In this video, Rommel Cinco describes his personal journey with CrossFit, and Madeline and Jimi Letchford share what he means to the community at Cinco CrossFit in Ladero Ranch, California.
Cinco was the first member to join the Letchfords at their new box. He recalls coming in for the first time and seeing "guys going up and down the rope like spiders."
He almost walked out but instead started coming every day. Now he's the "spirit of the gym," and he provided the inspiration for its name.
Being part of his local CrossFit community became even more important for Cinco when he was diagnosed with aggressive metastasized lung cancer that had spread to his brain. His doctors gave him four weeks to live. That was 18 weeks ago.
Cinco recounts an ongoing debate: "The doctors and my wife think ... I'm fighting cancer and I need to save my energy to fight cancer, and my response is, ‘I'm fighting cancer. I need to be as strong as I can to fight cancer.'"
He adds: "That's what CrossFit is doing for me. It's making me stronger to beat this thing."
His battle hasn't gone unnoticed by those who train beside him.
"For our community, he's been such a source of emotional strength," says Madeline Letchford. "He's a fighter."
Video by Jordan Gravatt
15min 39sec
Additional reading: "Exercise Is the Drug" by Chris Cooper, published Dec. 8, 2015.
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