S06E118 BISON 15 - CrossFit as a Lifeline When Facing Adversity - Karenn Marin

We talk with guest Karenn Marin @karenn.mrn about how CrossFit becomes her anchor through a brutal stretch of life changes, from long-standing body image pain to a sudden family crisis and a fresh start in a new city.

The constant in her life is training, mentorship, and community, which helped her rebuild confidence, boundaries, and mental health one workout at a time.

• growing up non-athletic, extremely skinny, and self-conscious about body image

• a Peru hiking trip and the pandemic creating a wake-up call to build real fitness

• learning consistency the hard way, including injuries from training without coaching

• starting CrossFit to learn form, progress safely, and feel capable

• navigating divorce and a house fire, using the gym as a daily coping tool

• experiencing real support from new gym communities during crisis

• recognizing how toxic relationship dynamics can derail training and self-trust

• returning to CrossFit Bison, making friends, and unlocking rapid improvement

#crossfitcoach #CrossFitCommunity @CrossFitAffiliates #supportyourlocalbox #crossfitaffiliate #gymowner #HealthyLiving #GymLife #CrossFit #FitnessJourney #BotoxAndBurpees #podcast @botoxandburpeespodcast @crossfitbison

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TRANSCRIPT

Dr. Sam Rhee (00:01.07)

Hello, welcome to another episode of Botox and Burpees. I have with me Karen Marin This is our second episode of our Bison Quick 15. And today I have my very special second guest. She's a rookie of the year at CrossFit Bison. Fantastic athlete. And then just as soon as she won the award, she ups and leaves and goes to Denver, Colorado, where she...

Karenn Marin (00:24.912)

You

Dr. Sam Rhee (00:27.542)

Already is killing it at her new gym. What's a give me a shout out for your new gym out there at Denver. What is it now? Verve

Karenn Marin (00:32.784)

CrossFit Verve, it's in Rimeo, it's a huge gym. They already invited me to a baseball game last weekend, so I'm in the right crowd.

Dr. Sam Rhee (00:43.8)

That's pretty awesome. so we're gonna talk a quick 15. It's gonna be about a topic and I'm just gonna let Karen go ahead and introduce it and get started. Welcome, Karen. Thank you so much for doing this.

Karenn Marin (00:59.536)

Thank you so much, Dr. Sam-ree. I appreciate it. I appreciate the platform. So I thought I would talk about like my introduction to CrossFit because it's been a very,

Dr. Sam Rhee (01:02.242)

Yeah.

Karenn Marin (01:13.644)

short crossfit lifespan for me. And I like to say that it's very symbiotic with the rest of my life. The way I operate as an athlete affects like all other aspects of like the way I operate as a human. And it's kind of like, it sets the tone for the day for me and it sets the tone for my mental health. So I'd like to start with that.

Dr. Sam Rhee (01:25.048)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (01:33.314)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (01:41.742)

So what's your start story? Yeah, give me your start story. So how did that all come about for you?

Karenn Marin (01:45.027)

Yeah.

So I'd like to start by saying that I was never an athlete growing up. I was extremely skinny when I was young. I looked malnourished half the time. I just had a very fast metabolism as a teenager and my parents never encouraged me to do sports and they always thought like girls don't do sports. Girls actually play instruments. Girls do arts. Girls don't get hurt. So I definitely would

raise my kids differently if I had the opportunity, but they were just not encouraging about sports. And so I spent like the first 25 years of my life being an extremely athletic human being, being extremely skinny and being very self-conscious about my body also. I remember in high school, I was so skinny that I was shy about wearing shorts in the summer in the hot weather.

Dr. Sam Rhee (02:45.453)

wow.

Karenn Marin (02:46.194)

my senior year, my homeroom teacher, was kind of like picking, would pick on different students. And one day I finally had the confidence to wear a pair of shorts to school and they were a pair of red shorts and I felt so confident walking into my homeroom. And then he drew a chicken on the board with a pair of red shorts on, making fun of my chicken legs. And I ran out of the room crying.

Dr. Sam Rhee (03:11.421)

my god.

