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Finding Freedom Through Fitness in Jail

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is powered by SteadyMD.

“My partnership with SteadyMD is much like having an in-house doctor at your fingertips. While it’s what I grew up with, I realize it’s unique to have a long-term relationship with a doctor from the comfort of your own home.” — Mat Fraser.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Complacency is the forerunner of mediocrity. You can never work too hard on attitudes, effort and technique.” — Don Meyer

From Felony to Fitness to Freedom

 

Some background.

Doug Bopst was arrested on Cinco de Mayo 2018. With a half-pound of marijuana in his trunk and two thousand dollars in cash, he was charged with felony intent to distribute. He received a five-year sentence.

He surrendered himself one week after his 21st birthday. Sad, feeling like a failure, and sure he ruined his life, he spent the next few weeks detoxing from opioid addiction. “It feels like you’re crawling out of your own skin,” he said in an interview.

That doesn’t sound like fun. 

One night during a game of scrabble his cellmate, Eric, suggested he work out with him. At first, he declined. “I could’ve been an advertisement for Pillsbury,” Bopst laughed. But then he changed his mind and gave it a go.

He couldn’t even do one pull-up.

So, he threw himself into the cause. Eric wrote him a workout plan to follow through the week and helped him improve his diet. With Eric’s help, by the time he was released Doug could run a mile and do ten push-ups. He had lost about 40 pounds.

Inspired to do the same.

Doug was so inspired by Eric that he wanted to do the same for others. He begged for a job at the Maryland Athletic Club and, despite his felony record, got it. Now he spends his day training clients and working out, inspiring others to be the best version of themselves.

A lot of his clients are in recovery too. They appreciate having someone who understands. “It’s nice to be able to relate to him. We can talk about it and he gets it,” said one of his clients.

Bopst completed every prescribed portion of his sentece. At the end of his probation, he returned to the judge and told him that he had done it, all of it, without messing up. The judge struck the felony from his record.

A new life entirely.

In August of 2014, Bopst wrote a book titled From Felony to Fitness to Free. “If I hadn’t gotten arrested I’d be dead. I was snorting enough painkillers to kill a horse.” Now, he has the tools for a life he is proud of.

Coffee Break Conversations

 

What to say when your mother gives you grief about starting the Whole 30…

It’s not a phase, Mom! It’s a lifestyle and Chipotle sees you, child. Fresh off that New Year’s glow, Chipotle released a line of “Lifestyle Bowls.” Keto, Paleo, and Whole 30 Bowls are now available on their mobile app and website. Just like your Paleolithic ancestors, all you have to do is tap that icon on your smartphone for lunch.

Brace yourselves. Winter is coming.

You know nothing, Reader. Winter is here. But what is actually coming is Girl Scout cookie season. This year they have a new gluten-free cookie called Caramel Chocolate Chip. Nice knowing ya, New Year resolutions. 

Things To…

 

WATCH: Tia-Clair Toomey on the Move to Mayhem

In Episode One of “Just Getting Started” Tia-Clair Toomey shares why she and husband and coach Shane Orr decided to move to Cookeville, TN and join CrossFit Mayhem. Tia discusses how she views failure, the importance of training with other champions, and how having her husband as her coach drives her to better perform.

IT MUST BE THE BEST EFFORT.

 

HEAR: Strength is King

Seth and Tony, hosts of the NoRep podcast, have on guest Mael Walkowiak. A long time CrossFit instructor, strength training enthusiast and proponent of a science-based approach to fitness, Mael explains his belief that strength is king, both in life and at the box.

A STRONG DOSE.

 
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TRAIN TO PERFORM.

 

EAT: A Perfectly Cooked Steak

Contrary to popular belief, anything can be a steak if you cook it like one, and Bon Appétit agrees. Hear us out, go grab a big ole chuck roast, and follow these instructions on how to cook the perfect steak on a budget.

NO, IT’S POSSIBLE.

