First: What It Takes to Win by Rich Froning

If you're any sort of CrossFitter then you've definitely heard of Rich Froning. If you haven't, then just watch the last 5 years of the CrossFit Games and I think you'll find out. He's basically the 4-times straight winner of the CrossFit games and this is only his 5th year competing at them. That's pretty insane.

First: What It Takes to Win is an autobiography of his life and what it takes to get that first place that everyone strives for. He shares about his life growing up as a kid and the many events that occurred in almost every area of his life. One of the really interesting things he writes about is his close ties with his family (many many cousins) which reminds me of my time growing up with my family and the many hours of volley ball we had together.

It also talks about his journey on a sporting and fitness level and what led him to become the "Fittest Man on Earth". You actually realise that he is not entirely a freak of nature (for lack of better words) but has actively conditioned his body through years of training and general heavy work around the farm.

Probably the most interesting parts of the book for me are where he shares his faith. I'm sure there are a lot of people who probably put the book down at the point but I'm also sure that there are many more people who carry on reading. It's fascinating to see his entire journey and to see how God has come in and just taken something pretty good and thrust him into a place of major influence.

Don't get my brief synopsis of the book wrong. It's not a book about a perfect kid from Tennessee who got everything he wanted and had every bit of help to condition his body to achieve his success. It's actually a little bit of the opposite. It's a life just like yours or mine but it's a life where he decided that he wasn't going to do it for himself but do it for something or rather someone better / bigger. It makes me feel that I could do anything as long as it's to bring glory to God. He's instilled three words into my every day thinking: Faith | Family | Fitness.

If you're a fitness fanatic or athlete, you'll definitely find a good story about what it takes to be a winner. If you're a family guy, you'll realise what it takes not only to do your best but to balance that with your family. If you're a Christian, this book will take you out of your comfort zone of Sunday-to-Sunday faith and change your perspective into what can I do right now to show what God can do through me.

If you'd like to read it, you can purchase it on Kindle here.