What happens as an athlete when your own body becomes its own worst enemy? In this raw and powerful conversation, CrossFit athlete Laura "Legit" Romanek @mcskins opens up about her journey with rheumatoid arthritis, a diagnosis that threatened to redefine everything about her athletic identity.

From waking up with a mysteriously swollen wrist on Open Quarterfinals day to navigating a complex web of medications, Laura shares the physical and emotional challenges of living with an unpredictable autoimmune disease. Her story reveals the frustrating paradox of an "invisible" illness – how someone can perform bar muscle-ups and heavy lifts one day, then struggle to open a door the next.

Laura's brutal honesty about her condition cuts through common misconceptions about chronic illness. She doesn't sugarcoat the reality of flare-ups. Yet her approach to living with RA challenges conventional wisdom about chronic disease management. Rather than completely overhauling her lifestyle or letting her diagnosis become her identity, she follows a philosophy of "do everything you can when you can do it."

The conversation delves into the complex relationship between stress and autoimmune disease, the grief of losing physical capacity, and the challenge of maintaining relationships when energy must be carefully rationed. Through it all, Laura's resilience shines through – not in a sanitized, inspirational way, but in her unflinching determination to remain herself despite everything her body throws at her.

Whether you're living with chronic illness, supporting someone who is, or simply interested in stories of human resilience, Laura's journey offers valuable perspective on what it means to adapt without surrendering your core identity. Subscribe now and join the conversation about strength in all its forms.

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