2016 CrossFit Open: Another Year Already?
Well, that was quick.
Yet another CrossFit Open comes to a close after five torturous weeks of physical tests and mental challenges. Once again, thrusters and more thrusters combined with burpees and more burpees to end the Open, helping everyone realize how humbling this thing called CrossFit can be. As if we needed the reminder?
Amplify had nearly 100 members register for the 2016 CrossFit Open to test their fitness through the five workouts of worldwide competition. That makes three years in a row at this number, which is always a mark of pride to see among the 300+ participating gyms in the 11-state North Central Region.
With the end of the 2016 Open, CrossFit Amplify also celebrates its 6-year anniversary.
I write this every year: Mike, myself, and all of CrossFit Amplify could have only accomplished this with the immense help and involvement of many past contributors, our fellow trainers, and of course the AmpFam itself.
Community. Veteran members can attest that our Amplify community continues to remain steady as an entity of acceptance in and outside of our facility. It's a second family.
Quite a few of you have been with us for years now, celebrating each CrossFit birthday/anniversary of your own. That dedication and love and support for what we do is immeasurable. And the friendships gained cannot be seen in our Wodify results.
This community is perhaps best witnessed during Friday nights of the CrossFit Open; the feel of our second home has a palpable sense of community as everyone rallies behind each other with energy and passion-- not just to complete the workout of the week, but to bond in something larger than physical fitness.
We struggle, we laugh, we scream... we even cry together. If that's not the definition of family, then what is?
We also had success midway through this year's Open as we came together for 16.3 to fundraise and support Nate and Jackie Adams. When a cause comes up, the AmpFam is ready and willing to contribute.
The workouts themselves? Maybe you'll agree, these seemed like some of the best programmed Open workouts to date. Some tough skills were thrown our way, and our lungs and mental will were certainly put to the test.
The results? Well, if you are anything like me, you were less than impressed with yourself after these 5 weeks. That's always the best part of CrossFit and the Open, though, isn't it? If you've been with us through a few of these already, you know it's true-- the Open exposes our weaknesses, our goats, to work on.
But at the same time, we should all be proud. Life is a whirlwind, but we continue to make our health a priority. We are a juggling, high-wire balancing act, with life's events in midair above our hands. We all have many, many things going on, and we need to be okay with the ups and downs of setbacks and progress.
Whether you just started with Amplify or you've been with us so long you can remember a place without turf, our fitness journey is always a work in progress. Use this as a time to look back on what has been achieved. With constant push to become better than yesterday, don't forget to look in the mirror each day at how awesome you already are. Support. Each season we have Amp athletes complete a skilled movement for the first time or PR a lift during an Open workout. This is something you won't see in the digits on a computer screen. A submitted score will never show the emotional struggle or the small accomplishments or the uproar of a spontaneous cheering section at our gym's Friday Night Lights.
And this support isn't really something that can be coached.
The Future. As far as regional qualification goes, Amplify has been fortunate enough to have representation for four years in a row now with individual female qualifier, and resident badass, Kristin Miller. Kristin had her best Open yet, finishing 5th in the North Central Open this year as the top woman in Illinois. We all watched her cement that spot during 16.5 and put closure on another impressive five weeks.
The Amplify team finished 33rd in the North Central Region. Another good showing among very strong gyms in the midwest.
This year's Central Regional Events will be held in Columbus and combines the North Central and the Central East in a "super regional" for the weekend. It will be live-streamed if you can't make it there to cheer on Kristin from May 27-29.
In the end, we have the 33rd fittest team in the region, the 172nd fittest team in the world, and by far more importantly, six years of growth, memories, and community.
So we put closure on another Open and welcome in the start of year seven as CrossFit Amplify.
Congrats to those of you who took on the 2016 Open, and welcome to those who will join in the carnage of 2017. Can we please wish for something different than 16.5/14.5?
Cheers to five weeks, to six years, and a future of fitness, family, and fun.
- Scott, 4.1.16