Karenn Marin (03:16.13)

Because I was so upset, but that really, I feel like that really sums up, you know, how skinny I was and how I had a hard time dealing with that. And so I kind of took for granted like fitness because I felt like, well, I'm already skinny. Like what else is there that I need to do? I don't think I even actually like picked up a weight until like my late twenties. But with-

Dr. Sam Rhee (03:42.36)

So then what drove you to CrossFit itself? So you're thin, girls were supposed to be skinny, they weren't supposed to be like, you know, functional or strong or any of these things that we talk now, especially with the younger generation. And so you got through two decades and a half and people actually made fun of you for being skinny, which is very traumatizing when you're developing. And then something changed for you. What was that?

Karenn Marin (03:46.308)

Yes.

Karenn Marin (03:54.628)

Exactly.

Karenn Marin (04:04.495)

Yeah.

Karenn Marin (04:09.616)

Yes, and so in, so actually March of 2020, I was a very different person. I was married at the time. I was living in Georgia and I had just gone to Peru for a hiking trip.

And I had gone to Peru and the hiking trip was the worst experience because it was not only was it a very hard trip, but also it was physically taxing. And I felt like I wasn't keeping up with the rest of the group. And this is a story for another time, but we ended up actually being trapped in Peru because the pandemic had just started. And there was obviously like a national quarantine and we had to take repatriation flights back to the United States. That's a whole different story. But anyway, when we finally got back to the United States, I remember

thinking, and I was like 25, 26 at the time, I remember thinking like this cannot be like the peak performance of my body. Like there's got to be something more to this. This can't be like just the best I could do. And luckily the pandemic had just started, so there wasn't anything to do except exercise. And being the fact that I was living in Georgia, in the south, everything was open, especially the gyms. So I know that in

Dr. Sam Rhee (05:13.346)

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (05:28.026)

Northeast, all the gyms were closed, but I had the benefit of having the gym open. So I developed just the habit of working out, even if that meant like being on the treadmill for 30 minutes. I had no idea what I was doing, but I think it built like the habit and the consistency of wanting to pursue

just being better at something. And that kind of motivated me. that was until from like March until like August of 2020. And then we moved back to New Jersey from Georgia. And then the habit had kind of like been established. So I kept going to the gym. And again, I had no idea what I was doing. I ended up getting hurt very frequently. I would just come up. Yeah.

Dr. Sam Rhee (05:51.15)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (06:04.91)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (06:13.644)

and you would just do this by yourself?

Karenn Marin (06:16.592)

I would just come up with my own programming. I lost a lot of weight during that time, like a lot of fat, but I was also like back to just being very skinny. I didn't really know what I was doing. I had probably terrible form. And then in January of 2021, one of my best friends who isn't a CrossFit already recommended me to try CrossFit. She was like, at the very least, it'll teach you better form.

Dr. Sam Rhee (06:17.144)

Okay.

Karenn Marin (06:43.708)

And I remember I felt extremely intimidated to start. I felt like I was nowhere near the athletes that I saw at the gym that I started. This was a gym in Metuchen.

At the time it was called All-Star Athletics. I think they rebranded it to Across the Gyms instead. But I remember my only goal when I started was I want to graduate from the training bar. I want to graduate from the training bar for clean and jerks. I want to graduate from the training bar for push presses, for snatches. That was my only goal. I always kept...

Dr. Sam Rhee (07:07.886)

you

Dr. Sam Rhee (07:15.608)

So you had already picked up some Olympic lifting already when you were starting all of this, which I think most people who had not started at CrossFit had not done. So that's pretty amazing that you were actually sort of barbell aware at that point.

Karenn Marin (07:20.643)

Yeah.

Karenn Marin (07:29.656)

More or less, yeah, but definitely CrossFit taught me better form and how to not hurt myself during lifts. So that was a good place to start. And so that wasn't until I was, I think I was 27 at the time when I first started CrossFit.

Dr. Sam Rhee (07:31.992)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (07:37.965)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (07:44.887)

Mmm.

and which was your first CrossFit gym, actual CrossFit gym you went to.

Karenn Marin (07:51.074)

All-star athletics. So that was, that was.

Dr. Sam Rhee (07:53.652)

Okay, and then after that, because I want to connect you, because I know you came over with Bobby from his previous gym, Bobby Wallum, one of our coaches. So connect me up with that.

Karenn Marin (07:59.82)

Yes. So this is part of the story. So I started at the strip in January of 2021. And in hindsight, I think the universe works in mysterious ways. Right?

Dr. Sam Rhee (08:08.104)

Okay, go for it.

