“There are more people who wish to be loved than there are who are willing to love.”- Nicolas Chamfort
LIFESTYLE
Eulogy for 101 year-old WWII Veteran and CrossFitter Tom Rice
Tom Rice, a World War II veteran with the Screaming Eagles, passed away in his sleep at 12:33 AM on November 17. He was 101 years old.
One big thing: Rice, who was born on Aug. 15, 1921, joined the United States Army in 1940. He served with the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division during World War II, and he saw extensive action. For example, Rice was one of 13,000 paratroopers who jumped into Normandy on D-Day.
Rice fought in the Battle of the Bulge, which lasted from December 16, 1944, until January 16, 1945. Rice was also one of the soldiers who captured Adolf Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, the Nazi-constructed building sitting at the summit of the Kehlstein.
Rice was shot twice by a sniper during the Battle of Bulge, and he had to recover at a hospital in Belgium. His time in the military came to an end on December 21, 1945, with an honorable discharge.
Following the war, Rice finished his degree and turned to teaching. He spent over 40 years teaching at Chula Vista High School, Hilltop High School, and Southwestern Junior College. In 2004, he released his memoir, “Trial by Combat: A Paratrooper of the 101st Airborne Division Remembers the 1944 Battle of Normandy.”
In 2019, the Best Defense Foundation brought Rice back to Normandy in honor of the 75th anniversary of D-Day. He jumped from a C-47 over France as part of the Battlefield Return Program.
In 2021, Rice jumped from a plane once again. He celebrated his 100th birthday by parachuting with the Leap Frogs and landing on his hometown beach in front of Hotel Del Coronado in California. He was able to make a standing landing.
Rice trained for both of his jumps in an interesting way. He went to CrossFit Coronado and worked with owner Clint Russell. According to ABC10 San Diego, this schedule included two training sessions each week. Russell, a United State Navy veteran, also accompanied Rice to France for the 75th anniversary of D-Day and made the jump with Rice.
As Russell explained, Rice continued to train at CrossFit Coronado after the jump in Normandy. He made significant progress, especially in regard to his posture. Russell, who has a doctorate in Physical Therapy, focused specifically on right leg strength, balance, and aerobic capacity during these sessions.
Russell and Rice used a variety of machines, such as the rower, Assault bike, and SkiErg. Russell also had the legend carry objects to keep his heart rate elevated.
“The most important thing to remember with someone this age is mechanics, consistency, and only then intensity,” Russell told “Coronado News” in 2019. “I wouldn’t push someone this age, I’d let them set the pace, slow down when needed, and above all else make sure the mechanics are sound.”
Rice continued to take part in jumps throughout his legendary life.According to Black Rifle Coffee Company’s editorial arm, “Coffee or Die,” he estimated that he had performed 63 jumps in his life. 48 of these were during his time in the Army. Rice also had another jump planned for February.
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In case you missed it: Morning Chalk Up’s Lauren Kalil spoke with Kelsey Kiel in a candid conversation to discuss what the process of freezing her eggs was like for her, how topics like this are typically “taboo” and how she wants to help break that stigma, and why it was important for her to take control of her future.
Local love: Great piece in the Carroll Times Herald about “Rowing for Rosie” event at CrossFit Carroll, which raised more than $1,000.
CrossFit chimes in: CrossFit HQ’s website has a story on what happened to CrossFit Reykjavik at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games.
Great story: CrossFit 253 in Washington got awarded a $10k grant from ComCast that went to small businesses owned by people of color.
Interesting read: Five foods you should never eat, and some healthy alternatives, from a cardiologist.
INDUSTRY
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
Coaching Development Series: Individual Development
Part three of our five part series dives into working individually with coaches, using both informal and formal strategies to invest in the development of your team.
Each person on your team is at a different stage in their coaching career, meaning they have different needs regarding their individual development.
Informal: Take classes with different coaches throughout the week on a consistent basis.
From Motocross to CrossFit: How LSKD Entered the Fitness Space and is Growing in the U.S. Market
Ever since CrossFit Games athlete Khan Porter signed with Australian lifestyle apparel company, LSKD, it seems as if the brand quickly grew in popularity within the CrossFit space. Morning Chalk Up’s Lauren Kalil sits down with the Founder and CEO, Jason Daniel, to chat about how LSKD broke into the CrossFit space, their plans to grow within the U.S. market, and why the “K” in their name is backward.
