How One Man Saved His Life with CrossFit

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is fueled by O2 natural recovery drink, a product developed by a CrossFit trainer focused on delivering a world-class wholesale program for affiliate owners wanting a non-carbonated recovery drink for their members.

Affiliates, pick-up some free samples, no strings attached. In the words of CrossFit 43123, “We are selling it like crazy! Margins are good, customer service is great, ordering is easy, delivery is fast, and product is worth selling.”

“We give up things we love for things we love even more.”  — Craig Groeschel

Would You Buy a T-Shirt to Feed 36 Kids?

Some background.

Orphan Aid, Liberia was created in 2008, when Daryl Roberts of Cartersville, GA went on a mission trip with his local church. During this trip Daryl visited an orphanage and learned that, due to the brutal civil war, hundreds of thousands of children were now orphaned and abandoned in West Africa.

That must have been hard to see.

It was. Daryl immediately knew he wanted to help. He called his wife, Chrissy, and she began collecting clothes, food, and school supplies before Daryl even returned to the States. Once he returned home, he began raising money to build two dorms and an elementary school.  In 2008, when Daryl first visited the orphanage, the kids slept in a mud hut, as many as 12 children slept on pallets in tiny rooms.

Today, thanks in part to Daryl’s fundraising, they sleep two to a full-size bed, in a safe and stable dorm with lights and fans and doors. They’ve served 999,000 meals, dewormed 12,000 children, and provided educations for 201 of them.

How’d they raise that much?

With t-shirts, naturally. Each Orphan Aid, Liberia LOVE shirt sold provides 36 meals for the kiddos. The CrossFit community has bought  thousands of shirts providing 100’s of thousands of meals.

You can buy one shirt and feed 36 kids or you can subscribe to the Million Meals Club, get a shirt a month, and feed 50 kids. That’s what Emily Bridgers does, FYI.

They’ll even come to your box. Invite them on over so they can hang out at the gym, hit a WOD, and introduce you to a shirt with a purpose.

Coffee Break Conversations

How to respond the next time someone at the gym rolls their eyes at your PR victory dance…

Actually? You shouldn’t. Andrea Brandt, a therapist and author of “8 Keys to Eliminating Passive-Aggressiveness”, says that passive-aggressive behavior is a way of expressing anger in a seemingly non-hostile way. We see it lots of ways; when a friend doesn’t celebrate your latest PR, when your mother compliments your recent weight-loss, or when your boss said you’re “finally” getting the hang of things. Most of the time it’s more about them than it is you. Celebrate away. You earned it. And be sure to tag us on Instagram so we can share it. 

What to tell your friend who’s gotta skip class for an early morning meeting…

Why not just WOD in what you got on? That’s what CrossFit HQ’s Matt Bischel did yesterday during the noon class. Perhaps a more important question is, who makes those pants you can squat clean in? And how do we get our hands on a pair?

Things To…

WATCH: Beating Diabetes and Reclaiming Life

At over 270 pounds, and diagnosed with Type II diabetes, Jay Dino realized it was time to make a change. Unhappy, overweight, and in the worst physical shape of his life, Jay took the first steps towards wellness. 

IT WAS CROSSFIT.

HEAR:  The Future of the CrossFit Games

Armen Hammer joins the Barbell Shrugged Podcast to discuss the 2019 CrossFit Games season, new regionals events and qualifiers, and Greg Glassman’s view of CrossFit health vs. the sport of fitness.

DROPPIN THE HAMMER.

SEE: Here to Create Change

Billie Jean King is working with Adidas to fight for what’s right. Called “Here to Create Change,” King is helping girls claim the future by encouraging inclusivity and diversity across all areas of life, from sports to the workplace.

BE THE CHANGE.

SAY: That You <3 “Love” the Morning Chalk Up

Only if it’s true, but we sure hope it is. CrossFit wants to know your favorite news source to get CrossFit news from.  We hope it’s us and if it is, let them know. 

SHOW US SOME LOVE.

EAT: Whole 30 Pork Colombo

This Whole 30 friendly pork colombo can be served with cauliflower rice, mashed parsnips and a fresh green salad for a hearty weeknight meal. Double the pork and have leftovers for tacos or just eat it again for breakfast.

A GOOD MEAL. 