Karenn Marin (08:19.312)

I think somehow the universe knew that I needed a community right away, or a foundation to start. So I was at this gym from January 2021 to July of 2021. And at this time, my husband and I had been married for two years, and the marriage wasn't working. And we had decided to get a divorce. And so the house that we were

living in. Had only been purchased like in December 2020, so it was only six months old under our ownership. We had decided to get a divorce and so I kind of went away for a couple days and this is July 28th of 2021 and while I was away I was using the car because we shared a car.

Dr. Sam Rhee (08:58.895)

wow.

Karenn Marin (09:15.312)

and I was going to work on a Tuesday morning and I got a call that my...

husband was in a severe accident at the house. And so we had just decided to get a divorce and so immediately I thought this guy must have like self injured himself or something. And so I was I remember like being in the car about to go to work. I hadn't even gotten out of the parking spot yet and they said no it's actually an accident happened to the house and there's been severe fire damage and we're and he has severe burns and we're gonna take him to the

Dr. Sam Rhee (09:26.418)

wow.

Karenn Marin (09:51.906)

hospital in a helicopter. And at that point, I was like, I don't really understand what's happening, but tell me what hospital you're going to and I'll meet you there.

Dr. Sam Rhee (09:54.779)

my god.

Karenn Marin (10:03.554)

And so I was in my business attire because I was about to go the office. And I rushed to the hospital. And I actually got there before they did. So they put me in the room that they were going to wheel him into. And then they did wheel him into the room. And he had third degree burns on his hands and his arms. His skin was falling off of his hands and his arms. He was intubated at the time because of the smoke damage to his lungs.

his throat. So like the adrenaline was kind of like wearing off while the sedation was kind of coming on. So his body was reacting to it and it was just a very gruesome, aggressive scene for a Tuesday morning as a 27 year old. And I want to keep like emphasizing this because I look back and I keep thinking like I was so young and I don't know how like I had the

the mental or emotional capacity to deal with it, but there's only like one way through, right?

Dr. Sam Rhee (11:01.262)

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (11:07.472)

So that happened in July of 2021 and then immediately after he was in the emergency room they sent him over to St. Barnabas in Livingston, New Jersey and this was just like a huge catastrophic day. Like they were telling me that the house was completely uninhabitable, that we had two dogs at the time, that the dogs ran away and they were trying to be found by the animal shelter people.

It was just like mayhem going on and I had no idea what to do other than to like, okay, I need to call the house insurance to start the claim. I need to call my job to tell them I'm not coming in. I need to call his job because he was doing an internship with my company at the time. So I need to let everybody know. I obviously need to let his family know. I need to let my family know. I need to figure out where the dogs are.

Dr. Sam Rhee (11:52.568)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (11:59.832)

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (12:07.288)

And all of this, I also had to figure out where I was going to sleep that night because, like I said, the house was completely uninhabitable because of the smoke and the fire damage. So the home insurance sets up like a...

Dr. Sam Rhee (12:12.504)

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (12:23.36)

a hotel that you could stay at but that also kind of adds to the chaos because you don't really feel comfortable in a hotel. So I remember I was there like the first night and I remember thinking I just need to get a workout in. Like for the love of God I need to get some exercise in and like just release this like enormous stress that came into my life from one minute to the next. And so I went to a gym that was called

Dr. Sam Rhee (12:42.702)

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (12:53.234)

I want to say it was called like Excel performance, something like that. It wasn't like 100 % across the gym. They offer different classes, but they did offer crossfit classes, and this was in Caldwell, New Jersey.

Dr. Sam Rhee (13:02.85)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (13:06.764)

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (13:07.056)

And I remember I walked in to the gym and they're like, what brings you in? And I said, oh, I was interested in crossfit classes. And they're like, are you new to the area? And at this point, this had only been like 24 hours since everything happened. And I was like, oh, I'm gonna do this. And I'm telling them the story while sobbing hysterically. yes, yes. And they're like, oh my gosh. Like they're trying to.

Dr. Sam Rhee (13:23.31)

wow, yeah. The dam broke loose and you, yes.

Karenn Marin (13:33.36)

you know, put Humpty Dumpty together again. And they're like, and how's your husband doing? And I was like, he's good, but we were just about to get a divorce. And I'm like sobbing again. And they're like, oh my gosh. And they're like, and where are you staying right now? And I was like, at a hotel. And it sucks. That gym. It's good to have a sense of humor while telling the story, right?

Dr. Sam Rhee (13:36.461)

Yes.

