An Unexpected Finish to Wodapalooza

January 17   |   POWERED BY

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

• Key takeaways from the 10th annual Wodapalooza Fitness Festival.
• CrossFit announces members of new athlete council.
• How Jason Khalipa embraces the mundane to accomplish his goals.
• Anikha Greer picks up 5,000 followers after her first major event win.

“All of us, at certain moments of our lives, need to take advice and to receive help from other people.” - Alexis Carrel

Emma McQuaid, Patrick Vellner Win: Four Takeaways from the Final Day of Wodapalooza

It’s never over until it’s over: this couldn’t have been more true on the final day of Wodapalooza in Miami.

After leading since the very first event on Thursday, Australian Ellie Turner plunged from first to fifth in just one event on Sunday, and eventually wound up in sixth overall, while Arielle Loewen, who spent much of the weekend sitting in seventh overall, snuck her way onto the podium behind winner Emma McQuaid and second place finisher Bethany Shadburne.

The men’s competition was equally exciting, as the final day saw Alexandre Caron and Samuel Cournoyer jump from fourth and fifth into second and third respectively in the final two events, bumping Phil Toon out of the top three for the first time all weekend.

1. Canadian Men Sweep the Podium

As impressive as Vellner was all weekend, easily taking his third consecutive Wodapalooza by 59 points, fellow Canadians Caron and Cournoyer’s performances on Day 4 can’t be overlooked.

Caron found himself within striking distance of the podium for the large part of the weekend, but Cournoyer spent the first two days sitting in seventh, and entered into the final day of competition back in fifth.

Both Canadians finished their weekends with two strong performances—third and second for Caron, while Cournoyer took Event 7 and finished solid with a sixth place in the final event.

Still, the weekend largely belonged to the third Canadian, four-time CrossFit Games podium finisher, Vellner.

“I think I never really come into these weekends thinking about the win, not right off the bat,” said Vellner after he’d won. “You kind of come in to test the waters, see where you’re at. There’s always new CrossFit athletes popping up, so every competition is a chance to see where you stack up and try to make yourself proud and see where your training’s at.”

It's Not Too Late to Try cbdMD for Free

cbdMD understand that what you put into your body is just as important as how you train it. That’s why they partnered with the NOBULL CrossFit Games and Wodapalooza as the Official CBD Partner.

Their products have always been trusted by pro athletes, and now they’re certified by some of the most extreme enthusiasts on the planet – so you can trust that these products will deliver the support you need to reach the finish line.

• THC-FREE
• THIRD-PARTY TESTED
• GMP CERTIFIED
• SUPERIOR BROAD SPECTRUM

Don’t believe us? Try it for yourself for FREE.

Wodapalooza: Four days of competition officially wrapped up yesterday in Miami, FL. A major storm caused some delays on Sunday. Only elite and adaptive divisions were able to continue.

Here are a few stories you might have missed:

• Three Brands Making a Splash at Wodapalooza
• Former CrossFit Games Teen Stars Determined to Prove They’re Ready to Compete with the Best at Wodapalooza
• Hawaiian Teen Subiono Brothers Take on Miami
• Brazilian Miguel Buzza Roo Goes All-In on CrossFit

CrossFit announced the new members of their Athlete Advisory Council, adding two more members spots to a total of six:

• The council: Scott Panchik, Kristin Holte, Stacie Tovar, Alessandra Pichelli, Alethea Boon, and Becca Voigt.
• “This council will provide vital insight around judging, scoring, appeals, and other topics for the stages of the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games season along with input on future rulebook changes and competition formats. CrossFit will also continue to engage directly with individual athletes, affiliates, sponsored events, other stakeholders, and the PFAA.”

GORUCK launches first-ever GORUCK Games with a first-place prize of $15,000.

• We confirmed with GORUCK that Dave Castro is not involved.
• More details and analysis from Obstacle Racing Media.

Drew Wayman joins the HSTLE Made team alongside Jacqueline Dahlstrom and Emily Rolfe.

Danielle Brandon joins the R.A.D. team.

Opinion: Embracing the Mundane

In the weeks leading up to the 2013 Regionals, Jackie was announced as one of the workouts. Every single day leading up to the weekend of competition I did that workout or some form of It as part of my training.

