Unconventional Athletes Issue 9

www.unconventionalathletes.com
FROM FACE
DOWN TO FLYING:
THE FALL AND
RISE OF ANDREW
CRANSTON
AFTER A DEVASTATING FACE-FIRST FALL OFF HIS MOTORCYCLE,
THE EXPERIENCE OF SEEING A BARSTARZZ VIDEO SHOWING
“SHREDDED DUDES” DEFYING GRAVITY WITH THEIR CALISTHENIC’S
MOVES CREATED AN OVERWHELMING DESIRE IN ANDREW TO DO
THE SAME. BUT FIRST HE HAD TO STAND
WITHOUT A WHEELCHAIR.
What was your first experience with fitness? How
fit were you before your accident?
My first experience with fitness would date back to
playing sports such as football, soccer, and baseball
when I was a child. I was a fat kid for most of my
young life. Beginning in high school I decided to
make a major change. I was 14-years-old, 5’4” and
210 lbs. Those numbers disgusted me, so I started
to eat a little better and exercising by riding my bike
and walking more. But everything changed when I
was 17 and a senior in high school.
What was your main inspiration for getting into
shape? When did you decide enough was enough?
When I was still in a wheelchair, my mom had me roll
into her room to show me a video. At the time I thought
this was going to just be another dumb cat video or
something stupid, but it ended up drastically changing
my direction in life and gave me purpose.
The video she showed me was a video called “Super
Human Pullups” by the Barstarzz. The guys in this
video were doing pushups with their feet off the
ground, and moving their bodies as if gravity didn’t
even exist. I had never seen anything like this in my
life. I was completely blown away by these guys’
abilities and their physiques. I mean these dudes
were the most shredded people I had ever seen.
At the time I was barely able to
use my legs and both of my hands
and wrists were broken, but I didn’t see
that, I saw what I wanted. What I wanted
was to be able to do everything I just saw in that
video. I am proud to say that I can now do everything
I saw in that video and much, much more.
Could you give any details leading up to your
accident? Do you remember where you were
going when it happened?
I was on my way to pick up my girlfriend from
school on my new motorcycle when I was T-Boned
by a drunk driver on a Thursday afternoon. It was
just a normal day, I ate some food at my house and
then geared up with jeans, jacket, helmet, spine/
rib protector and a backpack that was filled with my
weatherproof motorcycle cover.
Can you recall any details of the accident? How
frightened were you?
I remember everything about the accident because
I never lost consciousness throughout the entire
Issue 09 - Volume 1 | 2016 Page 10