Wodapalooza Athlete Payouts

Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up. Today’s edition is brought to you by FITAID.

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“Whether you’re a powerlifter, a fighter, a football player, you need to get faster, be stronger and be able to go longer than your opponent. That’s why pushing yourself hard outside of your competition sport is so important, because in the end it’s fatigue that makes cowards of us all.” — Manning Sumner

From Marathons to Miami, How Mia Mellon Made it to Miami

Some background.

Mia Mellon was working as an intern in Washington D.C when she first heard about CrossFit. It was Justin LoFranco, our Founder and Editor-in-Chief, who introduced her to it. He hadn’t started the Morning Chalk Up yet, but he was for sure CrossFitting on the daily.

“He definitely had a reputation as ‘That CrossFit Guy’. He was the only one there doing it as far as I know,” Mia told us in an interview at Wodapalooza.

But it took three more years for Mia to try CrossFit. “I kinda thought it was a fad,” she told us.

The final push.

After her internship in D.C. was up, Mia moved back to the CA Bay Area. Her boyfriend, now husband, was a rugby player and Mia had taken up running in D.C., running full marathons. “We couldn’t really work out together. It was so opposite.” So they tried CrossFit.

The first class Mia dropped into, the WOD was the CrossFit total, the opposite of endurance sports. It wasn’t until she tried another class in another box that it clicked. The second time it was “Elizabeth” and Mia couldn’t do a single ring dip.

And she was not pleased.

Those ring dips rekindled the competitive spirit that Mia loved about marathons. “I made my boyfriend take me to the park and teach me ring dips on the little bars. I told him we had to go back to CrossFit.”

Mia settled in with coach Todd Wise who was coaching at Sundown CrossFit at the time. She asked him to help her improve. “It went from something I had to get better at to what do I need to do to excel in this?”

Todd told her that step one was to show up three times a week, for one hour. She did, religiously. Then, she went to Todd and asked him what she needed to do to be able to compete.

“I told her, okay. Come train with me and the team every day at 5:00 PM. And she did it, every night she showed up. She works a full-time job and is relatively new to CrossFit and she still showed up every night,” Todd told us.

And it got her to Wodapalooza.

Just over two years later, Mia competed at Wodapalooza in the RX division Team of 3 as a Brute Athlete, coached by Todd.

“That’s the beauty of CrossFit,” Todd said. “It varies in degree, not in kind. The byproduct of this is that you can share that with the general population. That’s where she started and now look. Everyone needs to be doing what Mia is doing.”

MONEY. MONEY

Wodapalooza CrossFit Festival Official Athlete Payouts

After three exciting days of competition in Miami, the Wodapalooza CrossFit Festival has wrapped and finalized its leaderboard, meaning we’ve calculated the athlete payouts for the elite individual and team divisions.

In addition to prize money for overall placement, individuals placing high enough will also receive entry to the CrossFit Fittest in Cape Town Jan. 30th- Feb. 2nd, and the Brazil CrossFit Championships in May.

Men

1. Patrick Vellner – $25,000
2. Travis Mayer – $15,000, Cape Town and Brazil spot
3. Noah Ohlsen – $10,000, Cape Town and Brazil spot
4. Drew Wayman – $7,000, Brazil spot
5. Saxon Panchik – $5,000, Brazil spot

Women

1. Tia-Clair Toomey – $25,000
2. Kari Pearce – $15,000, Cape Town and Brazil spot
3. Sara Sigmundsdottir – $10,000, Cape Town and Brazil spot
4. Kristin Holte – $7,000, Brazil spot
5. Dani Speegle- $5,000, Brazil spot

Co-ed Teams of 4

1. ROMWOD/WIT – $25,000
2. Team LesserEvil – $20,000
3. Team MisFit – $16,000
4. Team Plus Ultra – $12,000
5. CrossFit Mayhem Freedom – $8,000

Full List.

Coffee Break Conversations

What to say the next time someone asks what took you so long to get there…

Had to make a few stops along the way, just like British ultrarunner Jasmin Paris, who became the first woman to win the 268-mile Montane Spine Race. Her time was 83 hours, 12 minutes and 23 seconds which would have been faster, TBH, had she not been stopping along the way to pump breast milk for her 14-month-old daughter. Talk about getting it done, Mama.

