Crossfit Dublin has recently made new friends with a crossfit gym in Rio de Janeiro which is run in one of the local favelas. It is a not-for-profit affiliation based in Rocinha favela. The gym was started by an enterprising American Chris Clark who was working with the Two Brothers Foundation and Rogerio Rodrigues who is the lead volunteer coordinator for the foundation and also the lead instructor for the gym. Rogerio has since been joined by two more trainers, Kleber and Dani.
Favela Fitness
Residents in Rio de Janeiro’s Rocinha favela use CrossFit
to rise above poverty and violence.
Life in a favela is vibrant and exciting, but it is also
fatiguing even on the strongest of hearts. The Rocinha
child holds daring dreams that speak and sometimes
yell in the mind and heart, but those voices grow faint
to a whisper and become inaudible not due to a single
event but rather an infinite number of barely perceptible
negative daily occurrences. Over years, these
occurrences collectively form an opposing force that’s
wave-like—deep and mighty yet invisible.
These conditions that hold back the growth of the
individual also force him to become stronger. Small
investments in these individuals cause changes in the
positive direction. We can seize this opportunity to help
by using CrossFit as the channel.
http://rocinhacrossfit.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/rocinha_crossfit_article.pdf
If anyone is passing through Rio give Rogerio a call and drop in for a WOD and if anyone wants more information please feel free to contact Rogerio directly.
rogerio2bros@hotmail.com
cell phone: 21 9382 4917
Lochlann Quinn
