Fifteen years ago, a South Florida man lived what he calls a near-death experience. While on vacation, he tried jumping into the ocean, but instead slipped and landed on a ledge, sustaining serious injuries.
"They told me I was never going to walk again, and once they did that it really just lit something up inside of me," said Shawn "The Ram" Ramirez. "I was not going to succumb to that. I was not going to let that take me down."
Ramirez is now celebrating after being named the "Fittest on Earth" at the 2014 CrossFit Games in California.
He clinched a big win last week in the Masters Men age 40 to 44 division, beating his competitors by more than 80 points to win a first place medal.
On Wednesday, Ramirez thanked his supporters at his Kendall gym, CrossFit BRX.
"You guys are the only ones that really knew what was going on, and when I was out there I wasn't thinking about anything but conquering, destroying and bringing back this medal," he said.
Ramirez trains about six days a week at CrossFit BRX. When he's not at the gym, the Miami-Dade County Parks Department wellness coordinator is out promoting fitness for children and adults.
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"These kids of today just need to get off the electronics and get out there and get moving," he said.
