Sport plays an essential role in our daily lives, both physically and mentally. It brings many benefits to the body and mind, acting as a powerful tool to improve quality of life.
Mark Moss, who launched the Uplift project, can testify to this. The project was born out of his poignant personal story, and demonstrates that CrossFit® has noble virtues far beyond mere physical activity.
It all began in 2013, when Mark experienced a difficult family tragedy: the suicide of his grandfather. It was an emotional shock that he found hard to overcome. For years, he has been involved in various initiatives aimed at supporting people faced with the suicide of a loved one. But none of them helped him to grieve.
Mark Moss found refuge in CrossFit®, which allowed him to clear his mind and relieve the stress and pain inside him. “I’d go off and train for hours, and my parents understood that this was my way of dealing with the situation,” he recalls. For Mark, CrossFit® goes far beyond physical exercise. He is convinced that the real strength of this method lies in the community that surrounds it. “It’s scientifically proven that exercise contributes to mental health, but with CrossFit®, it’s really the community that makes the difference,” he explains.
In 2022, two friends came to his box for a workout dedicated to suicide awareness. A workout to clear the head and think about something else, of course, but also discussions on how to deal with tragedy. “That’s when Uplift was born,” recalls Mark Moss.
What was supposed to be a small event between friends quickly took on a larger dimension. Mark Moss recalls that it was his wife who suggested he aim higher: “Why not think bigger?” she suggested. Moss began contacting affiliated gyms he knew to organize his first Uplift event. His aim was to draw on the community to provide support for people in difficulty. Numerous gyms signed up to this suicide awareness and prevention project.
Each year, Uplift organizes a workout in gyms across the United States. This annual event, like the Murph, is attended by numerous athletes sporting the Uplift t-shirt. Over the past two years, nearly $20,000 has been raised and donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This year, the funds raised will go to WarriorWOD, an association that supports veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome.
Mark Moss doesn’t want to stop there: he plans to organize a first international event in 2025 to further mobilize the CrossFit® community around mental health issues.
Here’s the UPLIFT 2024 Workout:
Starting every 3 mins:
10 Cal Row
10 DB Push press, 2x50s
10 Box Jump
*add 2 reps to everything after successfully completing a round.
Continue until you can’t finish a round within the 3mins.
Find out more about Uplift here.
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