Dr. Sam Rhee (13:44.054)

Ha ha ha ha ha

Karenn Marin (14:02.532)

That gym immediately was like, sign on for classes, we'll give you a free month, which was a blessing. And we have a realtor that works with us, we'll help you find an apartment. And I keep saying like the dates because this accident happened on July 28th and by August 1st, I was moved into my own apartment.

Dr. Sam Rhee (14:24.43)

Wow.

Karenn Marin (14:24.622)

So again, like the community was the biggest blessing in getting through like an experience like this. And so that was the second CrossFit gym I ever started at. And I was there for a few months until he got out of the hospital. And then the apartment that I was staying at was in Montclair. And then all this to say like,

Dr. Sam Rhee (14:33.506)

Wow.

Dr. Sam Rhee (14:38.499)

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (14:51.888)

The guy survived and he had to get skin transplants on his hands and his arms, but as of present day, he's 100 % okay and that alone is a miracle. Um, but for a moment there, we didn't think he was going to make it and it was a very, very hard and difficult time. And I remember the only thing that got me out of bed in the morning was going to work out and

Dr. Sam Rhee (14:56.75)

Okay,

Dr. Sam Rhee (15:09.61)

wow.

Dr. Sam Rhee (15:17.144)

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (15:20.24)

That was like the highlight of my day. And after that, I was just counting the hours until I could go back to bed. It was a very difficult time. And then thankfully he made it out of the hospital and that itself like kind of changed the course of the way we were moving forward. And then I was living in Montclair. So I started a new gym actually in Montclair that was a little closer than the Caldwell gym. And that gym was called Bridge Athletics.

Dr. Sam Rhee (15:29.912)

Yeah.

Dr. Sam Rhee (15:37.986)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (15:45.762)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (15:49.378)

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (15:49.424)

Also a CrossFit gym, but not an affiliate, clearly. And that gym I started in October of 2021, and I was there from October, November, December of 2021. So in my first year doing CrossFit, three different gyms. But three different gyms that like really got me through kind of like the worst six months of my life.

Dr. Sam Rhee (15:52.086)

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (16:08.108)

Wow, yeah.

Dr. Sam Rhee (16:17.112)

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (16:17.988)

was a rough time. However, then it takes a turn. I don't know if I want to pause it at all if you have any questions.

Dr. Sam Rhee (16:27.022)

Well, now I understand why you make such a great impact at all the gyms you go to because you've been to so many different gyms, you know how to navigate these. Because a lot of people when they're CrossFit athletes, like they go to one gym and they'll stay like I stayed at CrossFit Bison. It was my first gym I started at and it's the only gym I've ever been to. But you've seen all sorts of gyms and not only have you seen them, they've supported you.

Karenn Marin (16:33.52)

you

No!

Dr. Sam Rhee (16:53.006)

You've been a big part of their community. They've been a big part of your support. And I think a lot of people can relate to that, that the gym is a refuge, that when there are so many, and I mean, let's face it, like we have issues, but what you are going through at that age, at that time is like really overwhelming. mean, near like probably almost unbearably overwhelming for some people. So if they can find,

Like you said, that hour where you can just not have to think about the things that are facing you. Like we just talked about a little bit earlier, you come out of that gym and it seems like the things you have to face are not quite as bad after you've done a workout. so that is an insane story. Like that is really one of the craziest CrossFit start stories I think I've ever heard of in my life, honestly. And I'm so.

Karenn Marin (17:45.562)

you

Dr. Sam Rhee (17:50.84)

thankful that you're okay through that and you're a, you you actually in a lot of ways became a better person, especially on your fitness journey, like incorporating that into your coping and dealing with tragedy. So very inspiring. It's, that's pretty amazing. And then when life's.

Karenn Marin (17:53.488)

Yeah.

Karenn Marin (18:00.121)

Yeah.

Karenn Marin (18:09.36)

Thank you. Thank you. What was that?

Dr. Sam Rhee (18:16.268)

No, go ahead.

Karenn Marin (18:17.602)

It definitely am.

like made me addicted to like the working out. Like if the year before I had only built a habit, the year after like it became like salvation to me. It became therapeutic. It became like the exact thing I needed to get through each day, each week, each month. And then you make connections too. So like I still have friends from that gym in Montclair that I have and that will be with me for the rest of my life because they

Dr. Sam Rhee (18:31.96)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (18:46.222)

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (18:49.626)

know how much growth I've undergone over the last five years. And I still have to bring you to when I even met Bob because I haven't even got to that point.

