What a day! Yesterday marked our 3rd annual 3 on 3 Throw down. This year, Jason and I were a little more nervous than previous years. We had added the intermediate division to the competition and with that comes a lot more organization, not to mention more people. We don't have a huge gym, so we were really hoping to make use of outside. In a perfect world, we would have a beautiful, sunny fall day (kind of like it was on Friday;)). We can't always predict everything and if Crossfit has taught us anything, it is to be prepared for the unknown and unknowable.
We could not be happier with how the day turned out. It was chilly, with a drizzle all day long, but that didn't change a thing. Check in started at 7:00am, but athletes were excited, maybe a little nervous so started arriving at 6:30. They were happy to help with last minute tasks to make sure we were ready to go. The day started with a run and ended with a sprint with a little lifting and Crossfit in between.
The gym was filled to the max with athletes, spectators, friends, family and a whole lot of amazing energy. Right from the first WOD, athletes surprised themselves by what they could do. In the second WOD, there were 2 ladies who had never cleaned #105 - but guess what - they both did it - way to go Janet and Kim! It was so exciting to see people accomplish things that they didn't seem possible. For some, it was a first competition, for others, they are seasoned competitors. No matter who the athlete was, they all brought a lot of heart and determination to do the best they could do.
Because I have the privilege of coaching a number of these athletes and being 'behind the scenes', I get to know the back-stories. Athletes that have battled addiction and won, battled illness, worked an overtime shift, didn't get any sleep because their kids didn't sleep...but the coolest thing - they all come in with smiles on their faces, hung out with old friends and make some new ones. This kind of energy is contagious and inspires.
Things that I loved about Saturday are many, but to name a few...I think it is awesome that James Gordon was on a team with his parents (Chris and Bruce) and he had to keep up;). I love that Marc, Amy and Kent left their comfort zone and kicked some butt in a totally new sport. I love that at a moment's notice athletes stepped up to fill in for another sick or injured athlete from another team - Ashlyn and Jocelyn went with 2 teams from out of town, Steve stepped in to round out a 306 team and Carly was a last minute sub for another team - that is awesome! And finally, it was so cool to see team Brio6Strength made up of Aaron Parker (306), Courtney Berg (Brio) and Matt Bathgate (Synergy Strength) come together and throw down representing the greater Crossfit community. We all love our own box and community, but there is also a greater community, one where we just share the love of training, health and wellness.
This event couldn't have been a success without the help of our volunteers and sponsors. To each an every one of you - THANK-YOU!! Thank you to the athletes for coming from near and far to make this event an exciting throw down. Thank you to my amazing husband, Jason who puts together some of the best programming out there. He works tirelessly and runs the competition through his brain about a million times before it comes to life. I couldn't ask for a better partner in business and life.
Now for some results:
RX Division:
1st Place - Pure Athletics PA
2nd Place - Brio6Strength - Saskatoon
3rd Place - Team Frontier - Calgary
Intermediate Division:
1st Place - Dead Weights - 306
2nd Place - Chalk Dirty to Me - Synergy
3rd Place - AMARAPers Delight - Cujo
Scaled Division:
1st Place - Pure PA
2nd Place - GM Fit - Saskatoon & PA
3rd Place - Otterbein - Saskatoon
Congratulations to all the athletes that competed. We hope to see you again next year! Happy Training:)
-Rebecca