“Behind the Grind” with Mat Fraser: Fear, Identity, and the Mindset That Built HWPO
At the HYROX event in Las Vegas, NV, last February, five-time CrossFit Games champion Mat Fraser participated in his first race with partner Matt O’Keefe.
- He enjoyed it more than he expected, sharing in a YouTube episode that he had a great time racing with his friend and loved seeing athletes of all levels compete together, tackling the same course and challenges.
Skip to September, and HWPO Training partnered with HYROX as the title sponsor for the Boston, MA, race.
As HWPO Training broadens its reach, expands its community, and explores new sports and training techniques, Fraser stays at the helm, guiding the ship.
He was recently featured on Behind the Grind, a podcast that explores the psychology of high performers beyond just highlight reels.
This discussion centered on Fraser’s internal motivation: how he handled doubt, what drove his discipline, and how he managed the emotional shifts of both striving for and stepping back from the title of Fittest Man on Earth.
- Host of the podcast, Mintra Tilly, is the director of sport for HYROX and plays a key role in the brand’s growth and success. A former Army strength coach, Tilly developed a passion for sport and performance, which led her to create the HYROX race format used today.
In the interview, Fraser shares insights into key moments in his life, his mindset, and important experiences that have shaped who he is today.
The two discussed the origins of HWPO Training and how he and his team are working to develop it into more than just a community but a movement.
- The motto, “‘Hard Work Pays Off,’ came right before I started CrossFit,” Fraser told Tilly. “I was kind of at a low point in my life where I just didn’t have any direction. I just moved back to Vermont. I had retired from weightlifting.”
He explained that the motto came to him while he was earning his engineering degree, as he built a structure for himself, stayed focused, and dedicated himself to his studies, knowing it would all pay off in his career.
At that time, CrossFit as a career was not yet on the table. But eventually, the idea grew into something much bigger. The motto became the champion’s mindset and mantra during training and competition. Later, it transformed into a community of like-minded individuals working together toward a common goal.
Fraser also discussed training “scared” and using pressure as fuel.
- “I always imagined that if everything goes right for my competitors and everything goes wrong for me, like how am I going to handle it?” Fraser said.
He knew how easily things could go sideways based on a judge, equipment, or a mental error.
Fraser had put in long hours working what he classifies as “shitty jobs,” and thought to himself, “if this CrossFit thing doesn’t work out, this is what I’m coming back to. And I was just like, fuck that.”
Tilly and Fraser also explored themes of identity and purpose, and discussed life after retirement.
- Fraser shared that he had always said he would retire while he was still loved. He had put his life on hold for years by then, and both he and partner, Sammy Moniz, were ready to move on and start a new chapter in their lives.
He reached a point in his career when he asked himself, “What am I working for? Why am I doing this? I just realized that at some point, I got the records I wanted. I did the events I wanted to do. I’ve set myself and my future family up. I don’t want to live in luxury, but I do want access to every opportunity.”
Fraser continued.
- “Whether it’s me or my kids, whatever they want to try, whatever they want to do, I don’t want to have that be a roadblock. And I just realized once I got to a certain point, it was kind of like, ‘okay, if I sign up for this again and do a whole ‘nother season, I can if everything goes right.’ And say I win again, I know exactly down to the dime how much I’m going to earn.”
“I was just kind of like, that doesn’t change a single thing in my life,” he said, “It doesn’t change the quality of life for myself or for my future family. And so I was just like, ‘okay, like I’ve, I’ve done this enough,’” Fraser said.
He had shattered the CrossFit ceiling, and it was time to see what else awaited the five-time champ. Fast forward to today, where Fraser is the founder of HWPO Training, co-founder of Podium, and While on Earth, a real estate developer, and father of two daughters.
The full episode is available now.