2022 Ultimate CrossFitters Guide to Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Do you wish there was one place where you could shop to find the best holiday deals in CrossFit? That’s what we’re here for! We’ve rounded up all the best deals from your favorite functional fitness brands into one mega shopping guide. Meet the Ultimate CrossFitter’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday Guide.
Fiit Expands Workout Options With Concept2 Partnership
Subscribers to Fiit, the UK-based interactive at-home fitness app, have a new way to focus on their fitness. The company has inked a partnership that now brings workouts to machines from both Concept2 and Keiser.
Remind me: Fiit started in 2017 as a platform for bodyweight workouts. The company expanded with dumbbell and kettlebell workouts before inking a partnership with Assault Fitness to kick off 2022.
The Assault partnership featured three separate programs for the Assault Bike Pro and Assault Bike Elite – Sprint, Metcon, and Endure – and they lasted 10, 25, or 40 minutes.
These new offerings were free to the existing Fiit subscribers, and they joined more than 1,000 other on-demand workouts already available on the app.
Fiit joined forces with Concept2 last month to bring interactive row workouts to the gym staple. Fast-forward to November 14, and Fiit further expanded its bike options. There are now workouts available for the Bluetooth-enabled Keiser M3i Indoor Bike and the Concept2 BikeErg.
Like the Assault programming, there are three options that last 10, 25, or 40 minutes. These programs have been designed to replicate “real-life” rides, and they have playlists that accompany the style of workouts.
There are bike-only workouts, but Fiit’s programmers have also added another option. There are Bike+Mat programs that include time on the bike split up by bodyweight or dumbbell exercises.
Alex Dunne, Managing Director of Concept2: “We’re so excited to see the mixed-modal BikeErg workouts added to Fiit as they will give our customers a fantastic option for enhancing their workouts and tracking progress. We have already seen the recent addition of Fiit’s Row workouts has been great for engagement and motivation. We’re sure the BikeErg workouts will be just as successful.”
Fiit has three main subscription options. There is the yearly unlimited, which costs $119.99 per year. The other option for Unlimited is monthly, which runs $19.99. The third subscription is “Only” which runs $7.99 per month.
The Unlimited plans provide more than 30 training plans, in-house DJs, integration with Google Health/Apple Health, Spotify connection, community challenges, group classes, performance metrics, members events, and integration with more than 30 fitness trackers, treadmills, and bikes.
The Only plan is more limited. It has more than 30 training plans, integration with health apps, and a Spotify connection. It does not have integration with fitness trackers and devices.
THINGS TO...
...DO
Enter the 12 Days of CrossMas to Win Amazing Prizes
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This Tool Predicts When a Client is Going to Leave Your Gym
Do you wish you could predict when a client is going to leave your gym? Using millions of data points across thousands of businesses, Wodify Retain’s algorithm predicts which of your clients are likely to cancel their membership, so you can prevent churn and increase your revenue.
Ready to dial in your skiing? No not on the slopes, on the ski erg! Fixing this common mistake seen in using the ski erg can increase your efficiency and ensure you are churning those cals.
If you've been eyeing up a new pair of shoes to wear to the gym and you are a bargain shopper- then keep reading. Select colorways of the Nano X2 are marked way down to only $89.97 for a limited time. What's better than new shoes? New shoes and a bargain!
You’ve got a killer WOD coming up in a few hours… you’re ready to fuel up… but what should you eat to make sure you get a great workout in? It’s a common question, and RP has an answer for you.
Back in August, Scott Panchik made a goal to rehab his knee and complete the 2022 CrossFit Games’ “The Capitol” workout by the end of November. Last week, he accomplished that goal.
Panchik: “This was one of my favorite events to watch this year because not just anyone could step on the floor and complete this test.”
AAYMCA CrossFitin Anderson, SC held its annual “Fran for Cans” food drive to benefit Anderson Interfaith Ministries (AIM), a local food pantry and shelter. Members donated Thanksgiving food items and performed the popular CrossFit WOD “Fran”.
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