Help us fight Pat’s fight

I met Pat back in 2007. I was fresh out of undergrad and undergoing my first day of orientation at a personal training studio in Copley Square. It was late August and I was getting ready to make my move to Boston for my first year of grad school. I had very little experience in personal training other than what I gained through my exercise science degree, and Boston as a city was still very unfamiliar and overwhelming.

In my orientation it was just me and one other person, Pat Padgett. We were starting the job at the same time. I liked Pat immediately. I thought he was very entertaining and enjoyed his jokes. I felt like we had the same sense of humor and could definitely become friends. From that time onward we would see each other regularly at work. Shortly after I met Pat I met Chris (goosedaddy), and well…that’s a whole other story but you all know the ending.

Chris and I became buddies with Pat and worked alongside him for about a year in Copley. Pat then left and got a job in Cambridge at a gym called VIM, it is where he has worked ever since. I followed him there because I loved working with Pat, I knew if he liked it, I would too. We were the only 2 trainers there, so we saw a lot of each other.

Around the time I started at VIM, I had just started doing CrossFit. Chris and I started in 2008 at CrossFit Boston, and we also would train mid-day at CrossFit Fenway with the coaches there. Pat was pretty resistant to trying CrossFit because he had a traumatic injury to his hand and wrist that required surgery and a ton of physical therapy to regain function. He pretty much counted himself for ever being able to do heavy deadlifts, cleans, snatches, and some other movements. Pat did do a lot of CrossFit-like workouts (ie. bringing weights to the pool and running laps with them), but didn’t think training at a CrossFit gym was in the cards for him.

Pat came along a few times to CrossFit Fenway with Chris and I, and it didn’t take long for Pat to love the workouts and the competitive aspect (anyone who knows pat knows he loves to talk some competitive smack). He made the decision to commit to giving his wrist a shot, and it paid off, his wrist became a lot stronger. Once Pat started drinking the Kool-aid it didn’t take him long to start crushing WODs. In January 2010 they announced the first ever sectional event (this was the year before they started the world wide open), and Chris, Pat and I decided to sign up.

We competed in the 2010 sectional in March, went scuba diving in Mexico in April, and then competed in the regional in June. That September we opened CrossFit Southie which Pat was huge supporter of. I have seen Pat every week since we opened. He is such a huge part of CFS and our lives.

This winter Pat became openly disheartened about his resurfacing mouth pain. I knew how hard his recovery was when he had the surgery back in 2012, and I could believe my ears when I found out the pain was back and that he was going to suffer through the pain and once again. Despite the pain, Pat crushed the Open, all of his lifts were at a peak, and he was proving himself to be the fittest guy in the gym. After the open was over he told us that he was having another surgery. He was in excrutiating pain day in and day out, it was all he would talk about. We gave him an invitation to compete on the Regional team, and he accepted the offer but gave us the warning that if the doctor found cancer there would be a surgery immediately after and that he would not be able to compete. Pat had the surgery the beginning of May, they removed some stuff, and they said that there was no cancer. Pat was laid up for about 3 weeks, but gave us the green light for being able to compete at the regional the first weekend in June. Though this what great news, Pat was still in an immense amount of pain and said the pain was worse than before. It was so bad that he knew he needed another surgery as soon as possible. That surgery was scheduled for after the regional in late June.

The regional weekend went great. Pat performed like a champ, and he was an amazing team player and had a stellar performance. It is a weekend I will remember forever.  Even though they didn’t qualify for the games, they gave an honorable performance and had amazing positivity throughout the weekend.

The follow up surgery was when the bomb was dropped that Pat not only had cancer, but very progressed cancer. They didn’t give him good chances which left all those close to him speachless and devestated.  I don’t think I have ever met anyone as strong as Pat. Others would crumble in his situation, but Pat showed nothing but positivity and strength despite the news. Pat had his 3rd surgery to remove the cancer recently, and they believe that they cleanly removed the mass, but in doing that they removed 70% of his tongue left him in the ICU for a week in recovery. Now Pat is relearning how to speak and how to swallow. He is far exceeding his doctors expectations, but his quality of life has been compromised, and he still has a fight ahead of him.

In a few weeks Pat will start 6 weeks of chemo therapy and radiation. Yet again, another battle to overcome. Pat needs our help. As his friends, we have been determined to do everything we can to help, and that is why we are reaching out to you.

This Saturday, August 2nd we are doing to PR4Pat WOD. There will be no other classes that day, and no matter what your ability level is you can do this workout! You can sign up by clicking HERE. We will be releasing the heats on Friday. You can easily donate by clicking HERE, or you can donate the day of. Shirts will also be on sale for $25.00.

Pat is literally one of the strongest, coolest, funniest, people I know, and a great friend. Please help him fight the fight of his life. Pat has been out of work since June and will not be able to work again for a long time. We are just trying to raise enough to allow Pat to live comfortably and pay his medical bills. Every little bit counts!

Skill
Paralette work

WOD
3 Rounds
100 Double Unders
20 Toes to Bar
30 Push-ups
1000m Row
Rest 3 Minutes

Level 2- 50 Double Unders, 20 Push-ups, 15 T2B
Level 1- 200 singles, 15 toes to bar, 15 push-ups, 500m row

Mobility:
Upper body