 

Today’s edition of the Morning Chalk Up is powered by

Chalk Up Community

 
  • K-9 FUNDRAISER WOD — On Christmas Eve, Cigo, a K-9 with the Palm Beach Sherrif’s Office, was shot in the line of duty. He was only three-years-old and the first dog in the history of PBSO to be killed in action. This Saturday, CrossFit Wellington is hosting a fundraiser and memorial WOD for Cigo and his partner, Ryan Soriano
  • NEW PROGRAM — Pioneer Valley CrossFit in Northampton, MA has a new program called the Queer Bar, an 8-week long weightlifting program designed for all experience levels. Their mission is to provide an empowering, safe and fun environment for Queer, Trans and LGBTQ+ people to experience the many benefits of strength training.
  • NERF AND CROSSFIT — Ryan Sinclair, owner and coach at CrossFit Brontide in Orangeville, Ontario recently launched a new program. He has opened the 4,000 square foot gym up for family-friendly Nerf battles
  • NEW LOCATIONS — CrossFit Unicus in Sterling, IL has just moved into a bigger location. The new location opened with their annual Christmas WOD and had a community marathon row the next day. CrossFit Assateague in Greater Ocean City, MD held a ribbon cutting and grand opening Saturday in their new location. CrossFit Laramie in Laramie, WY has moved across town to a larger facility with a kid’s play room and is now Elevation – Home of CrossFit Laramie.
  • UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP — CrossFit Inversion, with locations in Yorba Linda and Orange, CA has added DTLB CrossFit in Long Beach, CA to their list.

CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES (a highlight reel around social media of CrossFit pros and average joes)

Michelle Basnett gets a handstand obstacle course personal best in prep for Fittest in Cape Town • Happy tenth anniversary to Brethren CrossFitHappy birthday Kate NyeDan Bailey has improved 30% since his knee surgery and is almost able to run again • Gianna Rivera gets her first strict muscle-upHarrison Maurus gets a 353 pound snatch PR • CrossFit Omaha just recognized coach Jess Christiansen for ten years of dedicated service to their community • Congrats to Erica on her first pull-upJacob Heppner’s online program Midwest Made is launching Thursday, hopefully • Strongwoman Liefia Ingalis takes a 315 pound sandbag for a walk • Congratulations to Danni Romasko on her two year RP transformationElijah “EZ” Muhammad is giving away a Lift Heavy Often barbell • Josh Mattes gets a 315 pound snatch PR. 

…and if you must do Turkish get-ups, maybe consider doing them in bed. 

Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge Online Qualifier Scores Due — Scores for the first two WODs of the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge online qualifier are due today. Registered athletes have until 5:00 PM PT to submit scores. The remaining three WODs will be announced Wednesday at 5:00 PM PT. 

The Titan Games Showcases Everyday Strength — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has produced a new series on NBC called Titan Games where he challenges 100 athletes to obstacle course style courses and head-to-head feats of strength. “Titan Games was ultimately looking for incredible overall athletes, especially folks with tons of strength. We really wanted everyday people. This is a platform for everyday people to become heroes. This is their payoff, their chance to show themselves.” Some of the incredible athletes
they’re featuring happen to be CrossFit Games athlete Jessica Griffith, affiliate owner and Guiness record holder Erin LaVoie, and strongwoman Charity Witt.

BOOKMARK THIS: A Timeline of CrossFit’s Battles — CrossFit HQ has been engaged in ongoing battles against the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the American College of Sports Medicine and the soda industry challenging the status quo and their junk science. But with the new CrossFit website dedicating an entire page to what they’ve titled  Battles”, this timeline of CrossFit’s battles outlines the breadth and depth of these disputes: 

— “CrossFit’s bold positions on health and fitness have brought us into conflict with the entrenched interests of the fitness, nutrition, and food and beverage industries. [These companies] have launched and funded numerous efforts to restrain and regulate CrossFit Affiliates. They have engaged in repeated scientific misconduct and fraud, lobbied for legislation that would criminalize the daily practices of CrossFit Affiliates and trainers, and covered up the corporate partnerships that fund their work, at times in contravention of federal law.

— “CrossFit has successfully fought back, calling out their corruption of the sports, health, and nutrition sciences, suing them for their lies and misconduct, informing policymakers of their schemes, and advocating against their proposed legislation. While our adversaries’ agenda is covert, our mission in these CrossFit Battles could not be clearer: to keep fitness legal.”

Reads

CHALK UP READS

“For Olivia Vollmar, CrossFit Saved Her Life,” by Jessica Danger, Morning Chalk Up 

In November of 2016, Olivia Vollmar was a freshman in college. Away from home for the first time, and suicidal, she struggled with fibromyalgia and panic attacks, drowning in coursework, and helping to take care of her father. It was was taking a toll on her physically and mentally. Twice that year, she contemplated suicide.

