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Saxon Panchick Ready to Battle His Brothers

 
Morning Chalk Up

March 25   |   POWERED BY

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • Masters athletes embrace the Foundations division.
  • Saxon Panchik prepares to take on his brothers in the 21.3 live announcement today.
  • John Strickler, a 72-year-old adaptive athlete, takes on his first Open.
  • Here are four lesser-known athletes to watch after 21.2.
  • Do you know someone who has done an exceptional job embodying and capturing the essence of the CrossFit community? Find out how you can nominate them for a Morning Chalk Up Community Choice Award.

We love seeing your story tips, quotes and PRs roll in. Keep sending them to [email protected].

 
QUOTE OF THE DAY + Send us a Quote

“Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach [their] goals.” - Dorothy Height

 
CROSSFIT OPEN 2021

2021 Open Leaderboard Update:

  1. Alex Kotoulas (29) | Mallory O’Brien (11) | CrossFit Mayhem Freedom (2)
  2. Jeffrey Adler (30) | Emma Cary (15) | Team Butchers Lab (11)
  3. Noah Ohlsen (33) | Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr (18) | Kolesnikov (18)
  4. Zac Thomas (36) | Kristin Holte (21) | C2X CrossFit (19)
  5. Mitchel Stevenson (39) | Andrea Solberg (22) | Invictus (19)
  • We are only hours away from the live Open announcement for 21.3. The Panchik brothers — Scott, Saxon and Spencer will face off at 12 PM PT/3 PM ET. And stay tuned after that as EZ Muhammad, representing Project Onyx takes on Sam Briggs representing the OUT Foundation go head-to-head for their respective organizations.
  • The score submission deadline remains the same — Monday, March 29 at 5 PM PT/8 PM ET.
  • Curious about what might show up tonight in 21.3? Check out our Movement Tracker that charts every movement programmed in the Open since 2011.
  • MUST WATCH: Sixteen-year-old Emma Cary’s world record 21.2 video.
  • Do you know someone who has done an exceptional job embodying and capturing the essence of the CrossFit community? Find out how you can nominate them for a Morning Chalk Up Community Choice Award.

Here are a couple of other Speed Reads:

  • All XTend supplements are buy one, get one 50% off.
  • Due to COVID regulations, the Community Event at the CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown is canceled for 2021.
  • On Sunday, March 28, M2 Performance Nutrition will host an IG Live with teen sensations Mal O’Brien, Emma Cary, and Emma Lawson. Tune in at 3 PM ET.
 
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CROSSFIT GAMES
  Scaled Vs Foundations: Masters Athletes Take Advantage  

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Scaled Vs Foundations: Masters Athletes Take Advantage

Over the years, CrossFit has worked to increase its accessibility and expanded its audience both as a sport and recreational activity.

The evidence of this can be seen not only through CrossFit’s various marketing campaigns that focus primarily on participation in CrossFit for health, wellness, and the reduction of chronic disease, but also through the addition of the scaled division in 2015. This new division, CrossFit hoped, would allow for more people to participate, regardless of ability level. After all, one of the key pillars of CrossFit has always been that every workout is infinitely scalable.

Continue Reading...
 
CROSSFIT GAMES
  Saxon Panchik Prepares for CrossFit Open 21.3 Announcement vs. Brothers Scott and Spencer  

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Saxon Panchik Prepares for CrossFit Open 21.3 Announcement vs. Brothers Scott and Spencer

The final week of the 2021 CrossFit Open will kick off tonight when familiar competitors head to the CrossFit Home Office in Scotts Valley, CA. Saxon Panchik will face off against his brothers Scott and Spencer in the third head-to-head battle of the season. Note: This interview took place before CrossFit announced that Spencer would also compete. 

The Brotherly Rivalry matchup will air on the CrossFit Games official YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Continue Reading...
 
PROFILE
  ‘There’s Nothing You Can’t Do if You Don’t Try:’ 72-year-old Adaptive Athlete Takes on His First Open  

‘There’s Nothing You Can’t Do if You Don’t Try:’ 72-year-old Adaptive Athlete Takes on His First Open

John Strickler, like many CrossFitters, is competing in his first Open this year.

The 72-year-old adaptive athlete — who was born with cerebral palsy and now uses a wheelchair — wants “to go as far as he can go,” proving, as his trainer Jason Miyagishima says, that the Open truly is for everyone.

His story: Strickler’s cerebral palsy only affected his legs, and for a lot of his life, he walked without assistance. Around the time he hit 30 or 40, Strickler began using crutches, switching to a wheelchair by the time he was 60.

  • “I was fortunate to have very, very good parents,” Strickler says. “They were open and honest with me from the beginning, they told me, ‘You know what, you’re going to have a difficult time with many things, there’s no doubt about that, but there’s nothing you can’t do if you don’t try.’”
  • Strickler says he was able to do “a lot of things as a kid,” things that you wouldn’t necessarily think a kid with cerebral palsy could do.
  • “My life has been a lot of fun for me. I certainly don’t look back on anything and I’m not sad about anything, I’m not a victim in any way, and this has been a great journey,” he says.
Continue Reading...
 
