“A blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it.”- Marcus Aurelius
CROSSFIT GAMES
Caroline Lambray Talks Being a Female Coach Among the Men at the Atlas Games
Justin Cotler. Ben Bergeron. Shane Orr. Jami Tikkanen. John Singleton. When we think about the most well-known, accomplished coaches in the sport of CrossFit, it’s easy to come up with a list of men.
But at the Atlas Games this weekend in Montreal, Quebec, there are two rare female coaches on hand, and they’re hard to ignore: Michele Letendre and Caroline Lambray.
Remind me: Letendre is best known for being four-time Games medalist Pat Vellner’s coach, and Lambray for being the long-time coach of three-time Games athlete Jeff Adler, but this weekend both coaches have a second athlete in the field, as well.
Freya Moosbrugger, who sits in fourth after two days of competition, is a Letendre athlete, and Benoit Boulanger, currently in 16th, is coached by Lambray.
Worth noting: Letendre also coaches Ellie Turner, who qualified to this summer’s Games through the Torian Pro Semifinals in Brisbane, Australia.
One big thing: When Lambray first started coaching Adler, she said she didn’t even really realize she was one of just a handful of women to coach Semifinals and Games-level athletes, but the better he got and the more competitions they went to, she started to realize the disproportionate male to female coach ratio.
“It really hit me in 2020, because there were just five men and five women at the Games at the Ranch. The only other woman coach was Tasia Percevecz (who was there to support Haley Adams),” Lambray said, adding that this made her hyper aware that she was, not just one of the only female coaches at that level, but also the only black coach.
Lambray’s Message: Lambray would love to see more female coaches in the mix and urges up-and-coming athletes to “look around for who can provide you the best coaching, the best programming, and there’s nothing better or worse about working with a girl or a guy.“
That being said, she also said she doesn’t think it comes down to more athletes choosing male coaches. Lambray thinks it’s more about women coaches being hesitant to “take a risk” and put themselves out there.
“Even in the corporate world, we know women don’t take as much risk. We don’t ask for raises, or we don’t put ourselves out there. So I don’t think it’s necessarily the athletes. I think it’s women. Are we taking that risk? Are we trying to find those opportunities? If you think you have the ability (as a coach) then do it.”
Putting herself out there is exactly how she landed Adler, who today is also her romantic partner. She had been coaching for a while, saw his potential and knew she was a good coach. So Lambray approached Adler and asked him if she could take him on. Fast forward to today, and Adler is two events away from qualifying to his fourth Games.
The future: As much success as Lambray has had already, she wants more.
“It would be cool to be the first woman coach (to have her athlete) win the CrossFit Games. That’s something that’s on my bucket list,” Lambray said from the warm-up area at Atlas Games, with Letendre standing just a few meters away.
“I know I’m competing with Michele,” she added with a smile.
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In case you missed it:The Bottom Line host, Lauren Kalil and Brian Friend ran down all the details on the final day of the Strength in Depth.
Healthy Body Healthy Mind: Sara Sigmundsdottir has joined the Healthy Body Healthy Mind Team. HBHM specializes in plant-based, carbon neutral CBD oils, which help to improve sleep quality, ease nerves and aid recovery for athletes with intense training schedules. The company has plans to launch further health and wellness products this year and in coming years.
In a study performed in the 1950s-, 10- and 11-year-old children were shown six images of other children and asked to rank them by which child they “liked best.” The six children they were shown images of included a “normal” weight child, an “obese” child, a handicapped child, a child with crutches and a cast, a child missing a hand, and a child with a facial deformity.
Across multiple sample groups within this study, the child with obesity ranked last.
Weight stigma is described as the social rejection, devaluation, and discrimination that occurs when an individual does not comply with prevailing social norms of body weight, size, and shape.In the US, people with greater body mass index (BMI) report higher rates of discrimination than do ethnic minorities.
Women are especially stigmatized due to their weight. This bias is present in employment, education, media, and relationships, and especially pervasive inhealthcare and fitness settings.
The Journey from Teen to Individual: Meet Rookie Games Qualifier Tudor Magda
Unlike the women’s division, where athletes like Haley Adams, Mallory O’Brien and Emma Cary made the transition from the teen division one year to the individual the next look easy, such is not generally the case for 17 to 18-year-old boys.
At 18, most teenage males simply don’t have enough man strength to jump directly into the individual division and compete with the fittest men in the world, leaving them in a transition phase for at least a couple years as they hone their skills.
Tudor Magda, though, is proving to be an exception. The 19-year-old who started CrossFit when he was just 9 years old, qualified to this summer’s NOBULL CrossFit Games with a fourth place finish at the Syndicate Crown Semifinals in Knoxville, TN.
Remind Me
After competing at the CrossFit Games as a teenager for three straight years—2017, 2018 and 2019—including topping the podium in 2018, Magda was set to compete for the fourth and final time as a 17-year-old in 2020 before the age group divisions were canceled due to the pandemic in 2020.
He didn’t skip much of a beat after that, qualifying to Semifinals in his first year as an individual last season, placing a respectable 21st overall at the CrossFit West Coast Classic.
Just one year later and still a teenager, Madga, has proven he can compete with the men.
Our Top 14 Gifts For CrossFit Dads This Father's Day
Father’s Day is just around the corner, so it’s time to make your gift selection for the fit dad in your life. Whether it’s new shorts, equipment, or some game-changing workout accessories, we have it covered. Here are 14 gifts that we’re considering for our dads.
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Can beetroot juice prepare your body for a beeting in your next workout? Check out this new study that tested the effects of beetroot juice on strength performance in CrossFit-trained athletes and found great results. Discover the difference it made, why it helped, and what to look for in beet juice.
No shirt? No shoes? No problem. You can grab them (and a whole lot more) at up to 60% off in The WOD Life's Most Wanted Sale. Grab yourself some major discounts on some major brands with deals from Reebok, Adidas, inov-8, and more.
Want to start the day right with getting your protein in? Then look no further. Here are five high-protein breakfasts to set you up for the day. From apple pie to breakfast pudding, there's something in here that everyone will enjoy.
Justin Reidelbach from SOGO CrossFIt in Ashland, VA hits a 400 pound/181kg clean PR.
Congratulations masters athlete Mike Brown on the post surgery bodyweight clean PR.
Congratulations Ryan Burrell from CrossFit Airdrie in Airdrie, England on the 298 pound/135kg snatch PR.
Dani from 908 Athletics in Berkeley Heights, NJ hits a 190 pound/86kg clan grip overhead squat PR.
Did you know…a typical clean water well costs $10,000 to build. There are more than 771 million people in the world that lack access to clean, drinkable water.
Mayhem Missions is hosting their second annual Mayhem for Water event on June 25 to raise money to provide clean water and aid to communities that lack access.
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