Top 3 Reasons To Do The CrossFit Open: How Saying YES Changed my Life

This will be my tenth time participating in the CrossFit Open. I really can't believe that I am writing that. I found out a few years after starting CrossFit (and doing the Open) that my coaches never thought I would make it and stick with it. That's how uncoordinated and out of shape I was! If you are new don't worry about how you look or what other people say. If you love it and find it a challenge keep going and don't give up. You will be glad you did. 

Top 3 Reasons To Do The CrossFit Open:

1. To See What You Are Capable of - many times we tend to underestimate ourselves and our abilities. One of the reasons this happens is that our brain's main function is to keep us safe, to protect us. You may recognize that as staying in your comfort zone. Your brain loves being in that space. It is their playground, their security blanket. The CrossFit Open helps you bust out of that safe place and into the unknown. 
2. To Get Ranked Among Athletes in Your Age Group in the World - let's face it, CrossFit is hard work. It is nice to see how you stack up against other CrossFitters in the World but in my opinion, the most valuable information comes from knowing how you performed compared to the year before. My percentile can vary slightly but it is a good indicator to me if I am improving or not. I mean, that's the goal to do your best and get better, right? It's you versus you when you grab that barbell, get on the erg (rower), or run out the door. How did you di this year compared to past years? If it was your first time doing The Open you now have a baseline and a few new goals to work on. Did you get stuck anywhere? Did you have any firsts or PRs? I'd love to hear how you did and what you learned about yourself.
3. To Follow a Goal Through to Completion - this is SO important. How many times have you set a goal and ended up ditching it completely or getting in your head and letting your mind talk you out of accomplishing it? Remember, your brain's job is to keep you safe. It does not like risky, unknown situations. I was on a job interview once and they asked me to tell them about a long-term goal of mine. What they really wanted to know was if they could count on me to stick with something through the end, and if I could be there for the long haul. Basically, do you have GRIT? Lots of people sign up for The CrossFit Open and never finish it. My goal is always to finish and submit a score for all the workouts. I do not let anything keep me from that goal because doing that would be giving up on me. If I don't have my own back who does? Like my friend & author Marcus Aurelius Anderson says, "If you give up at the first sign of adversity, you are actually conditioning yourself to surrender when you should be fighting the hardest." Follow Marcus on InstaGram for more great wisdom. 

The first time I participated in the CrossFit Games Open was in 2013, and I had no idea what I was getting into or what it was all about. I decided to do it because my coach, Gabriele Schlicht, told me I should do it and believed in me. This made me believe in myself. I had only been doing CrossFit for about 8 months and still had many moves (and weights) I couldn’t do or lift. I set a goal to get a score for all 5 workouts and not get disqualified before the end.

I was so excited to do the Open in 2013 that I did my first workout with 2 of our coaches. The 3 of us went head-to-head that night as soon as they announced the first workout. Needless to say, they were much better at CrossFit than I was. We had 7 minutes left and I was not able to get the weight over my head. I thought to myself, “I can’t just stand here and watch them (the coaches).” Everyone was cheering so I kept trying. After at least 12 failed attempts I finally got the weight over my head, not once, but 7 times. By the end of the Open I was able to lift 20 lbs. more than that over my head in a snatch.

A funny thing happens when you compete in the CF Open. You get to see what you are really made of and how deep you can dig. Each year I have had several firsts in the Open which is amazing with everyone cheering you on even if you are last to finish the heat. The CrossFit Open is about competing with yourself – both your mind and body. As my coach once told me you can teach skills but you can’t teach heart.

For me, it’s not about finishing first or qualifying for the Regionals or going to the CrossFit Games. It’s about not giving up, hitting new records, giving it my all and then seeing where I stand compared to the year before. I am happy to report that even as a Masters athlete I get better every year. Take the chance to see what you are made of, what you can accomplish when the pressure is on, what happens when the crowd is routing for you because they believe in you. It is an incredible feeling.

I have some of the best coaches around. You can see Gabriele Schlicht in many of these pictures. She is my inspiration, a friend and has 3 medals from the CrossFit Games, including Gold, as she was ranked #1 in the world. Gaby competed and won first place in her division in the 2013 CrossFit Games. Find someone who pushes you & inspires you.

One thing Gaby probably doesn't know is that while she was competing at the games I ran over our gym's prowler with my car. I was so worried that someone would tell her and mess with her concentration at the Games. As if she didn't have enough to worry about already. It was an accident and luckily the prowler survived and so did my car. 

Sign up, get out there and give it your all! You will be happy you did. I BELIEVE IN YOU! www.games.crossfit.com 

Photos taken by Pamella Falcao.

Blog updated: March 24, 2021.