PROFILE
  Meet Four Up and Coming Athletes to Watch After Open Week Two  

Meet Four Up and Coming Athletes to Watch After Open Week Two

In past years, after the second week of the Open, the leaderboard doesn’t mean a whole lot, as there have always been at least three more workouts to shake things up. Such is not the case this year. With only one week to go, it’s safe to say the worldwide leaderboard is already very relevant.

  • And while many of the usual suspects are sitting pretty in the top 20 — Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr, Kari Pearce, Kara Saunders, Katrin Davidsdottir, Noah Ohlsen, Brent Fikoswki, Pat Vellner, and Justin Medeiros, to name a handful — there are also a good number of notable lesser-known athletes near the top of the leaderboard, who are worth talking about.

The obvious three: On the women’s side, the top two spots are currently held by a 17- and 16-year-old in Mallory O’Brien and Emma Cary, both of whom have competed at the CrossFit Games in the teen division, and on the men’s side, 28 year-old Alex Kotoulas from Greece leads the way.

  • O’Brien placed fourth and fifth at the Games respectively in 2018 and 2019 in the 14-15 year-old division, while Cary topped the world in 2019. It’s safe to say both are legitimate contenders to qualify to the Semifinals in the individual division this year.
Continue Reading...
 
 
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HIGHLIGHTS...

Highlights is our section dedicated to celebrating our community’s wins in the gym. Follow @ChalkUpHighlights and submit your highlight to [email protected] to be featured.

 
LOCAL COMPETITIONS + Submit an Event
3/9: The Valkyrie Fitness Competition (Tampa, FL)
3/16: Upper Hunter Strongest Novice (Muswellbrook, Australia)
3/16: Shamwod & Shenanigains (oceanside, ca)
3/16: Oceanside CrossFit 1st Annual Shamwod & Shenanigains (Oceanside, Ca)
3/16: Shamwod & Shenanigains (Oceanside, Ca)
3/23: CFL Teen Take Over (Lorton, VA)
3/23: Masters Distinguished Games (Fort Wright, KY)
3/23 - 3/24: Beach Brawl (Spring) (Pensacola Beach, FL)
4/6: Best Babes Wyoming (Cheyene, Wyoming)
4/6 - 4/7: SeaDog Summer Showdown (Jupiter, Florida)
4/6: Girls Gone Rx Minnesota (Austin, Minnesota)
4/6: Girls Gone Rx Kentucky (Richmond, Kentucky)
4/6: Girls Gone Rx Ohio (Lancaster, Ohio)
4/6: Best Babes Decatur (Decatur, Alabama)
4/6: Best Babes 608 (Janesville, Wisconsin)
4/6: Best Babes South Carolina (Beufort, South Carolina)
4/6: Best Babes Houston (Houston, Texas)
4/6: Best Babes Tampa (Tampa, Florida)
4/6: War Off I-4 (Deland, FL)
4/6 - 4/7: No Pain No Game (Legnano, Italy)
4/6 - 4/7: Shack Team Edition (Rome, Italy)
4/6: Best Babes South Carolina (Beaufort, SC)
4/6: Best Babes Decatur (Decatur, AL)
4/6 - 4/7: Landifornian Battle (Seignosse, France)
4/6: Two Peas in a Pod: Mixed Gender Partner Comp (Burlington, MA)
4/13: Queens of Oly East Tennessee (Bulls Gap, TN)
4/13: Queens of Oly Rockledge (Rockledge, FL)
4/13: Fittest on Main (Boaz, AL)
4/19 - 4/21: Crash Crescendo (Spartanburg, SC)
4/20: Festivus Games (Clermont, FL)
4/20: Barbells For Bullies: Community Workout Savannah (Savnnah, Georgia, US)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CrossFit Plattsburgh (Plattsburgh, NY)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CrossFit Masiphumelele (Kommetjie, Cape Town, South Africa)
4/20: Festivus Games (Goderich, Canada)
4/20: Festivus Games @ The Gym – CrossFit Kilo (Cedar Falls, IA)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CBM Sirens (Caledonia, MS)
4/20: Festivus Games @ Coyote Valley (San Jose, CA)
4/20 - 4/21: Okanagan Valley Throwdown (Penticton, British Columbia)
4/20: The Fittest 4 (Sunshine Coast, Australia)
4/20: Embrace the Challenge (Mentor, Ohio)
4/20: Festivus Games @ CrossFit Pagosa (Pagosa Springs, CO)
4/20: First EVER Adaptive Festivus Games Competition (Waterford, United States)
4/20: Festivus Games (WAUKESHA, WI)
4/20 - 4/21: BGR Contest Spring Edition (Bergerac, France)
4/20 - 4/21: Okanagan Valley Throwdown (Penticton, British Columbia, Canada)
4/26 - 4/28: Crash Crescendo (Spartanburg, SC)
4/27: Cap Crown Throwdown (Gladstone, Australia)
4/28: 249 Spring Throwdown (Sittingbourne, Kent, England)
5/4: Team Challenge Texas (San Antonio, Texas)
5/4 - 5/5: Italian Bulls Games (Lido di Ostia, Italy)
5/4 - 5/5: Pavia Spring Challenge ’24 (Pavia, Italy)
5/4: The Strong and Courageous (Cullman, Alabama)
5/4: CHLKDUP Classic (Nashville, TN)

See all upcoming events

 
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