10 Years Strong, Local Comp, FitFest, Goes Global with Online Throwdown
Anyone who has organized and hosted a local throwdown knows how much effort and energy it requires, often with little to no financial reward for the gym owner.
But that hasn’t stopped Tiffani Arndt, owner of CrossFit Ground Up in Hastings, NE, from hosting FitFest year after year.
- This local competition, which started in 2016, has donated $18,000 to charity since 2018.
This year, though, will be different.
This year, for the first time in 10 years, Arndt is moving her two-person team competition to a virtual platform — FitFest Online — so people in gyms worldwide can compete and win prizes and prize money.
The Details
FitFest Online will take place from October 16-19 and is open to anyone interested in participating.
Athletes will compete in teams of two — either two men, two women, or mixed pairs — and the top five in both the Elite and Rx divisions will earn prize money. The remaining cash earned through registration will be donated to a local animal shelter.
- “So the more people that sign up, the more prize money they can win, and the more the shelter will get,” Arndt said, adding that because of the worldwide online format, she’s hoping to “blow” the normal prize money “out of the water.”
Furthermore, Arndt has partnered with various brands — Frog Grips, Barbell Voodoo, Ascent, and LMNT — which have donated prizes for the Elite, Rx, and scaled divisions.
There will be three workouts over three days, announced two weeks before the competition, with a blind leaderboard so the winners won’t be revealed until all scores are submitted.
The Big Picture
Ten years in, Arndt remains just as driven to grow her competition and keep it thriving, and she hopes all the effort she’s put into switching to an online format will help her achieve this.
- “We know this year is foundational, but we want to see it grow. We think there is a market for open gym, home gyms, and also the ability to compete with a friend, spouse, or anyone else that you generally don’t get to compete with,” Arndt said.
She added, “I also know I am always more comfortable in my home gym, getting to sleep in my own bed, etc. That is an advantage that everyone can have with this competition.”
Featured image: @/fitfestonline / Instagram
