Fittest on Earth: A Decade of Fitness Page #2

as fast as you can go,

And that has nothing

to do with anyone else.

It's only to do with

what's inside of myself.

I want to be the best me.

I always have thought,

why can't somebody compete

In multiple sports, why can't

somebody be good at everything?

Why is everybody just focused

on one specific thing?

Kind of like a superhero,

you know what I mean,

like they can do everything.

It's just that cool

like super-athlete,

Just wanting to be able

to be athletic

And crossfit popped up,

and it was like, yeah, you got

to be good at everything,

Not great at any one thing,

and I was like, that's pretty

awesome, that's pretty cool.

I thought it was--

I just was attracted to it

right off the bat.

Just kind of where

I pointed my energy

in the last seven years.

We are at first landing

state park,

Hanging out,

playing some spike ball,

getting some sunburn.

when was the last time

you were tan?

What? What does that even mean?

No, I wasn't-- I'm never tan.

I've never been tan.

I remember the first time

he really kind of started

getting into fitness was

He was doing

push-ups outside

And he wanted to take his mind

off of his arms hurting,

So he gives me

this plastic golf club

And says, "alec, hit me in

the legs as hard as you can,"

While he's doing push-ups.

And just, I'm whacking him

in the legs and he's like

still doing his push-ups,

Trying to take his mind

off of his arms hurting.

I really legitimately

don't remember that.

Did he actually tell

a story like that?

Did he dream of that?

Because I have never heard

of that in my entire life.

Besides being extremely gifted

and having a huge work ethic

And having years of crossfit

underneath your belt,

You have to completely commit

to changing your life

To that is your sole existence

and goal.

And even then, you're probably

not going to make it.

you don't know

how good you have to be

Just to suck

at the crossfit games.

once upon a time,

the crossfit games

Was more backyard barbecue

than it was sporting event.

So the crossfit games started

in 2007.

It basically started

as a backyard barbecue

On dave castro's family's ranch.

This is the woodstock

of fitness right here.

it went from a small

event on my family's ranch

With, you know,

50, 60 competitors,

a hundred spectators.

And some competitors even drank

beers in between events.

Now, in the modern area,

we actually have

a qualification process.

We have the worldwide open.

this year we had

Over 300,000 people competing

In the first stages.

out of

those 320,000 people,

In eight regionals,

We had 40 men and 40 women

Make it from there,

And those 40 men and 40 women

that went to those eight

regional competitions

Are absolute, total ninjas who,

if you took any of them

back to 2007,

Probably would've won the game,

so that's how good they are.

To give you an idea how much

fitter these athletes are now,

In 2009, we tested the snatch

at the crossfit games,

And the winning lift

for the women was 145 pounds.

This year

at the regional level,

Athletes had to snatch

135 pounds 10 times

At the beginning of a workout

just to be able to remain

in contention.

And if you get

to the crossfit games,

It means that you're

in the top one percent

of the world's

Best athletes, bar none.

so it evolved

from this little get-together

and gathering

Into this legitimate sport.

there is nothing else

like what we put

these athletes through

At the crossfit games.

what the crossfit games is,

Is truly who's the world's

fittest athlete.

Not the best crossfitter,

the world's fittest athlete.

It's man-made event, crafted

inside some very devious minds

To exceed the challenges

you would ever run into

In the world, period.

And so what you face

at the games,

It's almost like something

you'd see in a silly movie.

You're like,

"that's over the top,"

And they do it.

The games is what this sport

is supposed to be--

Unknown, unknowable, varying,

everything goes.

Right from other sports like

strongman or paddleboard

or throw a softball,

And you don't know if we're

going to the mountains,

to the beach.

we've always, every year,

introduced an object

That people have never touched

before the competition

And don't get to touch until

on the competition floor

And "three-two-one-go"

has been called.

Nothing is off the table,

I mean, from...

Taking this athletes to

a military base in the past,

Taking them to the ocean.

You wake up in the morning,

the rig's different.

And now,

everything's fair game, man.

You better be ready if you

show up to the games.

I'm always so excited for like--

Monday is like the day

When you feel like

it starts.

Monday night's

the athlete dinner,

And dave always comes in

and he tells us something.

Welcome to the 2016

reebok crossfit games.

Give yourselves a hand

for making it this far.

This year I gave them

a little speech

To put a little fear,

to take a different angle.

This year is going to be

the most challenging,

Physically and mentally,

That you guys will ever

encounter at the crossfit games.

This ten-year anniversary

is going to push you guys

To limits you will never know

you could go.

We are going to ask

a lot of you guys.

You guys are going to have

to step up to the plate.

Kind of just telling

everyone, like,

"hey, this is

about to hurt, a lot."

There's going to be times where

you're gonna get really scared,

Where you're gonna not wanna be

doing some stuff we're doing.

You're gonna question

what we're doing,

You're gonna

question why you're here.

He was scaring everybody

so much.

I was like, wow, he's gonna make

us jump out of a helicopter.

What is he gonna make us do

this year?

If at any point you are scared

or questioning those moments,

Please, feel free to come up

to me or any of our staff

And say, "I don't want

to do this anymore,"

And we'll gladly pull you out,

make you comfortable,

Take you to the bus, and you'll

be done with the competition.

yes.

This is about crushing

the people next to you,

And this is about trying to win

the crossfit games.

If you're not coming

for that reason,

you should quit now.

And then he leaves!

And we're all just sitting there

like, "wait, what?"

Everyone's making their guesses

of what we're going to do.

And who gives a sh*t, you know?

We're gonna do whatever

he wants.

if you want to be nice and

warm and fuzzy and comfortable,

Just come on over here and we'll

take care of that for you

And remove you

from the crossfit games.

That was pretty great.

I definitely, maybe,

overloaded that message.

Maybe even said it too--

It was a little too strong,

but that's okay.

Tuesday night,

we had an athlete briefing

at the hotel.

We think we're about to get

some of the workouts

To find out what we're doing

on Wednesday.

I need all you

individual athletes,

So you can leave

and go to sleep, so we can meet

tomorrow morning

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