Things To…

WATCH: Dubai, a Training Think Tank Story 

Training Think Tank made a video wrap up of their experience in Dubai. Athletes tell how it was for them out in Dubai, including learning about the team events, and how Travis Mayer viewed Dubai once he knew it was now a sanctioned event.

THESE THINGS BUILD CHARACTER. 

HEAR: Talking Elite Fitness with Tommy Marquez

Sean Woodland and Tommy Marquez sit down to discuss the current state of the CrossFit Games, the changes to the 2019 season, as well as the sweeping changes at CrossFit Inc. and CrossFit HQ.

KNOWLEDGE BOMBS DROPPED.

BUY: ButcherBox Subscription Means Free Salmon

Right now, new ButcherBox customers will get two free pounds of wild Alaskan sockeye salmon when they sign up for a ButcherBox subscription. ButcherBox only offers grass-fed and grass-finished beef, free-range organic chicken, heritage breed pork, so you know this salmon is going to be stellar. 

MEAT DELIVERY IS GONNA BE A YES.

EAT: Crispy Tofu Tacos with Vegan Lime Crema

It’s Tuesday people and that means tacos. Try something different this week with these crispy tofu tacos. Tofu tacos on their own are delicious, but crispy tofu tacos? Whole other level.

ALMOST LIKE THEY’RE FRIED.

Today’s edition of the Morning Chalk Up is

Chalk Up Community

• ROPE CLIMBS FOR A CAUSE — George Haughie, a coach at CrossFit Faber, is raising funds for Anthony Nolan, a non-profit assisting people with a blood cancer or blood disorder. George will be climbing a 13-foot rope repeatedly for several hours until he has reached the height of 4431 feet, the height of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles.
• NEW AFFILIATE –– Wappinger Falls, NY has a new affiliate. Dutchess CrossFit opened yesterday. 
• BLOOD DRIVE IN THE BOX –– CrossFit Harker Heights in Dallas, TX partnered with the Red Cross for a blood drive last Saturday with more than 34 donors. 
• EVEN THE MAYOR DOES CROSSFIT — Milford, CT Mayor Ben Blake dropped into CrossFit Milford to discuss the importance of fitness with Jeff Funaro.

CHALK UP IN 2 MINUTES (a highlight reel around social media of CrossFit pros and average joes)

Jessica Richenbacher gets some pull-ups in with her daughter • Congratulations to Carl Hewson on getting back into the gym after a month-long absence • John Watson gets a 306 pound deadlift PR • Cole and Genasee Sager are in South Africa • Gabrielle Kassel showcases her two-year transformation with CrossFit • Bonnie Schroeder gets a 200 pound bench press PR • 1214 CrossFit sent a team of 20 volunteers to Wodapalooza and now they’re all boarding the WOD on the Waves cruise as a team too.

…and this kid and his ab check are every one of us when we walk past a mirror. 

ROGUE INVITATIONAL TEAM CONFIRMED — Yesterday, the Rogue Invitational confirmed their first team to the invite-only competition taking place in Columbus, OH in May. Team Mayhem Freedom, who just placed fifth at Wodapalooza, joins the official roster.

— Decisions, Decisions: Armen Amirian of ArmenHammerTV sat down with Rich Froning after Wodapalooza, where he revealed he received a Legends invite as well. He told Armen, “I  have a Legends invite. I’ve told Bill (Henninger, Owner of Rogue) depending on what the team workouts look like, and how crushed I am from those, I will try to do the
Legends event, depending on how I feel.”

Tia-Clair on Her Win: Tia-Clair Toomey took to Instagram after her first place win at Wodapalooza in Miami last weekend. “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone that made the Wodapalooza possible. From the volunteers, judges and spectators to all the athletes, event organizers and sponsors. I am truly grateful for the experience and it was such an honor to finally be apart of a WZA event. Congratulations to all the athletes that took part in the competition, it wouldn’t have been such an epic event if it wasn’t for you and I really appreciate all the support I received over the
weekend through messages, social media and at the venue. I love you ALL.”

Pat Vellner is Happy to Be Done — Patrick Vellner, who took first in the Elite Men’s division Sunday, posted to his Instagram after Wodapalooza too. “We made it. That’s a nice monkey off the old back!

“Toomey, Vellner Punch TIckets to CrossFit Games,” by Tommy Marquez

The sun has set on the 2nd Sanctional of the CrossFit Games season as the Wodapalooza CrossFit Festival concluded Sunday. After three day of competition under the sun, rain, and city lights of Miami, Patrick Vellner, Tia-Clair Toomey, and the team from Romwod/WIT earned themselves an invite to the 2019 CrossFit Games.

