MIAMI (WSVN) - After winning the Reebok CrossFit Masters competition in 2014 and 2015, a South Florida father’s hope for a third win appeared all but gone when he suffered a significant injury. That’s when a supportive group of family and friends stepped in and pushed Shawn Ramirez to go for gold.
Surrounded by a roomful of his biggest fans, Shawn “The Ram” Ramirez finds his comfort zone feeding off the energy and emotion of loved ones — and three adorable sons.
Shawn Ramirez: “This guy, he pushes me. This one here is my biggest fan. And this one here gives me the determination.”
The 42-year-old father of three is an unrelenting competitor who appreciates the importance of a support system. He utilizes his support system to reach unbelievable heights, including earning the title of “Fittest Man on Earth.”
Family member Florida Rep. Michael Bileca: “Shawn, in front of all of us, made the impossible possible.”
Shawn Ramirez: “I knew with that support there was nothing that could stop me.”
Ramirez, a two-time winner of the Reebok CrossFit Masters competition, suffered a devastating injury last November, just months before attempting to win for a third year in a row. He fractured his left ankle and tibia in three parts and tore two ligaments while playing soccer with his children.
Florida Rep. Michael Bileca: “In the emergency room, on Thanksgiving day, the first set of doctors were telling Shawn that it’s just not possible.”
Shawn Ramirez: “Everybody was like, ‘Shawn’s hurt. I don’t know if he’s going to be able to do it,’ and that was just fuel to my fire. Once they said that, I was like, ‘Oh, it’s on.'”
But time was working against Ramirez. He had less than three months to get ready to compete against 20,000 other athletes, and doctors said the recovery time for Shawn’s injury could be twice that long.
However, thanks to the combination of hard work, specialists from West Kendall Baptist Hospital and the backing of his loving family, Ramirez was able to overcome the strain of all these obstacles.
Despite facing seemingly insurmountable odds, “The Ram” battered his competition. Ramirez earned his three-peat once again claiming the title of CrossFit Master.
Florida Rep. Michael Bileca: “If you think of the word champion, if you think of the word heart, if you think of the word role model, it’s Shawn.”
Shawn Ramirez: “No matter what anybody says to you, no matter what circumstances you’re faced with, if you believe you will achieve, there’s nothing that can stop you. Nothing.”
With a will and work ethic that is unquestionably strong and supported, the only question remaining is….
Shawn Ramirez: “Four in a row? Four in a row?”
And this wasn’t the first time Ramirez has overcome a major injury.
When he was 25, the daredevil got hurt jumping off a mountain and required two blood transfusions to save his life. Doctors at the time said he would be unable to walk again.
Now, he’s hoping to be crowned “Fittest Man in the World” for a fourth time in a row.
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