Chaeli Mycroft 
"I have Cerebral Palsy and am a wheelchair user, so therapies and working with my body have always been a part of my life in some way or another. I started doing Crossfit and embracing a more functional fitness-focused mentality about 4 years ago when my friend convinced me to go for a session.
It was the best decision I could have made! It took some time for us (myself and my coach/bio) to figure out how to work together but we found a system that works for us to get the most out of my body. I have learned so much over the last few years about my body and how it works, and how I can make it work for and with me. That's what it's all about, right? Functional fitness. Having a disability and wanting to be active are not mutually exclusive perspectives. It's ok to need to adapt things and do things differently, as long as you arrive ready to put in full effort.
The lessons I learn in the gym are always applicable to life outside the gym - I never really took that seriously until I experienced it for myself.
I think one of the most important lessons I have learned is that of trust. Trust in myself and in my body; believing that it does know what it's doing and working within that belief has changed how I look at and understand my own body. It's always important to bring it back to the basics and build up to your goals slowly but surely.
I can now take this knowledge I have gained about myself and share it with fellow disabled people and work with them towards empowering themselves to have more pride in themselves and their bodies."
