Kaitlyn Johnson Qualifies for US Swimming Nationals by Training CrossFit

May 31, 2022 by
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kaitlyn Johnson

CrossFit prepares you for life. 

Picking up heavy moving boxes, carrying all your grocery bags in one trip, or running from a grizzly bear, all that time spent in the gym is designed to give you a leg up in whatever life throws your way.

 And maybe it can also prepare you for the Olympic Trials?

32-year-old Kaitlyn Johnson, a former Clarion University swimmer who had retired from competitive swimming, signed up for a local swim meet last month on a whim–her friends were out of town, so why not? She entered herself into the preliminary competition, not even gunning for a spot in the finals. But, almost six years after quitting competitive swimming, Johnson surprised herself. 

Johnson ended the day with a 25.82 second 50-meter freestyle, qualifying her for both summer and winter US Swimming National Championships. According to Johnson, this is the largest, most prominent competition in non-Olympic years. Surrounded by athletes that solely train in the pool, day in and day out, Johnson’s secret isn’t a special stroke or a practice technique. It’s CrossFit. 

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