Dr. Sam Rhee (18:58.432)

Yes. Yes, you got to connect me now from Bridge to to Bob to Bison.

Karenn Marin (19:05.264)

Yes, yes, yes. Okay, so from January, so sorry, from July of 2021 to December of 2021, again, the house was uninhabitable, so we couldn't live there anymore. I was living in Montclair from that time. And then...

My ex-husband had gone back to his parents' home to recuperate after being in the hospital for a month, and he was having a hard time with his parents.

And so I told him, listen, I'm not happy in Montclair. I feel like I want to live somewhere that I get to choose. So you take over my lease in Montclair. I'll leave like big furniture, like the bed and the couch. And that way you can get healthier in an environment where you actually feel a little more independent. And I'll choose to move to like a place where I actually want to be. And I moved to Jersey city. So obviously it's right outside of Hope.

book in and

When I moved to Jersey City, was in December of 2021, I tried out a few different gyms, some really close to my apartment and then others like Hudson River Athletics and Hoboken, that was like a 10 minute drive. But at that point, like it was so important to me to find a place where I just felt the energy was right. And so I walked into Hudson River Athletics and the first class I took was with Bob and...

Karenn Marin (20:37.87)

And then there was a, ironically, was an explosion at a...

CrossFit Hoboken. And all the members of CrossFit Hoboken were displaced. So they were going to a bunch of different gyms in the area and they told me to not sign up for Hudson River Athletics until February 1st when things kind of settled down a little. So I did and I started at Hudson River Athletics on February 1st and the second class I ever took was also with Bob and immediately when he saw me he was like, Karen, welcome back. And so

Dr. Sam Rhee (20:45.71)

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (21:13.458)

To see like someone who I I barely even knew I only had taken one class with and he already remembered my name I already felt like it was a special place and at the time everybody felt like Elite athletes I felt like the absolute bare minimum of the elite athletes that I was working out alongside with But I spent the next three years about three and a half years there at Hudson River Athletics

growing and becoming a better athlete and obviously under Bob's guidance and mentorship. And in that time, yeah, yeah, yeah. And that, I feel like the experience I had in those three years in Jersey City slash Hoboken, because I ended up moving closer to the gym also, it was like a whole different chapter for my life and for my growth and for

Dr. Sam Rhee (21:52.728)

Yeah, you take programming from him.

Karenn Marin (22:11.568)

I don't know who I am as a person. got to meet so many people, again, people that are still in my life now and will be for the rest of my life. I got to, they named me member of the year at one point, which was really sweet and just felt like such a 180 from the person I was when I first started the gym. I was very, very closed off the first year. Bob will probably tell you

this too. I was kind of in and out. I didn't want to make friends. I just showed up to work out and then I left. And then it was like at the end of the year, December of 2022, I kind of hit like a turning point where I was like, okay, I feel more comfortable being myself and making connections with the people around me. And it changed my life.

It changes the journey that you're on and the environment that you're in. It was the best three years in that time. Yeah.

Dr. Sam Rhee (23:14.978)

That's awesome. And then after those three years, sounds like it was everything was copacetic. Everything was great. Yeah, I know Hudson River. Like I know a few people who go there for like Steve O'Day is a former bison member who's there. Yeah, yeah. Great guy. And so then what prompted you to go to your, what is it? Sixth gym maybe at this point?

Karenn Marin (23:32.878)

Yeah, yeah, I needed that.

Karenn Marin (23:42.84)

So sick.

Dr. Sam Rhee (23:43.886)

and leave Hudson River.

Karenn Marin (23:47.438)

That's a great question. So this is another good chapter. This is the post house explosion and divorce chapter.

Dr. Sam Rhee (23:57.859)

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (23:58.8)

So at this time, this is like July of 2024, I had been living in Hoboken for like three years and it was just getting really expensive. And my mom lives in Bergenfield, New Jersey and she was sharing her house with like a roommate that she trusted and a roommate like had to move out abruptly. And she said, I don't know what I'm going to do. Like I'm 70 something years old. I'm just not going to find like a new roommate right away. And so I said, well, let me see if I could end my lease. I'll float the idea to my landlord and

see what he says. He was fine with it. And so I moved in with my mom to Berger Field in July of 2024. And it worked out. And I was glad that I could spend, I lived with her for like 10 months during that time. But that's kind of why I transitioned out of Hudson River Athletics, because I moved to the suburbs.

