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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition was chalked up while enjoying some Hint Water that was shipped to us last week. Try the Blackberry!
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“You will fall at some point in life, accept it. You will lose, you will embarrass yourself, you will suck at something there is no doubt about it. Fall forward. Sometimes it’s the best way to figure out where you were going. Never be discouraged, never hold back, give everything you got and when you fall throughout life remember this, fall forward.” — Mark’s son Jared
CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES
WHAT HAPPENED TO ZACH MILLER?
If you’re new to CrossFit or you’ve never seen The Zach Miller Story, a video about the tragic 2011 car accident and coma of Zach Miller, then you’re probably unfamiliar with his story.
Zach is one of those inspiring figures from the early days of CrossFit. He founded Panther CrossFit, a student-run organization at the University of Pittsburgh with close ties to CrossFit Pittsburgh (the 54th affiliate in the world).
Before he’d even heard of Rich Froning or Annie Thorisdottir, the Zach Miller Story was the first CrossFit video your author ever watched. Naturally, after so many years and so few updates on Zach’s condition, we were curious to find out how he’s doing. So we decided to find out.
Here’s an update on Zach Miller nearly six years after his accident.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU HIT THE BOX
Be on the lookout. The online qualifier WODs should be released any day now.
Here’s CrossFit’s updated list of Regionals athletes and their status. Chris Spealler has been dropping event WOD hints for the upcoming Mountain Meltdown and this stair run is probably worse than it looks, especially if it’s followed by thrusters. A new $91 million Marriott hotel and convention center coming to Allen, TX will come equipped with CrossFit, which we think means equipment for CrossFit not an affiliate. Sarah Loogman declines individual invitation and joins Team Invictus. Margaux Alvarez sent one of her fans a handwritten note and a headband she wore at the CrossFit Games.
THINGS TO…
WATCH: I Was a Strong Enough Female to do the Job
In a compilation of unreleased footage from the Fittest on Earth documentary, Katrin Davidsdottir, Sam Briggs and their mothers talk about the role CrossFit is playing in how women view strength and their bodies.
WOMEN ARE STRONG.
HEAR: How to Get DQ’d From CrossFit
On this week’s episode of Scale as Needed, they walk through two new Youth World Records set by U.S. athletes CJ Cummings and Harrison Maurus, Dimitry Klokov’s 222 pound single arm snatch and everyone’s topic of the week, Trevor Bachmeyer’s 17.5 video.
HEADPHONES ON.
HEADPHONES ON.
BUY: Brownies + Protein Pancakes
You can grab AboutTime’s super scrumptious protein pancake mix and a tub of brownie mix for only $40 with code “TREATS.”
NOM NOM.
NOM NOM.
CHALK UP AFFILIATES
Meet Christin Marshall, the 31-year-old founder of Camp Wild Child, a summer camp for adult CrossFitters. Camp members spend a weekend at a camp in the Berkshires, engaging in traditional camp activities like bonfires and swimming while working with coaches and completing fitness challenges in a group setting.
Cierra Kruger of CrossFit OC3 in Davenport, IA started CrossFit three years ago focused on achieving her goals of getting back in shape, recovering from a knee injury and being able to do a handstand. For the last three years, Cierra has been facing her fears and working towards achieving that goal. Last week, she successfully kicked up into a handstand for the first time.
Words to Motivate — Jeanine Bollinger of CrossFit Gettysburg shares what motivates her to do CrossFit: “My unborn daughter motivates me to do CrossFit so I can be an example of body acceptance, strength and self love! I never want to see her struggle like I did.”
Friends and colleagues of late Officer Christine Braswell, who died in an off duty car crash, was honored at CrossFit iQ in West Palm Beach, FL yesterday with a WOD named in her honor.
CHALK UP READS
“Instagram and Insecurity” by Emily Beers, CrossFit Journal
Melissa Doss scrolled through her Instagram feed. One of her competitors had just posted a video that caught her eye. She hit play. What she saw deflated her.
“Last year, we had the same back squat, and there she was in the video squatting 350 lb. I was like, ‘Oh my God. What’s wrong with me? I can’t do that,’” said Doss, who placed 25th at the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games Central Regional.
Up in Calgary, Alberta, three-time CrossFit Games athlete Emily Abbott was checking her Instagram feed between sets of squats. When she saw what another top athlete had just shared, Abbott started doubting herself and doubting whether she was training hard enough, whether she was doing enough. She decided to add another piece to the end of her training session that day.
Sound familiar?
“Ron Ortiz’s Best Advice for Athletes and Finding his Old Man Strength” by Athlete Daily
It started with a pair of pants. Ron Ortiz, at the time in his mid-40s, had always been an athlete. But somewhere after joining the fire department at age 34, having kids and letting life get in the way, he had started gaining weight. That steady weight gain led to blood pressure medication and, on that fateful day, a bigger pair of pants from the station supply guy.
Ortiz held the size 36 pants in his hands for a minute.
“I thought, ‘I’m giving up,’” Ortiz said. “At that point, I made a promise that I’m not going to let myself get like this.’” He handed the pants back and began a journey that has seen Ortiz become one of CrossFit’s most consistent —and impressive— masters male athletes. Now 51, Ortiz is a perennial Games competitor, coming off his second title. He’s currently ranked No. 1 in the men’s 50-54 division heading into the Masters Qualifier later this month