't have anyone

to like this person's doing it like I can too. So like a big reason why I decided to

post it I just I want to like inspire people and like I wanted other kids and other people who are going through the same thing to realize that I'm the same person I'm the same person that I was when I was like posting all the crazy gymnastics videos and I was the same person that I was like posting all the crazy gymnastics videos.

I was the same person then when I qualified for the Cross Fit Games and like yeah it

definitely took a lot of courage and like it was something I had wanted to do for a while and I think moving to New York and just surrounding myself with friends and with people who like 100% supported me and kind of like it's normalized in New York City you know like it's

yeah people aren't afraid of and it just like just took took time in that environment

for me to realize that like it could have such a positive impact on other people's lives and just like was a huge weight

really like off my floors too.

Hello and welcome to pursuing health. I'm Dr. Julie Puche, family physician and

former cross-the-games athlete. Here I bring you information and

inspiration to help bridge the gap between fitness and medicine and support your journey toward and

support your journey toward your healthiest self.

In this episode, I sit down with Cross-Vigames athlete Alex Smith.

Now, Alec has been a staple in the sport since his first regional's appearance in 2013

and he first started doing Cross Fit alongside his brother Ben Smith who you may know as the 10 times

Cross Fit Games athlete and legend in the sport.

Alec is known for his expertise in gymnastics,

as well as for being one of the first openly gay male

athletes in the sport.

Alec competed as an individual at the Cross-Fig 2017 and 2018 and then took second place at the CrossFit Games on Team Crossfit

Krypton in 2019. And in this conversation we talk about some of his favorite competition moments, as well as how after a year or two of struggle and

...