CrossFit Saved My Life - Volume 1

Meet Ivan Garcia. The 26-year-old waiter and bouncer aspires to be a police officer, but one thing stands in his way: his weight.

A complex story about personal transformation, self-discovery and how one man's journey to find a sense of belonging would in essence give him purpose.

Malik Abdul-Haqq turned to drugs to fill a void in his life, but he received a wake-up call when he was sentenced to a three-year stint in state prison. He traded his drug addiction for an addiction to wellness and started doing CrossFit.

MeiLin McDonald, 17, suffered a severe concussion as a child. The injury caused her eyes to become permanently dilated, unable to focus. A doctor suggested surgery to explore the possibility of inner-ear damage, but complications left her unable to walk.

In October 2012, Donnie Savella suffered an injury that eventually led to paralysis of his legs. He set a goal to get back into competitive shape by 2015. This year, he competed in the CrossFit Games Open, one year ahead of schedule.

Kate, who lost her leg to cancer, has become a familiar face as CrossFit affiliates raise money to support sick kids. It was because of gymnastics and CrossFit, doctors said, that Kate avoided death when she was diagnosed. Then her cancer returned.

Constance Tillett, 76, has undergone hip, knee and shoulder replacements. She also has diabetes and cardiac issues. Since starting CrossFit, she has lost 20 lb., improved her range of motion, and is able to tie her shoes for the first time since 2006.

Before Shari Keener started training in 2005 at the original CrossFit box in Santa Cruz, Calif., she had a different addiction: meth. Keener credits her cousin with saving her from certain death.

At Kshanti CrossFit in Virginia, Andrea West is best known as "Babs"-Badass Bitch. She's a hard-working athlete who has a rare disease called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, which raises risks for lung and liver diseases.

After struggling with her health for years-surviving cancer and developing Type 2 diabetes-Patti Goldenson decided to turn her life around. Since joining CrossFit South Bay in California, she's lost 135 lb. and no longer needs to take diabetes medication.

Being part of his local CrossFit community became even more important for Cinco when he was diagnosed with aggressive metastasized lung cancer that had spread to his brain. His doctors gave him four weeks to live. That was 18 weeks ago.