Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Just a note to our valued readers: We will be off next week for the holidays, but back in action Jan. 2 and ready to rock for the 2023 season!
In today’s edition:
New requirements for adaptive CrossFit divisions raise question marks ahead of 2023 season
Diving into our most read stories of 2022
Looking at the TYR Wodapalooza format, and a chance to win ground beef for life
2023 TYR Wodapalooza men’s preview
Christmas Movies and Family Time: FITAID CrossFit Games Athletes Talk Holiday Traditions and All-Time Favorite Gifts
“In life, as in chess, forethought wins.”- Charles Buxton
CROSSFIT GAMES
CrossFit Tightens Adaptive Division Requirements For 2023 Season, Putting Some Athletes Classification in Question
Athletes across the globe probably saw the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Open registration and didn’t have to think twice about signing up and throwing their hat into the ring of making it to the 2023 NOBULL Crossfit Games. But for some it isn’t that easy.
Individuals who are vying for a spot in the adaptive division of the Open and furthermore for a chance to compete at the Games have to go through a series of paperwork and assessments to ensure they qualify for one of the eight adaptive divisions. A step many of these athletes didn’t have to take last year.
Which Alec Zirkenbach, Accessibility and Adaptive Sport Specialist at CrossFit, says is only to ensure they have the most accurate field of athletes in each division and they were changes “largely driven” by feedback from the community and guidance from the Divisional Athlete Council that has specific adaptive athlete representation.
“Athletes wanted to have people vetted up front, they didn’t want people that were potentially not eligible or potentially didn’t review the adaptive athlete policy or interpret correctly that may not be eligible because maybe their impairment didn’t meet the qualifications or something to that effect.”
“And so we made those changes this year, so that now athletes have to get, essentially, they’re vetted before they start the competition ideally.”
Zirkenbach explains that as of December 1 athletes can submit their eligibility package irregardless of if they’ve registered for the Open or not and there is no fee to do this. Or if an individual doesn’t do it ahead of time they are able to register for the Open, select their division, and have all the way up until the last day of Open competition to submit their scores and submit their eligibility package.
“During competition days, I take two tablets right after every event. My recovery is quicker with Unbroken and I feel great during the day. It has 100 percent bettered my performance in CrossFit and my everyday life.” – Roman Khrennikov
With the right nutrients at the right time, we can all raise our game, whether we’re out to shatter world records or celebrate personal bests. That’s what fitness means to us. To feel the power of your own body. To trust the process. To keep going.
In case you missed it: Morning Chalk Up’s Lauren Kalil brings sports analysts Dex Hopkins and Joey Adduci on the show to debate which training method is superior: individualized programming or a training camp.
Cup of joe: Join us on Friday for Coffee Break Conversations, hosted by Morning Chalk Up’s Preslie Hirsch. This week we’re chatting with Dylan Malitsky, and as the Vice President of Loud and Live Sports, he’ll be walking us through how to run a successful event and what you can look forward to at TYR Wodapalooza this January.
WZA updates: Make sure to keep your eye on our TYR Wodapalooza who’s competing story for updates on who will be heading to Miami this January.
Interesting read: Piece in The Guardian about how shifting away from refined white rice could help lower the rate of diabetes.
CROSSFIT GAMES
MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
The Most Viewed Stories of 2022 and What They Tell Us
As a final victory lap for 2022, we’re reflecting on a year of Open workouts, inspirational stories, and CrossFit Games drama. The Morning Chalk Up staff wrote more than 1,500 articles, but these few stood out the most to viewers. With a combined 765,000 views, here are the top 25 most-viewed articles of 2022.
Here are some key takeaways before we get into the details.
Dave Castro ruled the news cycle this year, whether he was working for CrossFit or not. Starting the year off strong on January 4th, news of Castro’s departure as the Director of the CrossFit Games and subsequent return in June dominated headlines. Of course, these changes were met with various opinions from the community.
The Open is as relevant as ever, with 50% of the top ten most-read articles of the year related to the Open. This promising statistic comes despite changes in the Open format this year. In addition, with 263,529 registered athletes, the 2022 Open is part of a trend upwards since participation dropped in 2020.
Deficiencies in rollout and logistics from CrossFit HQ grabbed lots of attention. Between the back-and-forth with Castro, Eric Roza’s stepping down and Don Faul coming on as the new CEO, sports blunders like Bike to Work, and the falling through of the partnership with Whoop, CrossFit gained a serious amount of backlash that was widely received.
Watching live events remains confusing and inconsistent. While this isn’t exclusive to CrossFit in the slightest (“is the football game on ABC, NBC, or only on your phone this week?!”) viewing top-tier competitions can be difficult. Luckily, Morning Chalk Up always posts “How to Watch” guides!
