“Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.”- Saadi
LIFESTYLE
Cynthia Gauthier Loves Monster Jam Truck Driving and CrossFit
Cynthia Gauthier is a bonafide, certified adrenaline junkie.
The 33-year-old Canadian first got into motocross racing as an 18-year-old after her father planted the seed, taking her out to enjoy his passion in life
“I was in love with adrenaline growing up and my dad used to take me to all kinds of races, so for me starting to race was part of my journey,” said Gauthier. “I’ve always enjoyed the sound of the engine and the smell of the fuel, I was always hooked on going to the races.”
However multiple injuries including a full reconstruction of her knee meant motocross racing was not in the cards anymore for Gauthier. Of course, she tried to get a normal job, working as an accountant after graduating from university with her degree at the age of 24, but she said there was no decision, her mind was already set.
“I knew I was not going to be able to work in a cubicle,” she added about her thoughts of having a normal life with a normal job. “I do love numbers but at the end of every day I would say to myself, ‘Something is missing here.’ So when I did move to the US to follow my racing career, I had to make some sacrifices.”
Gauthier knew this was where her heart was, and belonged, driving a machine fast and taking big jumps.
“And so being part of the racing was always a no-brainer. As soon as you get on the starting line, that feeling is impossible to describe but it’s something you want every week.”
Gauthier first got into off road racing in 2013 after relocating to Ohio, and said while the move was tough on her, which required jumping through a bunch of immigration hoops and upping her English skills (she is French Canadian), she looks back on it as a the best decision she ever made.
She then applied to drive a Monster Jam truck, and was accepted, starting her career in 2015, getting behind the wheel of a 10.5 feet tall, 12.5 feet wide, 17 feet long and 12,000 pound vehicle that can generate upwards of 1,500 horsepower. She said that first ride inside was one she will remember forever.
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SPEED READS
In case you missed it: Australia’s Ricky Garard spoke to Lauren Kalil, the host of The Bottom Line, about his comeback so far this season towards the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games. “It’s everything I’ve dreamed of…try to get back on the podium again.”
More workouts dropped: The Mid Atlantic CrossFit Challenge has dropped its individual and team workouts for the upcoming event May 27-29.
Vegas champions: HYROX has crowned two world champions, Hunter McIntyre and Kris Rugloski in the men’s and women’s elite divisions respectively. The mass participation event is looking to couple with CrossFit as it expands its offerings. 🏆
New video alert: The first episode of the documentary series, The Progrm Origins, has dropped and it is 🔥.
Testing alert: The CrossFit Games Anti-Doping Program has completed another round of out-of-competition tests for the 2022 season. Joey Coste tested positive for a prohibited substance, and will be appealing. All other samples were negative.
INDUSTRY
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
How to be a Professional Athlete in the (Post?) Pandemic Landscape
We’re approaching the halfway point of 2022, and dare anyone say the global pandemic may be over (knock on wood). But COVID is lingering in more ways than one, as CrossFit athletes were reminded while planning to travel to Canada for the Atlas Games. This case study once again points out the stark differences in how countries are handling the pandemic.
Astrid Merkt, a Canadian psychologist who has worked with multiple professional athletes from around the world, said while athletes usually have built in resilience to life’s daily struggles, they have also been put through the ringer when it comes to COVID, travel restrictions, vaccines and canceled competitions while having to adapt to new training regimes and an entirely new sporting landscape.
Professional sports is a global game, and the sporting world has been heavily impacted by the pandemic and its accompanying restrictions and ever shifting landscape.
CrossFit’s Chief Technology Officer to Step Down, “New Initiatives” in CrossFit Tech On Hold
Jeremy Landis, CrossFit’s Chief Technology Officer has announced he will step down from his position after a 17 month tenure following CrossFit’s recent company-wide off-site meeting at the end of April.
One big thing: In Landis’s resignation announcement to the company of which Morning Chalk Up obtained a copy of, he offered insight into the tech priorities of CrossFit LLC for the next year or two.
He began his letter stating: “CrossFit has been working to refocus its strategy over recent months to build for future success on our remarkable legacy and existing core products.”
“In pursuing that vision,” he continued, “we’ve shifted our focus for the next 18-24 months away from new initiatives, so we can make sure we establish the right technology foundation for future growth and success.”
