Competition

Emma Cary is Back, in a Big Way, to Kick Off TYR Wodapalooza

January 12, 2023 by
Photo credit: Ava Kitzi
Enjoying Morning Chalk Up? Access additional exclusive interviews, analyses, and stories with an Rx membership.

After her season was cut short due to a back injury during Quarterfinals last year, 18-year-old star Emma Cary didn’t waste any time proving that she might just be back and stronger than ever at TYR Wodapalooza in Miami, FL on Thursday. She started the competition with an event win.

The details: Cary came out hot in Heat 2 on the event featuring 36 muscle-ups and 45 moderately heavy squats—21-15-9 of back squats, front squats, overhead squats at 165 pounds—making her first 21 back squats look like she was squatting the empty barbell.

  • Cary then ran into some troubles on her second set of muscle-ups, as the long-strapped rings started blowing wildly in the wind, making it difficult for Cary, a shorter athlete, to jump up and gain control, costing her the lead.
  • The 18-year-old CrossFit Games athlete and 2019 teen champion, though, stayed calm and kept her composure like a veteran.
  • “She doesn’t look like the young kid playing with the big kids,” said commentator Sean Woodland of Cary’s presence.
  • Undeterred by her ring struggles, Cary managed to reclaim the lead on the third set of muscle-ups before hitting nine relatively effortless-looking 165-pound overhead squats to win the heat and snag an event win by one second (9:09) over Elisa Fuilano.

The big picture: While it’s only one event, it was a big one for Cary, who looked confident from start to finish even amidst some hiccups. And after one event, it’s starting to look like Cary’s manager Cooper Marsh was onto something when he said a couple weeks ago, “She will be there ready to fuck shit up.”

Get the Newsletter

For a daily digest of all things CrossFit. Community, Competitions, Athletes, Tips, Recipes, Deals and more.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.