We’re less than a month away from the fitness celebration in Miami, Florida, and Morning Chalk Up’s Lauren Kalil and Dex Hopkins sit down to chat about the new format and what you can expect at this year’s TYR Wodapalooza.
Once the calendar turns to 2023, the top male athletes in CrossFit will descend upon Miami for the TYR Wodapalooza. They will battle each other on January 12-15 for a piece of the $500,000 prize purse while putting their skills on display for the fans at Bayfront Park.
One big thing: The men’s division will be intriguing to watch for multiple reasons. Chief among them is that some athletes will be pulling “double duty” while testing themselves on the competition floor.
Patrick Vellner, Ricky Garard, and Saxon Panchik, for example, will each be active in the individual division and the team division while enjoying a packed weekend of competition.
There were two ways for the male athletes to punch their tickets to WZA. Several received invites based on their performances at the CrossFit Games, WZA, Granite Games, and other top competitions. Others had to secure their spots through the online qualifiers.
Christmas Movies and Family Time: FITAID CrossFit Games Athletes Talk Holiday Traditions and All-Time Favorite Gifts
Ever wonder what FITAID CrossFit Games athletes do on Christmas morning?
Do they train as per usual? Do they take a well-deserved rest day? Or maybe they spend the morning watching old CrossFit Games coverage, or reading old Morning Chalk Up articles…(You never know).
We took it to FITAID athletes to find out, and turns out their Christmas days aren’t so different from yours and mine. Most of all, they’re about family.
What they’re saying: “We are lucky to have most of our family close by, so getting to spend time with parents, my sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins is really what I look forward to every year,” said 2022 CrossFit Games Rookie of the Year Emma Lawson. “We spend Christmas Eve with my mom’s side of the family and Christmas Day or Boxing Day with my dad’s side.”
For veteran Jeff Adler, it’s a similar story. Quality time via “a simple get together “is what matters most, he said, adding that he celebrates on the 23rd with his family.
Same same for four-time Australian athlete James Newbury. He likes to keep a “simple” and “low key” gathering at his parents place every year, and is looking forward to lunch in Adelaide with some old friends this year.
Finally, Kelsey Kiel, a four-time Games team athlete is a little more extravagant when it comes to Christmas. From family time, to Christmas movies, music and decorations, she’s all in. “My favorite tradition in general is listening to Christmas music and decorating. I also love to watch a different Christmas movie every weekend,” she said. “I am so excited to be able to spend time with all my family members this year. My sister and nephew will be coming into town so the whole family will be able to be together for multiple days.”
Kiel is also the only one who takes Christmas day off training, but she always makes time for the 12 Days of Christmas WOD around the holiday.That being said, Newbury admitted Christmas training is “usually just a casual run.”
Just for Fun: What is your favorite gift you have ever received?
Lawson: My very first personal device. It was an iPod touch and the best ever at the time.
Adler: We’re the type of people that don’t wait till Christmas to give or receive gifts. But I do love to shop and save some money at that time of year.
Newbury: A new surfboard back 2004.
Kiel: This is such a hard one. I don’t know if I could pick a favorite. Is it just me, or was it lame to get new socks as a kid and now as an adult it’s the best thing ever?
It’s not just you, Kelsey Kiel. New socks for the win.
THINGS TO...
...READ
Why “Whack-A-Mole” Cues Don’t Work
Whacking moles at the carnival or Dave and Busters is normal. Whacking moles as a coaching strategy is not. Read more!
Get Early Access to Spacer Mobility's Boxing Day Sale
Calling all readers: get ready for this EXCLUSIVE Morning Chalk Up early access sale at Spacer Mobility! For Boxing Day, they are doing BOGO50% off. Use code "BOGO22" and make sure to get that sale before anyone else can!
When you are doing kettlebell swings, does your lower back hurt? That probably means you are leaning back a little too far during your swing. Notice the difference in this video!
Shopping the Reebok Holiday Flash Sale for 30% Off
Get ready to shop because Reebok is having a flash sale starting today! You can get up to 30% off some of your favorite workout gear. What are you waiting for? Go shopping before it’s too late!
If you’ve ever done Karen (150 wallballs for time) you realize very quickly that your positioning on the ball with your hands can make a huge difference in high volume sets. Use this tip to make sure you are grabbing the ball and releasing in the right spot to save your shoulders!
Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise. Send us a tip.
Fast reflexes and light feet saved Bob Jennings when Rudy Berger nearly took him out on a set of burpees at the Legends Championship earlier this month.
🙌 Satekaienton John Diabo, the operator and manager of Kahnawake CrossFit has won the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec’s First Peoples Medal for creating an inspiring fitness atmosphere.
🎅 Less than a week out from the big night, Santa puts the work in at WIT Fitness.
🏋️♀️ Italian weightlifter Martina Bomben hits a smooooth 210 pounds/95kg clean and jerk.
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