- April 28, 2024
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Two years ago Frank Zedar, then 67, was watching the CrossFit games on television and thought to himself “I can do that.”
Zedar made a call to the CrossFit BearCat Box here in Palm Coast, and he immediately began training.
“I’ve trained in Taekwondo, Karate, ran marathons and different obstacles,” Zedar said. “It was so different, and I was thinking it was time for a new challenge. I thought that I was 25, when I was really 67. I spent 20 years in the military, the beginning of that as a recon platoon sergeant in Vietnam, so that background inspired me to choose CrossFit.”
Zedar has had multiple knee surgeries, shoulder and hip replacements and triple bypass open-heart surgery, so his wife, Maritssa Zedar, wasn’t too thrilled that her husband took to this high-intensified sport.
“At first I thought he was crazy,” she said. “I saw the games on TV, and I thought, ‘We can’t do that.’ I told him that I wasn’t doing that stuff. I’m a runner.”
Zedar has excelled in CrossFit since 2012, and he competed in his first fitness competition with his partner, Linda Rinker, 64, on Saturday, Nov. 15, in Ocala, where the two became the main attraction at the end of their last event.
“The crowd was screaming for them to finish,” Maritssa Zedar said. “You didn’t know he was as old as he is until the very, very end. They were lifting the same as the young people. The cheers were so loud; I can still cry about that moment.”
“Nearly everyone came down to where we were to cheer us on as we finished,” Frank Zedar said. “We had to do squats with a he log, run 800 meters with the log, run with kettlebells and do so much more. The next highest team age to ours was 88. The greatest feeling is to see all the younger people look at me and say, ‘Wow. If this guy can do it, then I can do it.’”
Zedar’s determination has not only inspired young people, but after witnessing his life transformation and dedication, Maritssa Zedar also became a CrossFit participant.
“CrossFit is addictive,” she added. “The people who train with you really help you. They help you get through every workout. To work out with my husband is awesome.”
CrossFit is not for the weak hearted. Zedar says that he is threatened to quit every day after an intense workout, but the people in his box motivate each other to continue.
“This group is the closest comradery I’ve come to know since my military days,” Zedar said. “We keep each other going.”
While CrossFit may be demanding, Frank and Maritssa Zedar, as well as Jody Prince and Cathy Mittlestadt, the owners, believe that they are testimonies that all ages can train in the sport. According to Prince and Mittlestadt, technique, training and coaching are the most important factors in CrossFit.
“It’s not about age; it’s about mindset,” Prince said. “A 65 year-old can be in the same class with a 25-year old, and they can both get a great work out. CrossFit is infinitely scalable.”
“It’s all about the community that helps each other,” Mittlestadt added. “No one comes in last place. It’s about high intensity and functional movements.”
When asked about any potential dangers in the sport, Prince replied, “Any sport is dangerous. We pride ourselves in making sure our coaches teach and preach technique. We’re very conscious of our athletes, and we have so many older people who train with us, so that’s a testimony to our care and the level of concern that we have for the people.”
Zedar believes that he has just begun, and he eventually wants to continue competing in many other CrossFit games with his wife.
For more information on CrossFit, visit crossfitbearcat.com.
