Recently, Will Lanier was diagnosed with colorecrtal cancer, the painful symptoms of which he’d been feeling for years.
“Having suffered for more than nine years leading up to the cancer diagnosis, getting a name for it was almost a relief,” he says. “Having said that, cancer is a serious disease, and I didn’t take it lightly, but I finally had a solution for the suffering.” That answer was surgery, to remove the cancer before it spread.
Now cancer-free, the CrossFit coach and general manager of Brick New York will have to hit the weights again after months of recovery. “It feels great to be back,” he says. “I’m excited about the journey. I get to restart my training. In 2010, I was starting from zero. Now in 2015, I’m in a restart.”
He started training CrossFit in 2010, when he still lived in Texas. After moving to New York City, he joined Brick New York, a “box.” His enthusiasm for CrossFit was infectious, and a few weeks in, Brick asked if he’d like to become a coach. he immediatedly said yes. Through the support of the CrossFit community during his fight with cancer, Lanier has learned the importance of fighting. “Positivity comes from the fight. The fight keeps you in the moment, and when you’re finished, it’s the fight that makes you proud and it’s the fight that brings you back the next day.”
