This video “is a complex story about personal transformation, self-discovery and how one man's journey to find a sense of belonging would in essence give him purpose,” producer Torin Simpson explains.
That one man is Nuno Costa, an athlete and CrossFit Level 1 Seminar Staff member who trains and coaches at CrossFit Invictus.
Costa has faced many challenges in his life, including moving from Portugal to the United States at a young age, overcoming alcohol and cocaine addiction, and coming out as a gay athlete when he wasn't sure he would always be accepted.
Costa found CrossFit in 2007 and immediately felt a connection to the sport and a sense of belonging. In 2008, CrossFit Inc. Director of Training Dave Castro encouraged him to take CrossFit's Level 1 Certificate Course, and one month later, Costa earned the credential.
Within a year, he started coaching at CrossFit Invictus, becoming “the anchor that holds everybody together” on their team, according to Costa's teammate Heather Hippensteel.
CrossFit has become an anchor for Costa as well. He says his sobriety depends on his community at CrossFit. He's surrounded by people who respect his choice to be sober and healthy, and he's able to help others improve their health as well.
“It's given me a sense of who I am … a sense of belonging … a purpose,” Costa says.
Video by Torin Simpson.
26min 41sec
Additional reading: “Sweat and Sobriety” by Hilary Achauer, published March 7, 2014.
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