Tia Toomey has been a force to be reckoned with in the functional fitness space (and other fitness spaces, too,) for some time.

I have had the pleasure of seeing her in her element many times over the last several years, and it’s truly magnificent to watch – not because she is the fastest (although that is often true). She is a delight to watch because of her virtuosity. Not only is she fast, but the technique is so beautiful that it’s pure spectacle to watch. The ease with which she moves makes you believe “I could do that too” – because it doesn’t even look hard.

This is objectively true, and she’s got the decorations to prove it.

However, after being meters from the action at the Rogue Invitational, I am an even bigger fan.

Before I go further, I want to intentionally do my diligence: I don’t think that 99.9% of the 5-month-postpartum population has any business doing the kind of things she did. Plainly: she is a professional athlete. You, reading this, likely are not. I don’t know how her birth or immediate recovery went, but I do know that her base fitness threshold was higher, certainly, than mine. And I will not contribute to the culture of shaming the mother: she made a choice to compete. Commentary on her unique circumstances, readiness and whether or not her care team agreed (and what I think about that) is none of my business.

In the last workout of the weekend, The Clean Up, Tia was tied for the title. In the last round of the workout that would determine the winner, she got a no-rep on a clean and jerk. It wasn’t captured clearly on the broadcast, but she took a step back, bent over her barbell, and took a deep breath in. She knew that Laura was going to beat her in the workout, and therefore, for the title. I could see her throat quiver as she breathed deeply, and it made me cry. There was a moment of hesitation, and I wondered if she’d even finish the event. It looked as though she might burst into tears right there.

It’s a moment you can’t fully appreciate if you aren’t a mom.

It’s a moment I’ve lived in a few times, too.

“I have the will to do this. But my body is just not there yet. I love my child, but I am fatigued with the weight of all the expectations I have to carry.” It’s almost like, I am not where I want to be, so what is the point?

And, like many moms have done and will continue to do for as long as time goes on: She resumed her work after a brief pause. She picked the barbell up and finished the final workout of her first inaugural competition after becoming a mother, knowing that she hadn’t done what she set out to do: Win. I was so moved.

I can’t claim to know what was going through her head, but I do know this: most mothers know the fine balance between wanting to give up and wanting to keep going.

I can’t wait to watch where this season goes for her.