By Andrew Lee
Froning, Spealler, Khalipa, Smith, Foucher, Briggs, Thorisdottir. By just listing a number of the top champions, athletes, and personalities of CrossFit, I would argue that as of now, CrossFit attracts and forges a different breed of athlete. The games athletes of CrossFit, the sport of fitness, seem different from most other professional sports athletes. These athletes are not only ambassadors of the sport, but more importantly leaders of the community. They chose to invest back into the community and share their passion and gifts with others. Among the many possible reasons, I believe that there are three aspects of CrossFit that foster this “different” breed of athlete: the Structure of CrossFit, the Community of CrossFit, and the Methodology of the CrossFit Games.
1. Structure:
No two CrossFit gyms are the same. By choosing to pursue an affiliation model versus a franchise model, CrossFit has allowed people to truly own their gym. From the programing to the décor to the music to coaching, CrossFit allows affiliate owners to place their heart and soul into their gym and truly allow it to express their personality. I believe the affiliate model of CrossFit really facilitates the transition from athlete to gym owner. As athletes become gym owners and coaches, it helps the everyday CrossFitter remove these athletes from a pedestal and make a connection with these athletes as a person, friends, and coach. I think it is safe to say that as much as we revel at the superhuman physical feats of these athletes, we see them as people first.
2. Community:
Just like the athletes, the fans and community of CrossFit differ from the average sports fan. The scalability aspect of CrossFit allows us all to experience our own moments of triumph and failure. When we see an athlete struggling to lift that final set of heavy deadlifts, we can relate. It may not be the same weight, but the struggle and heart are there. Similarly, we can relate to the triumphs of champions through our own everyday triumphs, whether that be a PR or using a lighter resistance band. The CrossFit community and fan base is truly different and contribute to the culture of the sport and the athletes. I like to think of the community as the honest broker.
3. Methodology:
The CrossFit Open. The CrossFit Regionals. The CrossFit Games. Three different stages to filter a world of people to find the fittest men and women. By creating a low cost and easily accessible means to participate in the first stage, the CrossFit Open, CrossFit allows the athletes’ performance speak for themselves. There are no recruiters, scouts, and gatekeepers deciding who goes forth. This seemingly intuitive, yet uncommon methodology ensures that the athletes who make it to the CrossFit games are truly the fittest, and a firm believer that to reach that level, it requires a passion, love, and dedication to the sport of CrossFit.
As we head towards the 8th year of the CrossFit Games, it’s quite amazing to look back at the sheer growth in popularity of CrossFit, however, with that growth comes more sponsorships, recognition, and fame. It may be that CrossFit athletes are not necessarily different, but that the sport is just still in its infancy. If the monetary incentives for CrossFit were comparable to that of the NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL would we see a dynamic shift in the population of games athletes and culture? Only time could tell.
Either way, as it is now, I can only hope CrossFit continues to grow and inspire people every day to best themselves and continue to strive to be better!
About Andrew: Andrew is a graduate of West Point and is currently an U.S. Army Captain transitioning out of the Military to pursue a career in business. He has been doing CrossFit for three years now and thoroughly enjoys it. He earned his CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Certification and started a CrossFit Affiliate for his Army Unit while they were deployed to Afghanistan. He hopes to share his passion and enthusiasm for CrossFit and the amazing positive change it brings to people through his writing!