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

Chalk Up Community

• FANCY WODS — Over the weekend, the members of M Squared Fitness in Manchester, UK hosted a day of WODs in costumes, including a kids’ class and two regular classes, to raise money for CLIC Sargent, a UK-based charity for children and young people with cancer. Together, the box WOD’d for a survivor named Alfie who uses CrossFit to regain his fitness after two years of cancer treatment.
• CROSSFIT COMES TO TOWN — There’s a new box in Pflugerville, TX. CrossFit 3 Strands opened it’s doors August 6.

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

Members of Tribal CrossFit did more than 500 rope climbs for 9/11 including a first time climb for Christopher Eckerson • Christina also got her first rope climb • Amy Blackmore gets a 215 pound five rep max front squat PR • Congrats to Jenn Jones on the birth of her daughter Harper • Stacie Tovar wants you to do a nutrition challenge with her • Chase Long back squats 445 pounds • Jacob Anderson snatches 300
pounds. 

…and Muskegon CrossFit wants you to snatch a random object in public. 

Wodapalooza is Coming — The WZA Online Challenge and Qualifier (WZAOC) is a two-part series where athletes from all over the world come together in an online challenge. You can choose the individual challenge, the team challenge or even both. (OMG who would do both?) 

— How it works: It’s kind of like the Open. Each Wednesday, WZA releases a workout and you have until the following Monday to complete the workout(s) and submit your score. For those choosing the Team challenge, WZA will release a handful of workouts at once on the first day of the challenge, with all workouts and scores due the last day of the challenge.

— When is it?

• Week 1: October 3 – 8
• Week 2: October 10 – 15
• Week 3: October 17 – 22
• Teams: November 2 – 12

Kicking Off Today, American Open Series 3 — The 2018 Nike American Open Series 3 lands in Viva Las Vegas today. This is the first U.S. national weightlifting event since the International Weightlifting Federation announced the new weight classes in early July.

Who to Watch: 

— Women: Alyssa Ritchey (49 kg), Cortney Batchelor (49 kg), Megan Seegert (49 kg), Kathleen Winters (49 kg), Morghan King (49 kg), Caitlin Hogan (55 kg), Maddy Espinoza (59 kg), Mattie Rogers (71 kg), Quiana Welch (76 kg), Crystal Plouffe (76 kg), Taylar Stallings (81 kg), and Sarah Robles (+87 kg). 

— Men: Colton Barnes (89 kg), James Townsend (89 kg), Nick Paquin (89 kg), Dylan Cooper (109 kg), Cesar Flores (+109 kg), and Jason Starks (+109 kg). 

Lifting Today:

— 1:00 PM: Alyssa Ritchey, Cortney Batchelor, Megan Seegert, Kathleen Winters, and Morghan King. Watch Live. 

…up next:

— Friday at 10:25 AM: Caitlin Hogan. Watch Live. 

— Friday at 5:40 PM: Maddy Espinoza. Watch Live.

“Book Review: ‘As Many Reps As Possible’ by Jason Khalipa,” by Justin LoFranco, Morning Chalk Up 

Anyone who’s familiar with Jason Khalipa knows he’s no stranger to hard work. He’s been an affiliate owner for 10 years, competed at the CrossFit Games for eight years and stood on the podium three times. In total, he operates 20 gyms in seven countries. Today, Khalipa is one of the most successful athletes and businessmen to come out of CrossFit.

Through these years of hard work, Khalipa developed the AMRAP Mentality; it’s sort of a mental mantra housing the competitive and laser focus he applies to all aspects of his life.

“As Many Reps As Possible”, which Khalipa started in the fall of 2015, takes readers through his high school days and failed business experiments, post-graduate career choices, opening his own gym, and the fight to save his daughter Ava’s life. The book is part inspiring journey through the mind of one of the CrossFit industry’s most successful athletes, part lesson plan for athletes and individuals struggling to find focus and time accomplishing their goals and dreams.

Probably Khalipa’s most valuable advice is how he learned to let go of things you cannot control, a lesson we can all benefit from.

