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Morning Chalk Up

January 4   |   POWERED BY

RPM

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

  • Start the year off right and become an RX member for just $1 and get 20% off at Reebok.

In today’s edition:

  • You can now purchase shares of O2 beverage company.
  • Mal O’Brien moves to train under Mat Fraser’s Hard Work Pays Off.
  • Can and should CrossFit coaches get involved in mental health?
  • Win a signed copy of Mat Fraser’s new book.

TODAY IN HISTORY: On January 4, 1936, Billboard Magazine publishes the first pop music chart and the number one song topping the list was “Stop, Look and Listen,” by jazz violinist Joe Venuti.

 
QUOTE OF THE DAY + Send us a Quote

“Try not to become a man of success, but rather become a man of value.” - Albert Einstein

 
INDUSTRY
  O2 Launches Series A Crowdfunding Campaign With Aim To Disrupt Sugary Sports Drinks  

O2 Launches Series A Crowdfunding Campaign With Aim To Disrupt Sugary Sports Drinks

Grassroots hydration brand O2 has announced a major move to expand and continue its mission of supporting gyms and providing 100% carbon neutral clean hydration. The company has announced that it will sell shares to customers and fans in a $3.6 million Series A crowdfunding campaign.

One big thing: Similar to London-based training retailer WIT and its campaign that raised £1,258,970 in 2017, O2 will turn to the community to raise the money. The hydration brand will sell shares on SeedInvest at the price of $115.65 per share. There are 30,263 shares available, and the minimum investment is $463.

  • The campaign launched on December 30, 2021, but O2 has already sold over six figures in shares.
  • Many of the investment tiers provide a number of perks. $1,000-$4,999 secures four free cases of O2 and a 32-oz O2 Pure Hydration branded tumbler. Other tiers include a Yeti cooler, year-long subscriptions, a Hyperice Hypervolt, and a seat at O2’s R&D roundtable among others.
  • The $250,000 and Above Investment tier includes two major perks – free O2 for life and an all-expenses-paid weekend trip for two to a “Mile-High Meet N’ Greet” with Colina in Denver, CO.

Dave Colina, Co-Founder and CEO: “We wouldn’t be where we are today without gyms and the CrossFit community, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Our values of Honesty, Humility, and Hustle are rooted in this family, and it’s a big reason why we chose to crowdfund. A lot of the corporate folks don’t get what we’re trying to build, but we know our community does.”

A meteoric rise: CrossFit coach Dave Colina founded O2 out of his car seven years ago and kicked off a run in which the company has grown exponentially, supported CrossFit affiliates in the midst of COVID, and secured spots on the Inc. 5000 list and the cover of Entrepreneur’s Startups magazine.

  • O2 has secured deals with major retailers in Publix, Sprouts, and Whole Foods, as well as revenue-generating contracts with CrossFit and LifeTime Fitness.
  • O2 has generated more than $10 million in total revenue since Colina founded the brand in 2014, $5 million plus from 2020 alone.
  • The company is currently valued at $25 million, before this round of funding.

O2 received confirmation of the fanbase’s faith when 90,000+ gym members participated in the Stay for May and No Quit November initiatives last year, in which members were awarded gift cards to O2 and partner brands for keeping their memberships active. O2 saw online repeat purchase rates skyrocket past 40% in that time – a strong indicator of growth potential, loyalty, and community support.

The bottom line: O2 has proven to be successful in the short time that the company has been in existence. Now Colina and his staff will aim to reach greater heights and take on other drinks, such as BodyArmor, while working directly with the consumers and raising money through a crowdfunding campaign.

  • “I’m excited to deepen the relationship with our existing customers and gym wholesale partners by getting them skin in the game so they can not only go on this journey with us but hopefully see a significant financial return on their investment in O2 in the future, simply by continuing to support a brand they love,” Colina said.
 
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SPEED READS

Added to the Wodapalooza roster: Michelle Basnett, and Spencer Panchik.

Tia-Clair Toomey placed 12th over the weekend at the Bobsled World Cup in Sigulda, Latvia. She’ll be heading to Innsbruck, Austria to compete in the Europa Cup next week.

Noah Ohlsen got COVID over the Christmas holiday:

  • “Thankfully, my case was mild. I took a few days off fitness, felt pretty exhausted, had some feverish chills and a bit of congestion. I tried to jump right back into training but my body shut me down and Joann reminded me to give myself a little grace. By prioritizing rest, recovery, and good food, all of my data is trending in the right direction.

