To Witness

September 21, 2021 | By

I recently listened to a podcast where poet David Whyte defined friendship, and this particular soundbite really stood out to me:

“The ultimate touchstone of friendship is not improvement, neither of the self, nor the other. The ultimate touchstone of friendship is witness. The privilege of having been seen by someone and the equal privilege of being granted the sight of the essence of another.” He goes on to add, “A friend knows our difficulties and shadows and remains in sight. A companion to our vulnerabilities more than our triumphs.”

Piggybacking on the concept of doing things for enjoyment versus an outcome – “versus” used here for comparison’s sake; both can exist simultaneously, too – Whyte’s capture of friendship might seem unconventional at first glance. After all, if you’re someone who lives in a performance-based world (um, isn’t that all of us?), how could something along the lines of “inspiring-another-to-be-a-better-person” not be the ultimate touchstone instead?

Make no mistake, performance is meaningful. Striving to meet points of performance as closely as possible is necessary, and what unites us all at DEUCE. It’s why the order for our model of existence reads, in this particular order: PERFORMANCE, then COMMUNITY, then LIFESTYLE. 

What’s at the heart of being addressed here? A reminder: your highest expression of fitness is transcended into your healthiest lifestyle through community.

At our LIFT | RUN | HANG event this past weekend, I observed the entire community engage at what I can only describe as unprecedentedly elevated levels. In a “this-doesn’t-make-logical-sense-on-paper-but-they’re-doing-it-anyway” way.

All this to say, I think I now better understand what Whyte was getting at, and I hope you do too. Fueled by friendship, palpable power exists.

“I see you” for the win…

9/21/21 WOD

DEUCE ATHLETICS GPP

Complete 4 rounds for quality of:

8 Barbell Split Squat (ea)
10 Half Kneeling Dumbbell Overhead Press (ea)

Then, complete 4 rounds of the following for time:

50 Double Unders
10 Burpee + Lateral Jump-to-Plate

DEUCE BACKLOT GPP

EMOM 12
8 Heavy KB Swing + 12 Alt. Lunge Jump

Then, complete 4 rounds for time:

20′ Bear Crawl (10 out/10 back)
12 Athletic Burpees
20′ Bear Crawl
12 Jump Squats
-Rest :60-

Then, complete 4 rounds for quality of:

10 Landmine Press (ea)
12 Low Banded Row (ea)

DEUCE GARAGE GPP

6-6-6-6
Barbell Reverse Lunge (ea)

Then, complete 3 rounds for quality of: 

12 Heel Elevated Goblet Squat
12 DB Zercher Good Mornings

Then, complete 8 rounds of the following for reps:

AMRAP 1
6 Ball Slams
12 Jumping Lunges
24 Double Unders
– Rest 1 Min –

Originally from Northern Virginia, Kimmy is a high-voltage human with a passion for optimal experience. She has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Communication from George Mason University, where she was a two-sport NCAA Division I athlete (soccer & track), and taught communication courses for four years. After college, Kimmy spent a decade coaching and teaching in Virginia prior to moving to California. She is an NLP Practitioner, XPT Level 3 Coach, CrossFit Level 2 Trainer, and was the 2018 Virginia State High School Coach of the Year, where she led her soccer team to a state title in her second year as head coach. Kimmy created and currently runs the Breath & Exposure program at DEUCE Gym. Committed to a lifetime of better understanding human perception, Kimmy is enthusiastic about teaching others how breath, exposure and movement can help them live healthier, more peaceful lives.