Thorisdottir Named to New WHOOP Council

November 17   |   POWERED BY

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

• The 2021 Black Friday and Cyber Monday buyer’s guide.
• Three CrossFit Games athletes were named to WHOOP’s new women’s council.
• CrossFit CEO Eric Roza opens up about his struggles with depression.

“Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.” - Pablo Picasso

Foucher, Thorisdottir Named to WHOOP Women’s Performance Collective

WHOOP has launched a new initiative dedicated to highlighting the importance of women’s health and personal fitness. Named the Women’s Performance Collective, this coalition brings together top athletes and female academic experts, a list that includes both Dr. Julie Foucher and two-time CrossFit Games champion Annie Thorisdottir.

One big thing: WHOOP and the new Women’s Performance Collective will band together to educate and empower women. They will help them manage their sleep, recovery, fueling, and training with a focus on optimizing their health.

Making the biggest impact: In order to create this coalition, WHOOP focused on giants in the industry that have made a positive impact in a variety of ways. The company selected members based on their contribution to sports, research, and industry influence. Foucher and Thorisdottir are only part of a list that also includes:

• Olympic Runner Colleen Quigley
• Professional tennis player and US Open champion Sloane Stephens
• Neuroscientist for the US Army and 2015 CrossFit Games team athlete Dr. Allison Brager
• Team USA Paralympian Scout Bassett
• Track & Field Olympian Alysia Montaño
• Bobsled Olympian Lauren Gibbs
• NCAA National Champion CeCe Telfer
• Paralympic track and field athlete and commentator Scout Bassett

Thorisdottir: “I’m super excited to be part of this council. Sports science has primarily focused on male athletes and I believe there is much to be learned to maximize performance for female athletes as well. We are similar in many ways but also different in many ways.”

Guiding the next generation: Along with the Women’s Performance Collective, WHOOP also announced a new partnership with Voice in Sport, a community and membership platform for female athletes ages 13-23.

• This partnership provides access to exclusive written content and mentorship from professional and collegiate athletes.
• Community members will also have access to live, virtual sessions with over 80 experts in sports science, sports nutrition, and sports psychology.

The bottom line: Thorisdottir is an outspoken proponent of initiatives supporting the next generation. She and Katrin Davidsdottir recently announced an upcoming book aimed at guiding youngsters through adversity. Similarly, Foucher helped spearhead the relaunch of CrossFit Health, which aims to revolutionize healthcare. Now they are partnering with WHOOP and a stacked list of athletes and academics to make an even bigger impact.

Let The Fittest Man in History Get You Open Ready

Remember all those things you promised yourself you would work on this year before the Open?

T-Minus: 99 Days.

The Open is coming.

All HWPO and HWPO 60 athletes can now opt-in for Mat Fraser’s Open prep programming to make sure they’re ready to crush whatever Dave Castro has in store this year.

Discover which HWPO program is right for you and get instant access to Mat Fraser’s Open prep programming.

🎁🎁🎁 The 2021 Ultimate CrossFitters Guide to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

How many volunteers does it take to run the CrossFit Games? Short answer: 621. Long answer: Go behind the scenes.

LAUNCHED: Annie Thorisdottir and Katrin Davidsdottir’s new children’s book, “What is the Way?” is now available for pre-order.

• Thorisdottir: “We want kids to go after their dreams. We want them to know that even if they fail the first time it’s ok…just try again! Even if it gets hard, just tackle one thing at a time. We want children to trust and believe in themselves. To see that the journey is really what matters.”

Want to win a signed Brent Fikowski jersey? The 3rd Fittest Man on Earth is auctioning off seven Games-worn tops and bottoms and donating all money to two organizations: 92 Hands and The Phoenix.

Hafthor Bjornsson and Eddie Hall finally agree to the terms for the upcoming boxing match. The loser of the fight will have to get “a tattoo of the other man’s name labeled as the ‘World’s Strongest Man.’”

Worth 10 minutes of your morning…The Morning Chalk Up team breaks down the major changes coming for the 2022 CrossFit Games season, specifically to age group divisions.

