Masters Competitors at the Games
When you think of the CrossFit Games, of course, you’re going to think about the usual suspects – Fraser, Briggs, the Dottirs, Smith, Wells, etc. But what about Edington, Ramirez, Grundler, Sakamoto, and Prodromides? As the Games get underway today, I invite you to check out the Masters competitions, they’re quite inspiring.
Here are a few folks to check out. There’s definitely a lot more, but it’s a good start. Also, here’s a complete list of masters athletes and their Instagram handles to follow if you’re interested.
And don’t forget about the teens either!
Shawn “The Ram” Martinez (40-44)
He’s the Masters equivalent of Froning…a BEAST. He’s won the Masters Men competition 3 years in a row for his age group and is gunning for his fourth. Shawn comes from the Southeast region; he’s a coach at CrossFit Armed in Miami and has been in the fitness industry for 17 years. If you want to see a master class in pacing, check out the CrossFit Open 16.3 announcement workout between him and a much younger Nick Paladino.
Annie made her first masters Games appearance last year and came in 2nd place, however, she’s been to the Games four times. She comes from the Northern California region where she is a coach at CrossFit Santa Cruz Central, the first CrossFit gym. Annie’s claim to fame is participating in a video of an early CrossFit workout which became known as Nasty Girls.
The “CrossFit Legend” is the second fittest man on the planet for his age group, a CrossFit HQ commentator, and owner/coach of CrossFit Inferno in San Luis Obispo, CA. He’s also a retired firefighter, taking that mentality with him where “you just get the job done. The fire doesn’t care how old you are.” His brother James is also a masters athlete competing in the same age group.
This guy is insane. 51 years old with two masters titles and has been doing CrossFit for eight plus years. He comes from Hustle Hard CrossFit in West Palm Beach, FL and will be defending his title this year.
Shellie is who I want to be when I grow up. She went from placing 19th at the Games in 2013 (her first year in the Games) to masters champion four years later in 2016. She started CrossFit in 2010 at 45 years old. She hails from Fit Club in Columbus, OH where she is also a coach. Check out this interview with her from the July issue of Prevention.
Mary Beth’s performance in last year’s Games was truly inspirational to watch. She is a 5-time Games masters athlete and a three-time champion. A former bodybuilder, Mary Beth hails from CrossFit Vex in Grand Junction, CO and is a middle-school P.E. teacher. She will be defending her title this year. She’s also representing for us short girls, at 5’2” Mary Beth is a little powerhouse!