No Excuses: How May Earns Her Strength

No excuses. That describes May Johnson Duran’s mindset. Between the busyness of everyday life, being a full-time mom, and full-time employee, it would be really easy for May to simply use lack of time and a busy schedule as reasons to disregard her health and fitness. However, she has chosen to prioritize her health and well-being in order to be a more active mother to her two young children and a higher-performing athlete and employee.

May began her CrossFit journey during Free Trial Week in March 2026. She says, “I heard about CrossFit High Bar while I was working out at the gym. I’ve been on a weight loss journey for a while now and was hitting that plateau stage— I wanted to try something new.”

May has since been an active member of the High Bar community, consistently hitting new PRs and showing up everyday with a smile on her face, even at 5:30am after coming off a 10+ hour night shift at Toyota. 

“I am slowly but surely becoming the healthiest and strongest version of myself. Trying to get in shape and improving my health has been my main motivation, and I love that I get to do this almost everyday in a fun way!”

May has worked up to a 205 pound back squat, 95 pound push jerk, and 215 pound deadlift. She also completed her first Memorial Day MURPH workout and competed in our gym’s annual all-female Mother’s Day competition ALL within the short span of 5 months. 

When asked what she appreciates about her experience so far at High Bar, May answered, “Members and coaches are super welcoming and have been really helpful since my first day. Also, the sense of accomplishment after a workout feels great!”

Community. Feeling accomplished. Seeing progress physically and mentally. That’s what keeps May coming back. Strength is earned, not bought or given, and there is no doubt that May is earning her strength everyday.

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