Started from the Bottom Now We’re Here

What an amazing year at the CrossFit Games- it feels really good to be able to say that from the heart. I’m so honored to have the opportunity to get out on the competition field with so many incredibly hard working athletes. The talent pool in this sport gets deeper every year. Plain and simple, every athlete out there is really good at what they do!

I thought the programming this year was fantastic. There’s something so cool about being in a sport where the possibilities for the challenges you will face are limitless. I loved the diversity of the events. Loved that such a variety of athletes came out and won events. I loved that we used the entire field in the soccer stadium this year- I’m getting choked up as I write this, recalling how it felt to walk out onto that field.

I really can’t get my head around how many hours and how many people went into making this past week happen in Carson. To CrossFit HQ staff, the judges, the volunteers, my sincere thank you. What you do allows us to live out our athletic dreams and perform on a stage like no other. It truly keeps getting better!

I felt like the fans were more engaged and more connected to the performances this year than ever before. I wish I had words to describe what the crowd support felt like. Absolutely amazing you guys. Sincere thanks to everyone who posted on my social media, your love is felt and appreciated!

I’m excited about our 2014 “Fittest on Earth.” Camille’s victory is a testament to the power of perseverance and hard work. I find it personally inspiring to see someone make the podium after 5 years of trying.   Rich is my favorite and I love to see him go out with the only type of finale that’s befitting such a champ. Two great ambassadors for our sport.

No one gets to the CrossFit Games without an abundance of support. I’m so appreciative of my family and friends for the continuous and unconditional love and encouragement.  Derek Freiberg and my CrossFit Construct family, you guys see the good, the bad and the ugly of training and never bat an eye- thank you for that. I could not have gotten through the Open this year without our community.

I have a number of people and companies I want to specifically thank for support over the course of this season- Rudy Nielsen, RxSmartGear, Amara Drink, KitchFix who went above and beyond to keep me well fed, Howard Reichenbach, Vitargo kept me fueled, my Barbells for Boobs family, Performance Training Systems, Chicago Bulls College Prep, Dr. Sunil Pullukat of Chicago Sport and Wellness who has kept me going for the past two years.

It’s so easy to judge the success or failure of a CrossFit Games season based on your standing on the leaderboard (14^th overall for me this year), but that leaves so much of the story untold. I’ve been truly blessed by both the ups and downs of not only this week, but of the entire year. I’m proud to say, in 3.5 years of CrossFit I’ve made 4 consecutive CrossFit Games appearances and landed each in the top 15. I’ve grown as a person and as an athlete and that is the most important outcome. I’m very grateful to be healthy and have this surreal experience to draw on moving forward.