In November 2014 I became a crossfitter.
I was previously a Division 1 collegiate gymnast at the University of Michigan and after graduating as a 3 time Big 10 Academic All-Team member, I was looking for ways to continue to compete. I briefly tried powerlifting, weightlifting, and bodybuilding, but none truly excited me.
Then a friend said I should try crossfitting and I was immediately hooked!
I worked obsessively at learning the many exercises and improving daily because I loved it.
After a few months of training one of the coaches at the box I trained at suggested I try the Open. As you know the 2015 Open was 5 hard weeks of competition with the fittest individuals from around the world all vying for a spot to qualify for Regionals.
When I entered the Open I was still a beginner. I hoped to do well. Much to my shock and surprise, I finished in the top 20 in the Northeast and qualified for Regionals!
At Regional's the top 5 competitors make it to the Games. All of the competitors had years more experience than me. In fact some had had already made it to the Games in previous years.
So there I was, after only taking up the sport a few months earlier, now competing against some of the fittest female athletes in the world!
Regional's ran 3 days and had 7 events.
After the first three events, I finished 10th, 7th, and 12th. I was happy but I sure wasn't going to qualify for the Games with 4 more finishes like that!
Fortunately Event 4 was something I've been doing since I was 3 years old. Handstand Walks for time. I finished first. And now I was in the hunt for the Games!
Then disaster struck... Event 5.
1 rep max snatch.
I'm not a weightlifter. In fact, I barely knew the mechanics on how to properly snatch at the time.
My finish?
Tied for 25th (ouch!) - pretty much knocking me out of any contention for qualifying for the Games unless I won one of the two final events.
Event 6 was next.
5 rounds for time:
25-calorie row
16 chest to bar pull-ups
9 strict handstand push ups
Time cap: 16 minutes
This is an event that requires minimal skill at this level.
Everyone can row. Everyone can do a C2B pull-up. Everyone can do HSPU's at this level.
In fact, this event can easily be done by most Open athletes...or so you'd think!
Two things stand out in this workout. And they not only impacted the outcome of who was going to the Games, both will impact you if you decide to compete in the 2019 Open.
1. This is a 16-minute grip workout. The grip is the weak link! No one can hold a grip for 16 minutes straight. You need both grip strength and grip endurance to do this (and many other competition events) well!
2. Two of the three events have you pulling. Chest to bar pull-ups is pulling. Rowing is pulling. So you're spending the majority of time pulling. Between the pulling and the grip endurance required to pull, this event is intended to fatigue you fast.
How hard was this event?
27 of the 38 remaining athletes couldn't complete it!
27 of the fittest women on the earth were so fatigued by this event they couldn't finish the workout. And none of those 27 immensely talented women qualified for the Games because of this event!
I finished 1st.
After taking up the sport only a few months earlier I was able to win the event and ultimately qualify for the first of my 4 Game’s appearances!
Why did I win this event and qualify for the Games?
Four reasons - and these four reasons will have a significant impact in any competition you enter.
1. My grip strength was stronger.
2. My grip strength had more endurance.
3. My pulling power was stronger.
4. My pulling power had more endurance.