And then I started dating someone and this is a good, this is a good chapter. And it's important to the fitness journey too. I started dating someone who had very toxic qualities to himself, but men never show that in the first couple of months. In the beginning, he was actually like really supportive about like how much I was into fitness and he's like, it's great that you do crossfit.

to like a CrossFit class with me. We did a class at Great White. And then that was like in August of 2024. And then slowly but surely his true character starts coming out and he would say like very passive aggressive comments like, your back is so wide because of all the CrossFit you do. Or

He'd say, like, I'm personally more attracted to women with larger, like, lower body. So maybe you should do, lower body three times a week instead of doing CrossFit so much. Things like that, that, you know, they were very, like, passive comments that you didn't do well too long on, but ultimately, like, sing at you, especially if, like...

Dr. Sam Rhee (26:01.26)

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (26:08.174)

The journey that I've had with fitness has been so short, but so profound during that time that you don't realize how much those comments become ingrained in your mindset and end up changing your habits. So he would say things like that. And then eventually I thought, okay, maybe I'll take a break from CrossFit. Maybe I'll just go to a regular gym. And at this point, Bob was doing my programming. And I like to say, I am so thankful

Dr. Sam Rhee (26:12.27)

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (26:20.291)

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (26:35.982)

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (26:38.148)

that Bob didn't fire me as a client during this time because I was telling Bob I don't want to do CrossFit anymore. No more programming for CrossFit. I want more programming just for strength training.

focus more on lower body and you would say, well, like you still need to do like other aspects of cardio. It's good for you. And you still need to work on like these other things. And I was like, yes, but I don't want to do that. So unfortunately, like I had to go through that time to...

learn more about myself. And this relationship lasted into like early 2025. And again, it starts to wear on you, like the comments. And then it's not just comments about your body. It's comments about your lifestyle. Like you're too social, you're too friendly. You talk too much to men. I feel like I talk to everybody. I'm just a friendly human.

Dr. Sam Rhee (27:18.829)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (27:27.022)

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (27:36.462)

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Right.

Karenn Marin (27:45.904)

And it starts to wear on you and all of a sudden you're like, I don't like who I'm becoming anymore and I don't like like how much I'm changing myself to accommodate someone else in my life. And so I got out of the relationship in May of 2024, 2025, sorry. And it was going through, when you go get out of a toxic relationship, it really makes you question like, how did I even get in here?

Dr. Sam Rhee (27:55.342)

Mm. Mm-hmm. Mm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (28:16.558)

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (28:17.583)

And it kind of makes you question like all senses of normalcy. Like, am I normal? Was that experience normal? What did I just go through? so I... Exactly. Especially like, I remember thinking after everything I've gone through, I just experienced that? How could I be so stupid? You're so hard on yourself, unfortunately.

Dr. Sam Rhee (28:24.652)

Right. Right. Right. You let yourself, how did I let myself do that?

Dr. Sam Rhee (28:36.93)

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (28:44.27)

But all this to say, I remember texting Bob.

like end of May, all right, I'm ready to come back to CrossFit. And he said, well, Bison is a really good place. You're more than welcome to join. And I think I started on like June 1st. And those first couple months, yeah, and those first couple months, again, I was a shut-in again. I just came to work out and nothing else. I barely talked to anybody.

Dr. Sam Rhee (29:00.958)

Mmm, that's amazing.

Karenn Marin (29:14.702)

I was having a hard time still emotionally and mentally. And it wasn't until end of August, early September that I was like, all right, Karen, that's enough. You waited too long to make friends at the last gym, and you're not going to make the same mistake here. It's time to start making connections. It makes life so much better. You know this already. And immediately, life got better after that. And I felt like I excelled as an athlete after that, too.

Dr. Sam Rhee (29:41.315)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (29:44.846)

I can certainly say having seen you, I think the first time I really had you on my radar, because I would see you at the gym like at the 7 a.m. and then you'd stay and you did all the way up until you left for Colorado. You you'd stay for open gym and you do your training. the first thing I would say is that by the time you left for Colorado, you had made some major transformational changes physically in terms of

Karenn Marin (29:45.38)

I can certainly say.

Karenn Marin (29:53.328)

us.

Karenn Marin (29:59.993)

Yeah.