Roza Receiving Treatment for Depression, “Feeling Positive About Progress”

Today, CrossFit’s CEO Eric Roza sent an email to all CrossFit employees and affiliate owners revealing that he has been undergoing treatment for depression, the Morning Chalk Up has learned. CrossFit confirmed the validity of the email which went out this morning, however, no additional details were provided regarding the treatment or its length except that Roza would be increasingly more “engaged over the coming weeks.”

• Roza: “As some of you may have noticed, I haven’t been around as much as usual over the past few weeks, and I wanted to share the reason why.  I have been taking some time to seek treatment for depression.”

One big thing: Roza made it clear in the email that his intention in making his struggles with depression public is to “destigmatize mental health issues” and also encourage others who are struggling to seek appropriate treatment.

• CrossFit Home Office offers comprehensive mental health benefits, short and long-term disability, and unlimited PTO to support employees’ wide-ranging personal needs, according to a spokesperson.

The big picture: It’s unclear exactly how long Roza has been undergoing treatment as the nature of his role doesn’t necessarily put him in the daily spotlight. His last major public appearances came during the launch of CrossFit Precision Care in early October.

• In the last month, CrossFit launched the Affiliate Partner Network, expanded access to the Affiliate Toolkit, and published the earliest release of the full CrossFit Games season calendar indicating CrossFit’s ability to operate at a high level during this time.
• Roza: “These last few weeks have reinforced how strong our team is — leaders stepped up immediately, and we didn’t miss a beat.”

The full text of the email is below:

Team,

As some of you may have noticed, I haven’t been around as much as usual over the past few weeks, and I wanted to share the reason why.  I have been taking some time to seek treatment for depression.  

Nearly 300 million people suffer from depression, and COVID has accelerated this global crisis, with depression rates tripling in the US.  Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death worldwide, and it has hit close to home for far too many of us, including those in the CrossFit Home Office, following the death of Chad Peyton earlier this year. 

Heredity is one of depression’s leading causes.  My father struggled with depression in silence with limited treatment options and significant cultural stigma throughout his life.  I have a lot to be thankful for, but I have not been spared some of the challenges he faced.  

While it is uncomfortable for me to be this transparent about my journey, I’ve decided to discuss this openly rather than avoiding these tough conversations, so my experience can help destigmatize mental health issues and foster healing.   

There are many others who continue to struggle in shame or silence, so if you or someone in your life is dealing with depression, please don’t wait to ask for or provide help.  Reach out to your manager or our HR team, so we can support you and help you get the resources you need.  

More broadly, I am grateful for the role that CrossFit has played in assisting those dealing with conditions such as depression, PTSD, addiction, and anxiety, and I look forward to building on that work together.  There are endless examples of CrossFit’s positive impact on mental health in gyms around the world, and I have personally benefited from both the workouts and the support of the community during my own journey.  In addition, events such as last weekend’s Chad 1000x help raise both funds and awareness for impacted members of our community. 

On a personal level, I want to thank you for your commitment to CrossFit, your friendship, and your hard work.  These last few weeks have reinforced how strong our team is — leaders stepped up immediately, and we didn’t miss a beat. 

While the path is not always easy, I’m feeling positive about my progress, and I will be increasingly engaged over the coming weeks.  In the interim, I deeply appreciate your support, and I look forward to seeing you soon.

– e

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Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise. Send us a tip.

• 🎂 Happy birthday Stephen Stover.
• 21-year-old Hagen Henderson back squats 725 pounds/329kg.
• A 9-year-old, Jordan Mica, broke the American back squat record, lifting 137.75 pounds/62.5kg.
• Congratulations Cristy Bethancourt from Patriot CrossFit in Arlington, VA on getting your first bar muscle-up.
• Congratulations Kirsten Therrien from SVG Athletics in South Hadley, MA on the 230 pound/104kg clean PR.

CrossFit Weddington in North Carolina raised nearly $5,000 for the CLT Foundation during their 8th annual 24-hour Rowathon. The CLT Foundation helps provide programs and college scholarships for children with special needs.

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