Landis offered some additional insight about the current technology situation at the company, stating “CrossFit had traditionally underinvested in technology, and we’re still playing catch-up in building the right systems and tools for our needs today. Getting that foundation right is critical, and we have made tremendous progress on our technology foundation.”
On why he’s decided to resign: “As I looked at the work ahead of us for the next two years, I realized it doesn’t match with what drives me. My passion has always been fueling large transformation and rapid growth by building new B2C [business to consumer] products, and that opportunity was a big part of the reason I joined the company.”
“Because we have pushed back the time frame for most of those initiatives,” Landis concluded, “I’ve given some thought to my own future, and I’ve decided it’s time to hand the reins to some new leaders who can complete the critical foundational work we’ve started.”
Why it matters: The previous five months have seen some significant changes among the upper echelon at CrossFit LLC. Most notably, Dave Castro was let go as General Manager of Sport in January of 2022 and Eric Roza stepped out of the CEO role and into the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors in February.
With Landis’s departure–a third C-Suite or Director level position in five months–it is worth asking the question, is CrossFit in a rebuilding phase, as many believed when Roza took over the helm in 2020, or is the organization lacking direction and leadership at a critical moment in time?
COMPETITION
How to Watch: The 2022 Torian Pro Semifinal and Schedule of Events
The 2022 CrossFit Games Semifinals stage kicks off this Friday, May 20 and in Oceania there is only one event, the Torian Pro. The three-day competition will be held at the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane, Australia and the top three finishers in the men’s, women’s and team division will advance to the CrossFit Games later this summer.
Here’s a complete roster of the 30 men, 30 women and 15 teams who are competing.
Bookmark our Torian Pro competition coverage hub with schedule, leaderboard and analysis.Live broadcast: A live broadcast of the event will be hosted on the CrossFit Games YouTube channel and the CrossFit Games homepage.
We will update this page with links to each day’s live stream when it’s available.
The Morning Chalk Up Coverage: The MCU team will be providing complete coverage of the competition with exclusive athlete interviews, behind-the-scenes, in-depth coverage, highlights, analysis, images and daily recaps on our website, and on our official YouTube channel and Instagram page.
Subscribe and sign-up for alerts and updates on the latest content as it’s posted.
Years of dedication and training to achieve the ultimate goal...performing at the Eurovision Song Contest. Annie achieved this feat back in 2018 and has resurfaced the footage for us all to enjoy.
And it’s free. The PushPress Workout Timer app is easy to set up and robust enough to handle almost every kind of workout you can throw at it. A stopwatch, AMRAP, Tabata, and EMOM timer to power your home workouts or for that extra proof in the box.
So it turns out, your tiny calf muscles might not be entirely your fault. Check out part one of the series on how your genetics affect your muscle size with an introduction to a major limiter of muscle mass...Myostatin.
The WHOOP 4.0 is smaller, smarter, and designed with new biometric tracking to provide real-time feedback on your Sleep, Training, Recovery, and Health. Sign up this month for just $0 and you'll not only get an extra month's membership and WHOOP 4.0 for free, but you have a chance to win some awesome WHOOP prizes as well.
If you meal prep, you know your way around a grilled chicken breast. And you know that it isn't always the most enjoyable experience. Well, these flavorful, easy side dishes are packed with seasonal produce and make the perfect spring or summer dinner to spice up your bland routine.
Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise. Send us a highlight.
Congratulations to Tony Pino from Apache CrossFit in Toms River, NJ on the 235 pound/106.5kg snatch PR at 40 years young. #crossfitworks
Congratulations to Monica Griffin from CrossFit Jenks in Jenks, OK on her first one-legged squats.
🇺🇸 Congratulations to Dr. Robyn Kramer, State Air Surgeon for the New Mexico Air National Guard, on her promotion to Colonel. Your CrossFit Ridgeback family is so proud!
Congratulations to Josh Stephenson from Hammock Coast CrossFit in Pawleys Island, SCon the 315 pound/143kg clean and jerk PR.
Congratulations to Coach Nick Mathew from CrossFit Minnetonka in Minnetonka, MN on the PR snatch double at 275 pounds/125kg.
Congratulations to 7-year-old Mason from CrossFit Soul in Miami, FL on the 46 pound/21kg snatch balance PR.
🔥 Congratulations Sarin Suvanasai from CrossFit NBHD in Alexandria, VA on the 305 pound/138kg snatch PR.
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