CrossFit Games

Alison Stall: Competing for Two at the North America East Semifinal

May 19, 2023 by
Photo Credit: Ava Kitzi
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While most women at the North America East Semifinal this weekend are worried about qualifying for the CrossFit Games, Electric City Fitness Co. athlete Alison Stall has another concern on her mind. 

Vomiting. 

You see, Stall is almost 14 weeks pregnant with a baby girl and extremely nauseous right now. 

Her nausea didn’t hinder her from a solid finish on test one on Friday, unofficially finishing 18th. While many women might have dreaded the machine monotony of test one, Stall welcomed it. 

  • “Machines are something that have always been a strength of mine. Like the bike, even the runner, anything that’s like a longer endurance is a strength of mine compared to skills or strength. However, my breathing is not where it used to be right now.”

Already a mom to almost two-year-old Jax (thankfully being cared for this weekend by Grandma), Stall and her husband Dan found out in February that they were expecting baby #2. The goal for her season understandably changed on a dime.

  • Stall: “When the season started, it was my goal to go to the Games (in Masters), but a lot of people had to tell me that I had a really good shot before I started believing it…I won Wodapalooza as a Masters athlete, and that was when I was like, oh, I think I’m good. Like, right now. And so I started getting really confident about it. Like, I think this is ideal. And then, in February, I got pregnant. Which is awesome!” 

That’s when the goal changed. After waiting until the last possible moment to accept her Individual Semifinal invitation–pressure from her husband pushed her over the edge – Stall even questioned if she should compete this weekend. 

  • “I wasn’t feeling good–nausea hit me so early this time, like, right, when I thought I was pregnant, I was like, wow, this is a little intense. And so I was like, should I even go do this? I know how it feels to get a backfill so I could give that to somebody else. But with encouragement, especially from mothers, it was like, hey, no, you earned this. And for me,  it kind of takes some pressure off.”

But do not expect Stall to phone anything in this weekend. She has something pushing her–knowing she is having a girl, she is motivated to be a positive role model for her daughter and other young women.

  • “I’ve always been a very jacked person, it’s just like my genetics, like I don’t know how not to do CrossFit. I lift weights and everything but I get looked at in amazement, and I do want it to be more accepted.” 
  • “So I want to be just a strong positive role model for all females, but especially my daughter to know that, ‘Hey, your mom may not be 100% confident in her skin, because I feel like as women, we never are 100% confident, but that, you know, I’m not meant to dwell about what my body looks like, I’m meant to celebrate what my body can do. And CrossFit has been that for me for the past 19 years now.”

Stall is passionate in the fact that kids are always paying attention.

  •  “I remember growing up paying attention to what my mom used to say about herself–she used to just put herself down all the time. And I like that CrossFit is so empowering.” 
  • “And I mean, it would be a dream for my daughter to do. I mean, she can do whatever she wants, but it would be great for my son and my daughter to be able to do CrossFit, weightlifting, gymnastics, all the stuff that I wish I would have had.”

Heading into Linda, a test that Stall is very excited to take on, she is having the time of her life out there on the competition floor. 

  • She mentions, “I would want to place, you know, do my best. And that does not change. I still want to make myself proud after every workout, knowing that I did my best. And so that’s definitely there. I feel proud that I’m growing life right now. And my body can do this. So I feel like I’m living it up. And I want to show people that you can do this, and CrossFit is for everybody.”  

“I feel like I got so lucky this week, in that there’s no movement that I can’t do.I just feel so fortunate that I can do this and to show people, hey, for a 13-14 week pregnant girl, this is what it looks like. But, you know, I may not be as fast as Daniel Brandon, but I can do my best. So I love that. I love that.”

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