But on November 6th, her roommate turned to her and said, “I’m going to start CrossFit tomorrow. You should join me.”

What her roommate didn’t know was that Olivia had been quietly studying CrossFit for two long years but was scared to try it.

“Heck, I had talked to Dan Bailey on Instagram more than once. I figured if I went, I could at least tell him I finally tried it out and I could rearrange my plans to end my life another day,” she told us.

“Did I really just agree to start going to CrossFit tomorrow?” she tweeted before she went to bed. When she woke up, nervous to start CrossFit with her roommate, she discovered that all night long CrossFitters everywhere had been sending her encouraging tweets.

Reads

CHALK UP CALENDAR

1/10 – 2/4: Row’d Royalty (Online)

1/11: Redneck Hootenanny (Fruitland, OH)

1/10 – 1/13: Feats of Strength Online Meet (Online)

1/11 – 1/13: CrossFit Fort Vancouver Championships (Vancouver, WA)

1/12: Granite Games Throwdown at New Ulm CrossFit (New Ulm, MN)

1/12: The BrickYard Brawl (South Windsor, CT)

1/12: Hometown Throwdown 4 at CrossFit 534 (Poplarville, MS)

1/12: Granite Games Winter Throwdown (Waite Park, MN)

1/12: Granite Games Throwdown (Snyder, TX) 

1/12 – 1/13: Scaled Flames (Amsterdam)

1/12 – 1/13: Row for Reveille at CrossFit Kitsap (Poulsbo, WA)

1/17 – 1/20: Wodapalooza (Miami, FL)

1/19: New Year New Throwdown Event (El Mirage, AZ)

1/19: Battle For The Axe (Baxter, MN)

1/19: Warrior Affiliate League Fantastic Four (La Puente, CA)

1/19: Battle for the Axe (Baxter, MN)

1/19: Great Lakes Games 2018 (Detroit, MI)

1/19 – 1/20: Chiang Mai Throwdown (Chiang Mai, Thailand)

1/21: Helen for Hounds at CrossFit Pretoria (Pretoria, South Africa)

1/25 – 1/27: Australian CrossFit Championships (Queensland, AUS)

1/26: The Force Wars 2 (Pembroke Pines, FL)

1/26: Lost River Rumble (Bowling Green, KY)

1/26: The Blizzard Bowl (Little Canada, MN)

1/26: 2019 IceBreather Classic (Springfield, IL)

1/26: ATCF Cancer Crackdown: Revival of The Fittest (Pasco, WA)

1/26: Hung Like Coff at PFC CrossFit (Las Vegas, NV)

1/26: Steel Rail Shootout 2019 (McComb, MS)

1/26: Woid Beast Fitness Challenge (Cham, Germany)

1/26: Brick NY Midtown Throwdown (New York, NY)

1/26: Fifth Annual Cold Steel Classic (Oswego, IL) 

1/26: New Year’s Revolution (Seminole, FL)

1/26: Three Rivers Throwdown (Rome, GA)

1/26 – 1/27: Cougars and Cradle Robbers (Salem, MA)

1/26 – 1/27: Game Day Eau Claire (Eau Claire, WI)

1/26 – 1/27: NorCal Masters (San Rafael, CA)

1/27: Big Dawgs Athlete Development Camp (Letchworth, England)

1/29 – 2/2: Fittest in Cape Town (Cape Town, South Africa)

2/1 – 2/2: Battle of the Brave III (North Kansas City, MO)

2/2: Golden State Games (Stockton, CA)

2/2: Left Coast Classic Competition (Laguna Niguel, CA)

2/2: Golden State Games (Stockton, CA)

2/2: A League of Their Own (San Antonio, TX)

2/9: Valentine’s Day Crush (North Hollywood, CA)

2/9: The Garage Games Master of the Masters (Suwanee, GA)

2/9: Cupid’s Roar Partner Competition (Melbourne, Australia)

2/9: 3rd Annual Black Ops Partner Competition (Wheaton, IL)

2/9: Bedrock Heart Breaker (Calgary, AB)

2/9 – 2/10: The CrossFit Circus (Des Moines, IA)

2/16: Valentine’s Day Massacre (Kilgore, TX)

2/16: The Garage Games Xs & Ys (Valdosta, GA)

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Is there something we missed? Email us at [email protected].
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