CrossFit Inc after recent events have appointed a new CEO (Dave Castro) and are making changes in how they interact with their affiliates and how they operate as their own company.
Don’t be confused, the unaffiliations we are seeing are not to do with the tweet specifically, more to do with on going recklessness from the previous CEO and a lack of general communication from HQ with regards to news and updates. Social media is making it appear that they are leaving because of recent stupidity but that isn’t generally the case.
I think the public image of Castro isn’t great but he is good for the company. Currently he has to be the villain of the CrossFit Games and plays the role well but I definitely don’t think that represents who he is at all as he does a lot of good work behind the scenes.
He has been co-director of the CrossFit training dept for years with Nicole Carrol (the lady on the open videos), shaping courses and trainers which all of us on the coaching team at FlowState respect and have experienced. His lecturing on CrossFit training for health from what I have seen is excellent and he has a clear understanding of what CrossFit for affiliates looks like despite being the face of the games.
I’ve met him twice and both times he acted in a way you’d want from CEO and was interested generally in me and my experiences whilst he was talking to me.
Me and some of the team sat on a zoom call with nearly 300 UK affiliates on Wednesday and whilst there wasn’t too much to be told (so close to the new appointment of Dave) there was an opportunity for the UK CrossFit HQ rep to hear our concerns on communication, support and approaches to diversity from CrossFit Inc.
Most importantly for us they have displayed that allowing Greg to stay “in charge” after his actions was not something that even his own company can allow. Although abundantly genius, his draconian approach to handling social equality and issues is lacking and can’t be ignored. I am confident and contented that they have fulfilled relevant action to rectify this and made adequate changes to stop this happening again in the future but more than that, to ensure they contribute to equality, diversity and community issues positively.
Over the years CrossFit Inc has changed tens of thousands of lives for the better, including most of ours I hope, certainly has mine!
They have built schools in Africa, supported churches, educated children for free, fought big soda firms like Coca Cola in the name of world health and without regard of cost to their bottom line. They have literally spent millions from their own pocket in the search of truth and justice. They literally want equality, health and longevity for everybody. They have done work in inner city black communities that are disproportionately affected by diabetes, they have health and science branches fighting our corner against companies like big pharma and the decades of misinformation from the government leading to death and/or poor health of the population.
It really has never been about the money for CrossFit Inc or Greg Glassman.
This is the CrossFit I know. This is why I opened my gym.
When the recent events unfolded I knew there was an issue but the issue isn’t CrossFit. I am CrossFit, you are CrossFit. The world class coaches that teach me on the courses I’ve attended are CrossFit. I started looking and there isn’t anything in the world right now that delivers education to trainers on health and fitness like CrossFit Inc does. 2 weeks ago I completed the CrossFit Kids course (via zoom). This course had help when being put together from two time Olympic Gold Gymnast and her coach.
The powerlifting course I attended was run by at the time world record holder AJ Roberts who was the first guy to squat 1000lbs.
My endurance course was with a world champion ultra marathon runner.
At each was a couple of long time world class CrossFit trainers to bridge the gap.
The list of accolades on coaches supplied by CrossFit Inc on their preferred courses goes on and on.
Namvar attended a workshop with Chris Hinshaw, a former All American swimmer and world class professional triathlete. They could have sent anyone for that but they didn’t cut any corner in the pursuit of virtuousity and true excellence.
The word “CrossFit” to me holds so much more value than it was being given credit for just a few days ago. It isn’t just Greg and it certainly isn’t Greg’s opinion. It may be facts and theories tried and tested by him but definitely isn’t an intoxicated, emotional and knee jerk tweet that he thought was clever when trying to insult a health organisation that had already risked and dare I say sacrificed the lives and livelihoods of the general public from their ill informed and failed models for us.
CrossFit provides unity and indentity. For those that have never had it, it gives them something to be a part of, a place where they can belong and with no exceptions or expectations…none!
I’ve never seen a more diverse yet inclusive global community. You can literally walk into any box in the world and you’ll be treated like family and welcomed with open arms.
I was at an airport once waiting to fly to an event, I was travelling alone and a group of people literally bought me a coffee and invited me to spend the two hour wait with them rather than on my own simply on the basis that my t-shirt said “CrossFit” on it. They knew I was one of their people.
I’m sure you’ve been in the supermarket and literally been able to connect and have a conversation with someone purely because you are both wearing nanos. That is CrossFit! You don’t get that with functional fitness and metcons but with or without Greg Glassman all that still exists, CrossFit is still unequivocally, unapologetically and beautifully the thing we all love.
The structure of HQ is incredibly diverse. There isn’t hate for sub groups of our population. In every level of hierarchy at HQ there are different ethnicities, varied nutritional approaches, different sexual orientations and people with contrasting life experiences…it is literally filled with CrossFitters, our people.
I believe today as I did in February 2014 that being affiliated is one of the best things I can do for you, my members, our community. The day that the affiliation, the company or the brand does not live up to what our community deserves then it’ll be gone but I feel confident that it is everything we love and will continue to be.
I know there is a lot of noise on social media and in the news and I’ve seen a lot of people and outlets trying to spin things a certain way. Please trust me and the thousands of affiliate owners who with their trainers have decided that we (the communities within affiliates) are CrossFit and it will continue to thrive and grow and be more diverse and wonderful than ever.