9/15: Box Bash 2018 (Broomfield, CO)

9/15: Warrior Affiliate League Three Amigos (Pomona, CA)

9/15: No Mans Land 4 (Painesville, OH)

9/15: Average Joes (Troy, MI) 

9/15: Stateline Throwdown 2018 (McHenry, IL)

9/15: Project Uplift (Fort Collins, CO)

9/15: Barbells for Bullies (Lexington, SC)

9/15: Barbell Brawl IV (Kennett Square, PA)

9/15: Double Date Got Twisted (Bowling Green, KY)

9/15: Doomsday CrossFit Team Competition (Beachwood, OH)

9/15: Unravel Pediatric Cancer WOD/Fundraiser (Gilroy, CA)

9/16: 2018 Battle at the Rock (Castle Rock, CO)

​9/16: 5th Annual North East Masters Classic (Plainville, MA)

9/16: The Brazen Cup 2018 (Fairfield, NJ) 

9/19: Wodapalooza Qualifier (Online) 

9/22: Shatter the Stigma III (Boyertown, PA)

9/22: New Kids on the 321 Block 2018 (Topsham, ME)

9/22: Femme Royale at Eagle Wing CrossFit (Orange, CA)9/22: 2nd Annual CrossFit TUFF Charity Row-A-Thon (Nashua, NH) 

9/22: Girls Gone RX Denver (Denver, CO) 

9/22: Legends of the WOD (Grapevine, TX)

9/22: Beers and Burpees (Charlotte, NC)

9/22: Burpees 4 Autism at Lucky’s (Roswell, GA)

9/22: Lt. Nathan Flynn Memorial WOD (Columbia, MD) 

9/22: Fall Jam (Columbus, OH)

9/23 – 9/23: Field of Teams (Cedar Falls, IA)

9/22 – 9/23:The D-Town Throwdown (Decatur, Illinois)

9/22 – 9/23: The Cascade Classic (Seattle, WA)

9/22 – 9/23: Heartland Havoc 3 (Davenport, IA) 

9/23: Games of the Ages Masters Team Competition (Hanson, MA)

9/23: Cadre Crucible Team Competition (Hudson, OH)

9/23: Detroit Red Wings WOD (Detroit, MI) 

9/23: IronWorkz Gauntlet (Medina, OH)

9/24: CrossFit New England 3rd Annual Fundraising Golf Tournament (Hudson, MA)

9/28 – 9/29: Pensacola Beach Brawl (Pensacola Beach, FL)9/28 – 9/29: The Primal Games (Savannah, GA)

9/29: Kilo Crush Fest (Hampton, VA) 

9/29: Barcode Team Competition (Leander, TX)

9/29: Long Island Masters Team Competition (Hauppauge, NY)

9/29: Fallout Powered by Battleground Events (Long Beach, CA)

9/29: Battle for Boise (Meridian, ID)

9/29: 5th Annual WOD for a Cause (Murrietta, CA) 

9/29: K-9 Pursuit (Bristol, CT)

9/29: Swolemates (Cincinnati, OH)

​9/29: CrossFit Be Someone Charity WODathon (Houston, TX) 

9/29: Garage Girls (Pousbo, WA) 

9/29: Adoption Fundraiser WOD (Millcreek, UT)

9/29: Warrior Slam at CrossFit Waldwick (Waldwick, NJ)

9/29: Fall Face Off 2018 (Albany, NY)

10/5: The Hopper (Asheville, NC)

10/6: Beer City Beatdown (Asheville, NC) 

10/6: Gallant Gauntlet 2 (Bedford, TX)

10/6: WOD for Water Troy (Troy, AL)

10/6: Cactus Games (Phoenix, AZ)

10/6: Pound-4-Pound Competition (Denver, CO)

10/6: Invictus Boston Barbells for Boobs (Boston, MA)

10/6: Girls Gone RX @ Old Line Crossfit (Millersville, MD)

10/6: The Battle To Benefit Badge (Utica NY)

10/6: Iron Eagle Challenge (Cookeville, TN)

10/6: The Grit Games (Jacksonville, FL)

10/6: Fit For Freedom (St. Peters, MO)

10/6: Fitness Freedom Project Jay WOD (San Marcos, CA)

10/6: Garden State Open 2018 (Berkeley Heights, NJ)

10/6: T-Town Throwdown (Toledo, OH)

10/6 – 10/7: The Iron Clash (Fayetteville, NC)

10/6- 10/7: 307 Throwdown (Casper, WY)

10/12: 10/14: Faith RX’d (Denver, CO) 

​10/13: C4 CrossFit Co-Ed Classic (Brunswick, NJ)

10/13: 2018 War in the Woods (Norton, MA)

10/13: The Festivus Games (Online)

10/13: Older, Wiser, Faster, Stronger (Plymouth, MI)

10/20 – 10/21: The Independence Games (Florence, SC)

​10/20 – 10/21: The Lincoln Invitational (Spokane, WA)