Reebok Athletes Shine at WZA as Focus Turns to the Games Season
At the 14th annual Wodapalooza, Reebok celebrated big with a wide roster of athletes, parties, and huge shoe giveaways—more than 300 Reebok Nano X5 Edges were given out during the festival weekend, involving us, Lauren Kalil, multiple activations, and a fleet of trucks that appeared (rain or shine) over four days.
- Over the past 15 years, Reebok’s name has become closely linked with fitness, beginning in 2011 when the brand launched the original Nano, the first true fitness shoe.
Now in its 15th version, Reebok’s influence in the CrossFit community is global, with athletes worldwide supporting the brand. At Wodapalooza alone, the athlete roster included competitors from eight countries.
Reebok Roster at WZA
Reebok’s roster consisted of partner athletes such as Elisa Fuliano, Matilde Garnes, Mariana Meza, and Roldan Goldbaum.
- Reebok also supported athletes during the competition weekend, including Arielle Loewen, Nico Bedon, Sasha Nieves, Esteban Ospina, Rodrigo Velazquez, Fernando Rebane, Leticia Cerqueira, Roxy Rebane, as well as team athletes Jessica Androsik, Lindsey Lane, Kensie Campbell, Dusty Looker, and Tyler Cooke.
Long-time partner Fee Saghafi was in attendance, and while she was not competing, she played a large role in the Reebok activations and the weekend experience as a whole.
A CrossFit Games Push for Fuliano
One storyline in Miami Beach involved last year’s 5th-place finisher, Elisa Fuliano, who withdrew from the competition after the first day.
- With Wodapalooza shifting from January to March, athletes face decisions about their upcoming Games season. (Wodapalooza now coincides with the Open, and managing multiple competitions at once while staying healthy can be challenging.)
We talked with Fuliano before competition weekend, and she mentioned she was dealing with a minor injury, making her participation at Wodapalooza uncertain, as she aims for her fourth Games appearance this summer.
- “This year’s WZA was a bit of an unfortunate edition, both personally due to my injury and overall because of the challenging weather conditions. It was my fourth consecutive year competing there, and after finishing 7th in 2024 and 5th last year, I came in aiming for a podium spot. I was feeling in great shape leading up to the event and really confident about my chances,” Fuliano told Morning Chalk Up.
It was while testing a WZA workout, days before leaving for Miami, that she felt a pull in her quad during a squat clean. She was already sore from Open workout 26.1, but she knew what she felt wasn’t right. An ultrasound later confirmed an injury in her vastus intermedius, which she described as something between a strain and a tear. She knew that competing throughout the entire weekend would only risk making it worse.
- “It was a difficult decision, but thinking about the bigger picture of the season, I chose not to compete fully. I didn’t want to end my CrossFit Season before it even started. Luckily, I still managed to perform 26.2 and step on the floor for 26.3 to enjoy at least a small part of the competition atmosphere, which is something I always love about Miami. WZA remains one of my favorite events, but this year was definitely different from what we’re used to and didn’t fully meet expectations,” Fuliano said.
Despite everything, Fuliano told us, one of the highlights for her was being there as part of the Reebok team. Having more time to connect with the brand and the other athletes was incredibly special to her. This included a welcome party at the Clevelander and an intimate workout session at Gotham Gym.
- “Reebok has been such an important part of my journey, and being able to share moments with teammates from all over the world really made the experience meaningful. I loved taking part in all the events they organized — and thanks to them, even trying boxing for the first time, which I didn’t expect but had so much fun with! It was also great to see so many people wearing and performing in the new Nano X5 Edge, especially in all the bright colorways, which I personally love,” Fuliano said.
Every time we check in with Fuliano, she shares how being partnered with such an iconic brand means a lot to her. She is one of many who enjoy seeing Reebok’s presence in the sport of fitness continue to grow, and she’s proud to contribute to their journey within the CrossFit community.
The Bottom Line
We checked in with Will Smiarowski, Senior Manager of Global PR for Reebok. He agreed with our sentiment that the weekend, despite challenging weather and athlete withdrawals, was a total success for the brand and its ongoing relationship with our sport.
- “The training community continues to be at the heart and soul of Reebok and our Nano franchise. We were proud to see the new Nano X5 Edge front and center all weekend long – from community events with our long-term athlete partner, Fee Saghafi, to an expanded athlete roster from 8+ countries, all proudly repping Reebok on the competition floor. The community and athletes continue to bring the energy, and we’re here to uplift, support, and cheer them on,” Smiarowski said.