The OUT Foundation is now hiring a full-time, remote Director of Development.

Your End of 2021, Beginning of 2022 Primer: 

 
NEWS
  BREAKING: Mal O'Brien Joins Mat Fraser, HWPO Training For the 2022 Season  

BREAKING: Mal O'Brien Joins Mat Fraser, HWPO Training For the 2022 Season

Mat Fraser and the HWPO Training team announced a major addition to their crew, adding 18-year-old phenom and seventh fittest woman on earth Mal O’Brien to their ranks as an athlete and planting their flag towards the top of the women’s division at the CrossFit Games.

One big thing: For the 2022 season, the Iowa native will be coached under the tutelage of Jake Marconi and Fraser, alongside Jayson Hopper, tapping into the knowledge and expertise of the five-time Fittest Man on Earth, whose preparation and attention to detail helped re-write the record books.

Some background: O’Brien took the CrossFit world by storm in 2021finishing 5th worldwide in the CrossFit Open, before eventually qualifying for the Games through the Granite Games Semifinal at just 17-years-old.

  • Alongside fellow teenager Emma Cary, she became the first teenage athlete since the advent of the teenage competition to qualify for the Games as an individual.
  • Battling her way back from burnout and complications from Lyme disease, O’Brien rediscovered her passion for the sport under former coach James Townsend, and it carried her to a 7th place finish and rookie of the year honors at the Games on the back of a scintillating event win under the lights of the coliseum in Event 4.
  • She also became the youngest athlete ever to win an individual event at the CrossFit Games.

The backdrop: Over the past month, O’Brien has been seen on social training and spending time alongside Fraser and the HWPO team, including training sessions with Hopper, men’s champion Justin Medeiros and The Buttery Bros in Vermont.

  • “Immediately I was blown away by her maturity level and ability to adapt,” says Fraser, recounting his first impressions of O’Brien, “when she came to Vermont to hang out and train she was organized, very self-sufficient, and every time I gave her some feedback or an adjustment, within a few minutes she’d already apply it seamlessly.”
  • The trip to Vermont gave birth to the possibility of O’Brien joining the HWPO crew, but a recent trip to Salt Lake City solidified the compatibility of the two sides working together formally.
  • “We were in Salt Lake for two weeks, and I casually tossed the invite out to come train,” recalls Fraser, “She showed up for two weeks, and we got a better sense of how each of us operates, and everything clicked.”

The big picture: In her sophomore campaign, O’Brien figures to be in the podium conversation as she looks to take the next step under Fraser’s guidance and become the youngest individual podium finisher ever at the CrossFit Games, a record she has two full seasons to break.

  • History seems to be in her favor, the last three athletes that won rookie of the year – Laura Horvath, Haley Adams, and Justin Medeiros – have all matched or bested their rookie performance in the years since their breakthrough at the Games.

“I told her as long as she gives her full effort, I’ll give her my full effort, and that’s what we’ll do,” Fraser said. 

 
LIFESTYLE
  Mental Health: Can and Should CrossFit Coaches Play a Role?  

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Mental Health: Can and Should CrossFit Coaches Play a Role?

In recent months, we have told stories about CrossFit enthusiasts, people like Armando Perez and Samantha Thaxton, and how they used CrossFit to help them to improve their mental health.

Similarly, we have told stories about CrossFit’s ability to help people overcome substance abuse and addiction, and we have reported on scientific research that suggests improved physical strength can decrease anxiety.

The bottom line is we have ample evidence that fitness, and especially that joining a CrossFit community, is a powerful tool for improving mental health.

That being said, recent events also prove that when it comes to mental health, it’s irresponsible to think CrossFit is the be-all-end-all.

In November 2021, CrossFit CEO Eric Roza, a man dedicated to his physical fitness, bravely sent an email to all CrossFit employees and affiliate owners revealing he was undergoing treatment for depression. And more recently, in December, the Morning Chalk Up learned about a long-time affiliate owner who tragically took his own life.

Continue Reading...
 
GIVEAWAY
  Mental Health: Can and Should CrossFit Coaches Play a Role?  

Win a Signed Copy of Mat Fraser's New Book

Five-time CrossFit Games champion Mat Fraser’s new book — “Hard Work Pays Off: Train. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.” — officially hits the shelves next Tuesday. But Mat’s giving away 20 signed copies just for Morning Chalk Up fans. All you have to do is enter to win.

