Kupuna

K.C. Stallsmith is the owner of CrossFit AllStar in Waimea, Hawaii. When she first opened the affiliate, she was eager to share CrossFit with her community.

“I felt like I had an opportunity, as well as a responsibility, to introduce it to our community in an important way,” she says, “and that was to allow everyone accessibility to the methodology because truly I think that’s what (Greg) Glassman had in mind. ”

To put her beliefs into practice, Stallsmith coaches athletes up to 100 years old in a “kupuna”—meaning elder—class.

“We are here to help you live better and move better and be healthy and well,” she says.

“As we have proven here, as long as you have a really good coach that’s willing to respect you and meet you where you’re at, that’s what I think makes a truly good experience,” says Karyn Clay, owner of adult daycare Ho’onano Place.

Clay adds: “(Stallsmith) is able to connect with them, heart and soul, and make them smile, and they just love her.”

Stallsmith’s goal is to bring out the best version of her athletes with CrossFit.

“I feel like there’s a lot of people that might be at their age and not willing to try,” she says, “and it’s that willingness at any age that allows us to experience new possibilities, new opportunities for growth.”

3min 50sec

Video by Jon Gilbert and Jay Vera

Additional reading: “Older, Wiser, Fitter” by Marty Cej, published April 3, 2013.