The 2nd Fittest Man on Earth Patrick Vellner made his Sanctional debut as one of the clear favorites to become the 2nd man to earn a spot at the CrossFit Games. The Canadian superstar from Toronto, proved as a cool as the weather he left behind when he made the trip to Miami by finishing every single day of competition in the overall lead.

By the time Vellner took the floor for the finale, the full time Chiropractic student had amassed a 130 point lead over 2nd place, making the final event merely a victory lap, as he still managed to win the event to close the weekend. 

Vellner now joins the man he’s looking to the dethrone, 3-time champion Mat Fraser, as the only other male qualifier for the 2019 Games.

If there was any pressure on Tia-Clair Toomey to set the tone amongst a strong women’s field this weekend she certainly didn’t show. The 2-time reigning and defending champion, successfully made the first step towards becoming the first woman to win three CrossFit Games titles by laying down a statistically dominant performance in season debut.

Toomey finished all seven events in 2nd or better en route to taking home a ridiculous 96% of the points available to her this weekend. At times she was pushed by podium finishers Kristin Holte, and Kari Pearce, but neither woman could keep pace with Toomey as she was perfect on Day 2 winning both events.

1/25 – 1/27: Australian CrossFit Championships (Queensland, AUS)

1/25 – 1/27: Judgment Day Hawkes Bay (Napier, NZ)

1/26: The Force Wars 2 (Pembroke Pines, FL)

1/26: Lost River Rumble (Bowling Green, KY)

1/26: The Blizzard Bowl (Little Canada, MN)

1/26: 2019 IceBreather Classic (Springfield, IL)

1/26: ATCF Cancer Crackdown: Revival of The Fittest (Pasco, WA)

1/26: Hung Like Coff at PFC CrossFit (Las Vegas, NV)

1/26: Steel Rail Shootout 2019 (McComb, MS)

1/26: Woid Beast Fitness Challenge (Cham, Germany)

1/26: Brick NY Midtown Throwdown (New York, NY)

1/26: Fifth Annual Cold Steel Classic (Oswego, IL) 

1/26: New Year’s Revolution (Seminole, FL)

1/26: Three Rivers Throwdown (Rome, GA)

1/26 – 1/27: Cougars and Cradle Robbers (Salem, MA)

1/26 – 1/27: Game Day Eau Claire (Eau Claire, WI)

1/26 – 1/27: NorCal Masters (San Rafael, CA)

1/27: Big Dawgs Athlete Development Camp (Letchworth, England)

1/29 – 2/2: Fittest in Cape Town (Cape Town, South Africa)

2/1 – 2/2: Battle of the Brave III (North Kansas City, MO)

2/2: Golden State Games (Stockton, CA)

2/2: Left Coast Classic Competition (Laguna Niguel, CA)

2/2: Golden State Games (Stockton, CA)

2/2: A League of Their Own (San Antonio, TX)

2/2: True Paw III Crossfit Competition (Annapolis, MD)

2/3: Coffland Hero WOD (Norwalk, CT) 

2/9: Valentine’s Day Crush (North Hollywood, CA)

2/9: The Garage Games Master of the Masters (Suwanee, GA)

2/9: Cupid’s Roar Partner Competition (Melbourne, Australia)

2/9: 3rd Annual Black Ops Partner Competition (Wheaton, IL)

2/9: Bedrock Heart Breaker (Calgary, AB)

2/9: Battle of the Ages (Jacksonville, FL) 

2/9: Battle for Bae 2019 (San Mateo, CA)

2/9: Battle of the Fittest 6: NYC Throwdown (New York, NY)

2/9: My Bloody Valentine (Vidalia, OH)

2/9: 2nd Annual Battle of the Ages (Fruitland, ID)

2/9 – 2/10: The CF Circus (Des Moines, IA)

2/16: Valentine’s Day Massacre (Kilgore, TX)

2/16: The Garage Games Xs & Ys (Valdosta, GA)

2/16: Couples Clash 2019 (Pensacola, FL)

2/16: Tuff Love (Boulder, CO)

2/16: Valentine’s Day Massacre (Selma, TX)

2/16: Vicious Valentine’s Partner Throwdown (Carlisle, PA)

2/23 – 2/24: Strength in Depth (London, England)