The Titan Games, hosted by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are back bathed in CrossFit athletes, A CrossFit Affiliate in Florida opens illegally, and there will be a Games-like competition for teenage athletes.
Good morning and welcome to the WODDITY podcast for news about CrossFit. We are a daily podcast, Monday through Friday, doing CrossFit news in five minutes or less.
My name is Ben Garves and today is Thursday, the 7th of May, 2020. Don’t forget, links to all of these stories are in the show notes of your friendly neighborhood podcasting app, as well as on the new WODDITY.com.
Reebok Nano X Review
Shoes have arrived for my Reebok Nano X review and I’m testing them out today. You can catch the premier of that video this weekend on our Elite Sports Insider live show on YouTube, which streams Sunday at 12 PM Eastern. Grab a link to that in the show notes and make sure you set a reminder so you know when we go live. One out of one fans have said the show is incredible. Thanks Grandma!
Games-Like Competition for Teenage Athletes
Azariah Price is a 2019 CrossFit Games athlete in the teen category and has partnered up with coach Brock Yost of The Pit Fitness Ranch between Michigan and Indiana. They’re working to put on a CrossFit Games-like competition for teenage athletes who are now unable to compete in the 2020 CrossFit Games age group categories due to the COVID19 shutdown-related cutbacks. Invites will be sent out to the top ten male and top ten female athletes in each of the four teen age categories, which could gather a total of 40 athletes. I’ll keep you posted as the story develops.
Gyms Defiant of Closure Orders
CrossFit Trussville in Alabama has made a public call for the Governor to visit and see that it’s possible for a gym to conduct safe business, while some gyms are taking it a step further. Harbor City Community Fitness in Florida opened last week, despite it still being illegal in that state. It was a well-publicized effort on the part of ownership, garnering the attention of local politicians. The gym has now closed again, but the owner doesn’t sound like it’ll stay closed for long. His argument? That CrossFit is an essential healthcare business. Other gym owners are not of the same opinion.
Another affiliate owner offered this:
“…during a pandemic, nurses and doctors are essential. Our boxes are not…we are swimming instructors.” That was Dennis Guerrero of CrossFit Jetty. In this instance, when somebody is drowning, it’s a lifeguard that’s needed. It’s too late for the swimming instructors.
Emily Beers at Morning Chalk Up spoke to a number of owners, but one owner’s words really resonate. Gerry Berube of CrossFit Skopos told Beers:
“The rash of people choosing to open against mandates from local authorities has been an embarrassing spotlight on CrossFit gyms. Human life is more valuable than our businesses. Period. (And) opening our CrossFit gyms doors against mandates is not a representation of the health that we are supposed to be encouraging in our members and definitely doesn’t take into account the health of the communities we are part of.”
CrossFit Athletes Star in Titan Games Season 2
It’s probably not fair to say there are only four CrossFit athletes on The Titan Games this season. I could actually confirm eight athletes who have participated in at least the CrossFit Open, four of which have CrossFit Games experience, and at least five that have competed in a Regional. Those athletes are:
- Six-time CrossFit Games individual athlete Matt Chan, who competed in the earlier days of the sport, including a second-place finish at the CrossFit Games in 2012.
- Six-time individual, one-time team, and 2018 South Regional Champion Margaux Alvarez.
- 2019 Sanctional phenom, CrossFit Games competitor, and two-time Regional athlete Dani Speegle.
- 2017 and 2018 CrossFit Games Team athlete Kelly Stone.
- 2013 Regional Team athlete Kelly Valdez.
Also notable are Courtney Roselle and Kareem Brinson, who have competed in the CrossFit Open six times. And rounding out the list is Natalie Talbert, who is a CrossFit coach.
Patrick Clark at Morning Chalk Up is reporting at least two other athletes (Robbie Rodriguez and Joshua Porter) have CrossFit ties, but I’ve been unable to independently verify that.
This year the Titan Games will pit competitors from three regions of the United States against superstar athletes like MMA fighter Tyron Woodley, professional boxer Claressa Shields, former NFL players Victor Cruz and Joe Thomas, stuntwoman Jessie Graff, and snowboarder Hannah Teter.
And that’s it for news about CrossFit for Thursday, May 7th. Thanks for listening. Please be sure to rate, review, subscribe, and share. For WODDITY, I’m Ben Garves. Behave yourselves out there.
