Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Anna Rushing has spent the past few years healing from a traumatic domestic abuse situation while building her St. Augustine CrossFit gym into a community focused on helping others meet their fitness goals and achieve personal growth.
Functional, fun fitness is the goal at Rack City CrossFit, which features boot camp, endurance training, strength and conditioning, nutritional consulting, gymnastics, teen classes and private coaching.
“Back in 2016, I started the gym with my then-boyfriend to realize my dream of being my own boss and building a successful business that would give myself and my daughter a better life,” said Rushing, a single mother, and Florida native. “My boyfriend was physically and verbally abusive and I felt stuck. One day, he choked me to the point where I thought he was going to kill me. I called the police and he was taken away. With three prior domestic abuse arrests on his record from other women, he was sent to jail.”
The next day, Rushing was slated to complete her CrossFit certification, which she knew would be a crucial component to her business confidence and personal growth. She didn’t think she had the strength to follow through. A good friend and business mentor convinced her to press on. Rushing passed her certification and has spent the past few years building Rack City CrossFit into the area’s premier gym focused on uncovering the athlete hiding inside regular folks.
“It didn’t seem fair for me to give up my dream because of another person’s bad decisions and lack of control,” Rushing said. “The person who was always holding me down was now gone and I was free to create a culture and environment where I could connect with people and help them grow and transform – just as I was doing myself.”
Armed with a degree in psychology from the University of North Florida and certified in both NASM and CrossFit Level 1, Rushing is proud of her successful gym, located at 209 Blackford Way, St. Augustine. For more information, visit rackcitycrossfit.com.