Dr. Sam Rhee (30:13.698)

your ability on the rig, the way you looked overall, like your body shape. Like I feel like a lot of people commented how all that time and effort seemed to really pay off for you. And I remember seeing you last year, if it was August, it was probably like around the holiday party and you had really integrated yourself into the community. Like there were so many people that knew you, you were, you know, super bubbly and like,

the person that I know now. So that was really, really impressive. mean, the fact that so many people sort of gravitated to you socially, as well as just the effort you put in. Like you were so determined to better yourself as an athlete. I see a bunch of people at our gym who do that. And when they do, like,

that effort pays off. Like it's not easy to do that, but it's really inspirational, especially for others who watch people who make that change and then see those improvements. I think that that's why you won Rookie of the Year was because they could see how much, and you're not somebody who's, now that I know, I didn't know any of this beforehand, but you're not a neophyte. It wasn't like you had just started CrossFit. Like you had been doing CrossFit for years and years and years before that. And yet,

Karenn Marin (31:26.096)

you

Dr. Sam Rhee (31:42.274)

That I think shows a lot of people there's always room for improvement. Like you may have been cross fitting for three, four, five, six years, but you can, if you put more time into it, you can become a much, much better person in so many ways, which I think really impacted a lot of people here who saw that.

Karenn Marin (31:51.503)

Yeah.

Karenn Marin (32:02.911)

I appreciate that. I like to say this.

just in life in general, there's always a time to start over. Start over at any chance you get. Rebrand yourself, start over tomorrow, humble yourself. Forget any bad habits and start over tomorrow. There's never too late to do that. And I think Bison was a start over for me, for sure. And even in the first couple of months, I felt like I had to start over at the beginning of the month each time until I felt like the most like myself.

Dr. Sam Rhee (32:35.502)

I would also say the thing that stands out with great athletes that I really like inspire me at the gym are they they're not showoffs and they're not doing anything for others. They're just sort of doing it for themselves. Like not in a standoffish way, but in a just like I really love to do better and I'm just going to focus on that and not like, well, I want to beat so and so in this workout or I want to you know what I'm saying?

Karenn Marin (33:03.827)

yeah.

Dr. Sam Rhee (33:05.496)

So it was really just for self-improvement more than anything else. And I think a lot of people saw that and they liked that. I think the other thing that also stands out to me in what you're talking about is it's really hard in relationships. There are a lot of people in our lives that try to influence us, sometimes for the better, sometimes for not so great. And especially there are always people who are, they lack self-esteem, they're insecure.

And when you try to exert control over somebody by, you know, saying those types of comments about either your appearance, your physical appearance, how you act, you know, I actually have also seen that at the gym with others where there's a significant other or someone close to them who doesn't work out, and then there's someone who works out at CrossFit. It can be very difficult because...

Karenn Marin (33:57.072)

Mm-hmm.

Dr. Sam Rhee (34:01.198)

As you know, if you're really into CrossFit, you're really into CrossFit and it's not just, it's just not exercise, it's a community. And so there's often a conflict and when you have a relationship, you need somebody who can understand and be secure enough to let that person enjoy that activity. And it doesn't have to just be CrossFit, it could be anything. It could be, I don't know.

Karenn Marin (34:09.093)

Right.

Karenn Marin (34:28.686)

Yeah.

Dr. Sam Rhee (34:30.35)

playing golf or pickleball or whatever other activity. And it is so easy, as you said, people don't always show themselves right away. But as you progress into relationships, all of those types of things where you have issues with self-esteem, control, insecurities, everyone can fall prey to it. You don't have to be...

It wasn't silly or blind at all for you to be in that. It's so easy for all of us to sort of fall into that. And so I'm glad that you again had someone within CrossFit help and sort of get you.

Karenn Marin (35:01.581)

See you.

Karenn Marin (35:16.982)

I know. And I can tell you enough. Yeah, I can't tell you enough how thankful I am for Bob because he was patient with me throughout that experience. And it's almost like

Dr. Sam Rhee (35:23.501)

Yeah.

Karenn Marin (35:31.696)

Bob and I are, we have very strong boundaries, the two of us. We operate completely on like just mentorship and programming and that's it. He really doesn't ask me too much about my personal life and I really don't share too much about my personal life either and vice versa. But I feel like somehow he knew like, let me just be patient with her throughout this time and she'll come to her senses eventually. And it makes me a little emotional to think about like,

There are very special people in your life who like see the true sense of you and support that and you don't have to justify yourself, you don't have to explain yourself at all and those are the people that are like your truest supporters so I'm thankful for people like Bob and ultimately everybody at Bison who just make me feel as true to myself as I am that.