Once Regionals came around, I set the event record.

The sport of CrossFit has evolved a lot since back when I was competing, but one thing I learned from my days as a CrossFit Games athlete still stands; In order to achieve anything that matters, you have to embrace the monotony of the mundane little things, and that makes a huge impact over a long period of time.

This is something that I learned as an athlete but I have applied it to every aspect of my life. As a father, business owner, and coach, I’ve come to embrace the fact that the little habits matter.

As January rolls around, like many people out there, I am ready for a little reset. As a father of two amazing kids, the holidays can be a tough time for anyone, me included, to stay super disciplined when it comes to fitness and nutrition.

I get it, consistency can be tough while navigating holidays, travel, and lack of routine. But now that we have started a New Year, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can tap back into my years as an athlete to start this year off strong and hopefully inspire others to do the same.

The Power of a Moment: 18-Year-Old Anikha Greer Picks up 4,000-plus Followers Overnight After Event Win Saturday Night

In 2010, a young French Canadian girl took the competition floor at the CrossFit Games for the first time under the lights at the Home Depot Centre in Carson, CA. With muscle-ups ahead of the times, she dazzled the crowd, destroying her heat in the process. And in just a few short minutes, the entire community knew who she was. She was, of course, 2014 Games champion Camille-Leblanc Bazinet.

Anikha Greer’s performance in Celebrate 10 under the lights in Miami on Saturday night felt oddly familiar to Leblanc-Bazinet’s breakout performance in 2010.

The 18-year-old Canadian competed with poised aggression, as she effortlessly worked her way through her handstand push-ups, overhead squats and muscle-ups, looking as though she was enjoying herself every step of the way.

...KNOW

Should You Be Doing Two a Days?

If you're looking to make the CrossFit Games, two a day might be on the low end of the scale. But for us mere mortals, should we be looking to add another session into the day? And does it actually help our results when we do?

SPONSORED

...KNOW

What's That In Their Mouth?

Watching WZA this weekend and wonder what Rich Froning and Dallin Pepper (as well as a ton of others) had in their mouth? The AIRWAAV Performance Mouthpiece improves breathing, endurance, and strength by creating the optimal airway opening. Try it for yourself and see why it's showing up on the competition floor.

...TRY

Two Killer New Ab Exercises

Start the week with some fire in your belly...quite literally. These two drills are going to set your abs on fire in the best possible way and make laughter hurt for the rest of the week.

...GRAB

Your Seven Pounds of Free Meat

Your search for high-quality meat ends here. Amazing taste. Humanely raised. Delivered to your door. And as a Morning Chalk Up reader, sign up today and you'll receive a bone-in pork butt, a pack of chicken thighs, and 2 lbs of ground beef free in your first box.

...PREP

20 Minute Pesto Chicken and Veggies

Forgot to prep for the week last night? We got you. This chicken, broccoli, zucchini, and bell pepper coated with pesto is A. delicious, and B. takes under 20 minutes. Perfect for a week of lunch or dinner meal prep.

Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise. Send us a tip.

• Congratulations 14-year-old Dom Bigg from CrossFit Esplanade in Seaford, Australia on the 170lb/77.5kg back squat PR.
• Lars Kristensen of CrossFit Woolgoolga in Woolgoolga, Australia navigates this complex handstand obstacle course.
• Ocean State CrossFit’s Chris Cooney puts up a snatch PR of 250lb/114kg.
• Jason Davis from Dignified CrossFit in Clarkston, MI pulls a 555lb/252kg deadlift in competition.
• Emily Tanner from CrossFit Greater Heights in Houston, TX hits two snatch reps at 170lb/77kg.

Steven Williams from Maesteg, South Wales went from being a healthy young soccer player and casual CrossFitter to lying in bed for 8 months with no explanation as to why. Many medical bills and treatments later and he has been officially diagnosed with a form of chronic Lyme disease. Steven’s best hope for healing lies in a treatment center in Germany, but it’s not cheap.

• A GoFundMe has been set up for Steven by Alecs Donovan.

See all upcoming events