“There’s no room for me to think when I’m working out that hard. I can’t think about the troubles that I have that everybody has, the bills, the stress, relationships, everything like that… And I’m usually ten times better when I’m done at the gym,” Gatlin Houston says, wearing his signature bandana and camouflage shorts, while recovering from a set of pull-ups and then push-ups.
For Houston, this storage unit gym in Reno is more than just a workout space, it's his sanctuary.
CrossFit has been his lifeline for 10 years now, transforming what he calls a “rough” childhood and then addiction into a story of resilience and strength.
Before his workouts, he likes to write a mantra with his planned exercises. On this day it was “there is nothing harder than what you’ve already been through.”
Every drop of sweat is a reminder that he's stronger than his past and more powerful than his struggles.
This isn't just exercise for him; it's therapy, his way of pushing through life's challenges one workout at a time.
Houston started going to North Valley Fitness when he began his journey of recovery with Reps for Recovery , a non-profit organization offering free guided fitness classes for those trying to overcome addictions.
During the Murph workout, one of his favorites now, Houston wears a 20 pound vest and completes a one mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats, finishing with another mile run.
With Reps for Recovery, where he’s now gone from being helped to being a coach, he's found a community that understands the power of transformation and healing.
This is Houston’s happy place, which he calls “his meditation,” where pain becomes power, and every last set is the best set.
Reporting and photos by Zach March