Alex Gazan Returns to Competition After a Car Crash Ended Her CrossFit Games Season
A camping trip after winning the Norcal Classic took a devastating turn when Alex Gazan and her husband, Jake, were involved in a car accident, ending her 2025 CrossFit Games season early.
- Now, several months later, she is returning to compete at the 2025 Rogue Invitational this coming weekend.
Remind me: Gazan won the 2025 Northern California Classic in May, earning her a spot at the 2025 CrossFit Games. She was one of the favorites for a podium spot, but the car accident left her with a fractured fibula and injuries from shattered glass.
Gazan initially thought she could bounce back from the fibula injury in time for the Games, but the recovery was just too long.
- “I kind of just had this illusion that maybe I could still show up at the Games, but as the days kind of progressed, I had a few other things, like glass in my eye. I realized I couldn’t move my foot; my foot was not in sync with my brain, and so I found I had some nerve damage from the impact,” Gazan said in a video posted on the HWPO Training YouTube channel.
Gazan has documented her recovery journey on Instagram, sharing her progress and the long road back to the competition floor with her followers.
Her coach, Justin Cotler, formerly the owner of Underdog Athletics, has taken on a new role as director of coaching at HWPO Training. However, Gazan still plans to have Cotler as her coach and recently traveled to HWPO Training HQ in Vermont to work with both Cotler and Mat Fraser ahead of the Rogue Invitational.
- “I’m excited for her to be back out there. Obviously, there are some nerves. There are going to be some nerves, you know, it’s the first time back on the floor. But I think we’re both really excited,” Cotler said in the video.
Gazan said in the video that she’s excited to compete at Rogue and eager to start the Games season again, especially with Cotler and HWPO supporting her.
- “I’m hoping Rogue will be fun, and I’ll get to compete without pain and just enjoy it. After that, I’m hoping to get back to where I was, and I want to win the Games, so head down,” Gazan said.
One last thing: The Rogue Invitational begins on Friday, October 31, in Aberdeen, Scotland, where 20 men and 20 women will compete over three days and face nine workouts.
Featured image: Sebastian Vallejo