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Cole Sager on Family, Fatherhood, and Fitness

Eight-time Games athlete Cole Sager joins his coach Ben Bergeron on the Chasing Excellence podcast to talk about being a pro athlete, seeking solitude, being grateful, becoming a father, having curiosity, and a whole lot more.

BE KIND WORK HARD.
 
HIGHLIGHTS

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

  • 🎂 Happy birthday Katherine Nye.
  • 🍼 Congratulations to Emmily and Sean Sweeney on the news of their baby due in July 2022.
  • Coach Alec Corley and Lauren Recchia from South Hall CrossFit in Flowery Branch, GA got married over the weekend.
  • PRVN coach, Nic Johntson, and Mayhem athlete, Taylor Williamson tied the knot in Jupiter, FL on December 29th.
  • Congratulations to 14-year-old Emma Heck on her 225 pound/102kg clean PR.
  • Congratulations Martin Feiferlik on the 397 pound/180kg squat clean.
  • Underdogs Athletics’ Kyra Milligan spent Christmas Eve deadlifting a set of 10 x 330 pounds/150kg.

A new recovery program Move to Heal is linking exercise and group therapy to help individuals heal from struggles including addictions, eating disorders, PTSD, depression, abuse, or any variety of mental health challenges. Founded in May 2021 by Ethan Hershman, the group meets twice per week at Shoreline CrossFit in Branford, CT. Move to Heal is free, open to the public, and includes 30 minutes of group exercise followed by a group meeting.

  • Group members that attend at least one meeting per week also receive a free membership to Shoreline CrossFit, nutritional counseling, and mental health counseling at no cost.
  • One member shares that: Running track “was the only time I didn’t feel anxious because I felt like I was running my anxiety out. So when I do the workout, and I’m surrounded by these people, I push myself as hard as I can, ‘til I get it out of me.”
  • Learn more or donate to Move to Heal.
 
LOCAL COMPETITIONS + Submit an Event
3/23: Masters Distinguished Games (Fort Wright, KY)
3/23: CFL Teen Take Over (Lorton, VA)
3/23: The Phoenix hosts Hero WOD “Dork” (Boston, MA)
3/23 - 3/24: Beach Brawl (Spring) (Pensacola Beach, FL)
4/6: Two Peas in a Pod: Mixed Gender Partner Comp (Burlington, MA)
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 Wyoming (Cheyene, Wyoming)
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: Best Babes Tampa (Tampa, Florida)
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: 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 (Clermont, FL)
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: 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)
4/20 - 4/21: Okanagan Valley Throwdown (Penticton, British Columbia)
4/25 - 5/12: Raised by Grace (Virtual, )
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: CHLKDUP Classic (Nashville, TN)
5/4: Masters Equalizer Co-Ed Team of 4 Comp (Oceanport, United States)
5/4: The Battle on Bedford (Lynchburg, VA)
5/4 - 5/5: Pavia Spring Challenge ’24 (Pavia, Italy)
5/4 - 5/5: Italian Bulls Games (Lido di Ostia, Italy)
5/4: Team Challenge Texas (San Antonio, Texas)
5/4: The Strong and Courageous (Cullman, Alabama)
5/11 - 5/12: Finest City Weightlifting Open – Presented by The Strength Tank (San Diego, CA)
5/11: True Fitness Trials (Cherry Hill, NJ)
5/11: Queens of Oly Hawaii (Wailuku, Hawaii)
5/11: Queens of Oly Hudson (Hudson, NY)
5/11: Queens of Oly Philadelphia (West Chester, Philadelphia)
5/18: Thrive Throwdown (Lynchburg, VA)
5/18: Imperial CrossFit’s Spring Fit Fest (Kent, WA)
5/18 - 5/19: The Rainhill Spring Trials (Manchester, UK)
5/18: Luminate the Day (Nonprofit comp for Windy Willow Foundation) (Grand Rapids, MI)
5/18: Girls Gone Rx Chicago (Alsip, Illinois)
5/18: Girls Gone Rx Wilmington (Wilmington, North Carolina)
5/18: Girls Gone Rx San Antonio (San Antonio, Texas)
5/18: Girls Gone RX Wilmington (Wilmington, NC)
5/18: Code 3 Clash (Eagle, ID)

See all upcoming events

 
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