Leading up to the 2023 CrossFit Games, Reebok announced its most inclusive program to date, the Madison Travel Fund, which offered athletes the chance to win monetary travel funds via an Instagram sweepstakes-style program.
Remind me: At a grand total of $100K, Reebok gave $2,000 to 50 total winners across all competition divisions, with everyone eligible for equal earnings. Additionally, the 50 winners were given 10 pairs of Nano X3s to give to their local box.
However, the program extended beyond those who competed in Wisconsin and included affiliates as well, where six winning gyms were given Nano X3s for their members.
Brianna Henley, Sr. Director of Sport Footwear at Reebok, shared her thoughts behind the creation of the Madison Travel Fund Program.
“We created the Madison Travel Fund Program as a continued effort to support and show our appreciation for the training community. With this year’s Games activation, our goal was to evolve to be more inclusive than ever…to celebrate athletes of all divisions and rankings and to shine a light on one of the most special aspects of Games, the community.”
“We wanted to create a way to celebrate the wider community and the fans supporting and cheering on those competing athletes. We all know it takes a village to succeed, and we wanted to champion that,” said Henley.
Henley expressed that it was important that Reebok supported and backed not only the individual athletes, but those of all divisions and those working hard at their local affiliates.
The results: The winners of the Madison Travel Fund included:
Christian Harris | Kyra Milligan | Jay Crouch | Nienke van Overveld | James Sprague
Elisa Fuliano | Kelly Stone | Emily Loogman Rethwill | Jason Grubb | Shaylin Laure
Everybody loves to hate them: burpees. But, where did they come from? Learn all about the history of the “perfect exercise” and its inventor, Dr. Royal Huddleston Burpee.
The Fortitude Life podcast recently interviewed four-time CrossFit Games champion, Masters athlete Jason Grubb. Check out this wide-ranging conversation that among other things covered addiction and recovery, how he went from unhealthy at 37 to the Fittest on Earth, and how to get started on your own fitness journey.
ICYMI:FitTok influencer and CrossFit strongwoman, Jessi Kuhlman on body positivity.
Have a Speed Read you think we might like? Hit us up.
CROSSFIT GAMES
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
The CrossFit Games Broadcast: An Academic Perspective
The broadcast of the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games caused quite a stir. From an eleventh hour ESPN partnership announcement to the outcry over the fixed camera livestream of the Adaptive and Age-Group divisions. During the Games week, the broadcast became a topic of conversation, almost as much as the Games themselves.
To weigh in on the controversy and share their own research in the field of CrossFit broadcasting, the Morning Chalk Up sat down with an expert in sports broadcasting and livestreaming, Dr. Sarah Wymer, a Lecturer at Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.
Looking Ahead: A Preview of the Remaining 2023, Early 2024 Season
The 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games may be behind us, however, there is a lot more fitness happening the rest of the year and into the 2024 season. Athletes were barely done with the Games before they had to hit qualifier workouts for events, such as the Rogue Invitational “Q” for a spot in the finals in late October.
Below, we list the remaining events of 2023 and some going into early next year. Since the Games we’ve seen a number of team athletes announce their plans to go individual next season and vice versa on the individual side, like Noah Ohlsen and Chandler Smith. As we head into the “off-season” these events give us a glimpse into what the next season might look like.
This list will include the event name, date, and location for each (this is not a comprehensive list):
Kettle Wedding Bells: CrossFit 1886 Pulls Off Gym Wedding on One Day’s Notice
When Garrett and Emily planned their upcoming nuptials, they expected the event to take place in a beautiful outdoor setting at Big Bear Lake, complete with bonfires and canoes. But Mother Nature had other plans.
One big thing: The weekend of their wedding, a once-in-a-lifetime storm, Tropical Storm Hilary rolled into town. The first tropical storm to make landfall in southern California since 1939.
Due to major safety concerns, the couple’s venue canceled their wedding weekend, leaving them without a space to celebrate their marriage.
The couple had just 24 hours to replan their entire wedding. Luckily, their CrossFit family came through.
Emily Evans had been a member at CrossFit 1886 for just over 18 months, and her fiance Garrett had just recently joined. When owner Patrick Burton and manager Ryan Savage heard of their misfortune, they quickly stepped up and offered their box for the couple to host the wedding.
“We have a pretty open space in general,” said manager Ryan Savage, mentioning that it only took moving a few weightlifting platforms out of the way to create the perfect wedding venue.
“Their DJ was okay with coming and they were able to have their photographers come as well,” he continued.
The only vendor that wasn’t able to make the new venue was the catering company, but the couple was able to quickly pivot and arrange for The Olive Garden to cater their wedding.
“They were totally overwhelmed in a good way,” he said. Going from not being sure if they were going to have the wedding to have this,” concluded Savage.
How a CrossFit Gym Went from 0 to 80 Members in Four Months
BYS CrossFit opened their doors and went from having no members to 80 in less than half a year. Read more about their journey and how they celebrated their new members: with an in-house competition!
Keep your program sharp with the sturdy, easy-access YETI Camino®Carryall. Internal dividers keep shoes, weight belts, knee sleeves, water bottles and other gear organized. Zippered pockets offer quick access to keys, jump rope, tape, and other small items.
Are Your V-Ups Long and Strong or Floppy and Sloppy?
While a V-Up might seem like a simple ab exercise, they can get sloppy QUICKLY. Watch this video and learn how to progress gradually if yours are a little sloppy.
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