Dr. Sam Rhee (36:15.758)

Mm-hmm.

Karenn Marin (36:31.148)

able to move to Colorado because of it. So that's my little two cents on that.

Dr. Sam Rhee (36:33.422)

Well

Dr. Sam Rhee (36:40.358)

I want to thank you, Karen, because you made all of us here at Bison better for as short of a time as you stayed. It was really impactful for so many. I really appreciate you sharing your story. is a whole lot to have gone through in a nutshell. And I appreciate it. this is a little bit long. Yeah, I mean, it took a little longer than 15 minutes.

Karenn Marin (36:44.944)

What?

Karenn Marin (36:57.719)

Yeah.

right? Yeah, I know! I warned you! And I feel like I didn't even... I barely even spoke about like what a transformation I would went through at Bison, you know? This was only how I got to Bison.

Dr. Sam Rhee (37:08.384)

It is okay. This is, we'll call this.

Dr. Sam Rhee (37:20.182)

Yes, and at some point, I would really like to pick your brains at some point about the programming, like what your goals were, like how you sort of got there. Your other side too, like obviously bodies aren't just built in the gym, but outside the gym, and I would assume that there were other things that you did outside the gym to really help. Yes, and so we got to talk about that, but this is already a double wide episode. I'm gonna call it a double, but...

Karenn Marin (37:37.893)

my gosh.

Thank you.

Karenn Marin (37:47.952)

Thank you, you're so sweet. could truly like even the changes that I made over the past year, I could go into depth talking about

Dr. Sam Rhee (37:50.775)

But I really appreciate that you shared that story.

Karenn Marin (38:02.576)

how that had a huge effect, not just on my mental health, but also physically. I feel like everybody makes remarks like, you look strong, you look like you leaned out, but nobody really gets to see the changes that you're doing on a day-to-day basis, from limiting the consumption of alcohol to protect your mental health, from making the right choices of who to spend time and not spend time with, from eating things that actually nourish you to, obviously, things

just fun for the moment. It's huge sacrifices that change like the composition of your body and that made me a better person at the end of the day so we didn't even go into the details of that.

Dr. Sam Rhee (38:47.79)

And we will hopefully at some point because I think there's a lot, including me, who could benefit from learning what you did because it was honestly very transformational. I've seen probably like, you know, out of hundreds of people at the gym, there's maybe like 25 or 30 that like had made pretty dramatic changes and you're as big of a change as anyone within the space of less than a year. I would say it was like six months maybe where you really sort of made some big

improvements and gains in terms of, like you said, your overall health, wellbeing, mindset, all of that. And so we will hopefully delve in, because I would want to know how I could apply those things. mean, if you can do it at 32, I think anyone can do it at any age. so thank you for sharing that. I hope we get to share more.

Karenn Marin (39:22.255)

Yeah.

Karenn Marin (39:35.024)

Wait.

I mean, I'll say, absolutely. I'll say this to cap it off. You are a product of who you surround yourself with. And I think that best sums up my experience at Bison. So that'll be the to be continued. Yeah. That'll be my to be continued.

Dr. Sam Rhee (39:50.242)

We say that all the time. Well, thank you, Karen. Yes, absolutely. You be continued. Please, you just moved what? Like a week ago, right?

Karenn Marin (40:02.672)

Yeah, I moved here on the 12th, so it's really only been 11 days.

Dr. Sam Rhee (40:06.839)

Wow.

Dr. Sam Rhee (40:10.2)

So good luck with continuing the transition. I know it sounds like you already got off to an awesome start and I really look forward to hearing more about your new gym, CrossFit Verve, and everything else that you're doing there. So thank you again, Karen. It's been a pleasure and I will hope to speak to you soon.

Karenn Marin (40:26.704)

Thank you so much. hope to so also and also good luck with like editing because I feel like it was already You're so kind thank you again Sam. We'll talk soon. Bye

Dr. Sam Rhee (40:36.982)

it's just running straight through. Now we're not gonna change a thing. Every word is gold. Don't worry about it, Karen. Thank you so much.

Dr. Sam Rhee (40:48.632)

You got it.