Lindsay Hilton was born missing all four limbs. Being a congenital amputee, Hilton had two roads to choose from early in life. She could've chosen to let life kick her around and feel sorry for herself every day. Alternatively, she could've grabbed life by the horns and not let anyone tell her "no". The warrior in her chose the latter. From a young age, Hilton's competitiveness got her into soccer and swimming. Upon entering high school, Hilton brought the challenge upon herself to get involved in something more physical which led her to join the rugby and field hockey teams. Hilton has continued playing rugby into her adult years and has even picked up CrossFit to stay in shape for rugby. It would have been easy for Hilton to make excuses for herself and not get the most out of her life, but the bad-ass in her came out at a young age and hasn't gone away. Her passion and determination are so easy to see, making her a great representation of what it is to be a Kill Cliff Warrior.
KC: Has fitness been something you've been interested in since you were young?
LH: I was not necessarily into fitness, but I was always active in sports. I didn’t get into fitness until my 20's. The sports I played growing up were soccer and swimming. As I entered high school I got involved in rugby and field hockey. I have continued playing rugby and gotten into CrossFit as well.
KC: How did you get into CrossFit?
LH: There was a slow process getting into CrossFit with little bits of exposure. I was interested in getting stronger for rugby. I was going to fitness boot camps and getting bored with them. My rugby friends opened a CrossFit gym so that helped me get into it. What really got me into it was a contest at the gym that offered a free month of membership to the person who could do the most burpees and I won. I still do CrossFit workouts, but I am not actively competing.
KC: What kind of role does fitness play in your life now?
LH: Well, I mainly to the gym so I can eat snacks and not weigh 1000 pounds. The gym I go to has a great community of friends and support which makes it wonderful. I love competing and pushing hard.
KC: What kind of adversity did you face when your younger-self was trying to get involved in athletics? Were there any specific instances you can remember?
LH: Most people don’t look at me and think I can compete. I was lucky to have lots of people around me that believed in me including coaches and teammates. There’s not one specific big moment that I can remember from when I was younger that was filled with adversity due to my disability, but I can point out lots of little things. Obviously, things can be difficult for me compared to the normal person, but I try to do my best every day.
KC: You just mentioned your support group helping you when you were younger. Was there anyone specific that played a big role in your athletic career?
LH: My physical education teacher was always encouraging when I was younger and helped me succeed. He played a huge role in giving me confidence in trying out for new teams. He did his best to make things fair for me and gave me an understanding of competition in sports. Lots of my friends when I was younger were sporty and they encouraged me to try out with them. Lots of my friends now are rugby and CrossFit athletes and they have played a big role in keeping me active.
WHAT DOES KILL THE QUIT MEAN TO YOU?
“Pushing through the pain. There are lots of time in your everyday life where you can stop and give up but killing the quit is telling your self that you need to kill that little voice in your head that is telling you to stop.”
