Abel

Humility at its purest and by its very nature doesn’t take the center stage. Humility may be seen, but it is not seen in the most obvious or given light. Humility does not step up to the microphone, it doesn’t shout and it doesn’t say “look at me.” Humility, if you forget to look for it, is a most beautiful thing that will pass you by.

We honor the trophy winners, we celebrate the podium finishers and we cheer for those trying their best to be the best. But at the center most heart of Point One, we have lit a small, special lamp and offer an invitation to a space that the main stage forgot. It is not more important, it is not less important - we just want to see it and we’d like to let you see it, too.

We had the privilege to feature our training sandbags at the Best of the West Summer Event, a multi-day, 9-year running CrossFit fitness competition for the Pacific Northwest that has featured some of the sports more notable athletes in its time. With a front row seat to the action and being a direct a part of the action, we witnessed some incredible feats of strength, endurance and mental fortitude on the playing field as athletes exhibited the results of their labor and surpassed even their own expectations.

But what I remember best was not at the footstool of the stadium. In fact, it was precisely behind the backs of those who cheered, admired and came for the main show.

Abel, as we came to know him, was unassuming when he came to our booth. He wasn’t interested so much at the feats of the field, but he did want to participate in our challenge of the day: a short workout that included 30 repetitions of raising a sandbag overhead. In fact, he hardly seemed to know what this fitness competition was about, but he did want to join into the play where he could. In speaking, I wasn’t sure if he even knew what CrossFit was.

That is until someone else recognized him.

Abel Lucas, turns out, was the 10th fittest teen in the 14-15 year old youth division as the world championship CrossFit Games in 2015. He placed 22nd in 2017 in the 16-17 category and his stat sheet shows that he lifts some big numbers. He’s fast, too.

But at an age where self-awareness can be low and ego high and as a young individual who has accomplished enough to want to boast about it, Abel carries himself anything but like your everyday late teenager. He’s since turned his passion, or he calls it “obsession,” to training for the UFC with a zealous ambition, but he doesn’t tell you about that, either - his new coach came up to tell us that.

The only thing usual about him is, that like every kid (and the kid in all of us), he just wants to wants to play.

There was another boy who wanted to play. Madigan is 10 years old with laser focus and he just wanted to pick up the 50lbs sandbag. He was the first to set hands on our demonstration bags and at first, he failed. Frustrated, he kept coming back. He tried again and again and again until he finally stood up with 50lbs wrapped tightly in his arms, nearly matching his own body weight. And then he did it 30 more times. Then he did it another 30 times. This is about the time that Madigan met Abel.

I’m not sure that anyone else on or off the field, perusing the vendors or looking for their next leg-up against the competition wanted a sandbag as badly as Madigan wanted one once he realized his ability to lift it, carry it and move it. I’m not sure that anyone really saw the fire alive inside - a determined and strong child, perhaps, but not the desire. Of course, he was not on the main stage.

But someone did see - Abel saw.

So Abel worked out with, played with and encouraged Madigan to pick up the sandbag another 30 times, together. He gave up the shirt off his back to wrap up Madigan arms when they started to sore from the friction and he strategized times of rest to keep Madigan going. He waited for him each time, matching the same effort by lifting his own equivalent bodyweight 30 times, too. He never worked ahead. A few people paused to witness a rep or two, but for the most part they were alone. The crowd behind them got loud for the field as the final events apexed in an exciting tie breaker for the competitors while Abel calmly encouraged Madigan through their own challenge.

When it was said and done, Abel bought Madigan that sandbag. At that point, I would’ve given it to him but that wasn’t my story - it was theirs. The lantern was lit and this tiny little story happened with just the two of them in it.

Abel would never tell you this story, but we thought that someone ought to hear it just in case that somebody is you.