2012 CrossFit Games: Masters Competition

While most of the attention at the CrossFit Games is focused on the Men’s, Women’s and Teams division, there is no doubt the Masters competition is one of the most inspiring events to watch.

During last weeks event, I decided to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle at the main stadium and track, and wander off to the outside areas of the Home Depot Center where some of the Masters events were taking place.

While the likes of Annie Thorisdottir and Rich Froning Jr. are awe-inspiring to watch, for me, there is something more special about seeing a 50 or 60 year old push through a workout.

The sport of CrossFit is all about pushing yourself to get both physical and mental gains, and watching the Masters (closely followed by the teams) compete is where I see the true spirit of CrossFit shine.

I am 27 year old, the age most experts say is the peak performance age for athletes. So everytime I go through a tough workout and feel like quitting, i think about how much harder it would be if i was twice my age, and that keeps me going.

I’ve trained with many CrossFitters who are in the Master’s age brackets, but I had never seen a Masters event in full swing until last weekend. As well as the inspiring performances, I was also blown away by the crowd.

While the numbers were nowhere near the tens of thousands of people who jammed into the main stadium to watch the individuals finals, they were just as vocal, screaming with passion as they tried to encourage their loved ones, training partners, or random athlete they met during the week.

Unfortunately, The Rx Review didn’t have the time or resources to cover the Masters Competition as much as we would have liked at the 2012 CrossFit Games, however, after seeing the competition this year, I aim to change that for next year.

For those curious, here are the winners of all Masters events this year:

Men 45- 49

1.Gene LaMonica
2.Scott DeTore
3.Eric Bartlett

Women 45-49

1.Lisa Mikkelsen
2.Tracy MacEachern
3.Cindy Briggs

Men 50 – 54

1.Gord Mackinnon
2.Brian Edwards
3.Peter Ryder

Women 50 – 54

1.Susan Habbe
2.Mary Beth Litsheim
3.Elaine Polito

Men 55 – 59

1.Tim Anderson
2.Rick Rodriguez
3.Garry Jones

Women 55 -59

1.Marnel King
2.Annie Michel
3.Charm Mathis

Men 60+

1.Scott Olson
2.Derrick Hill
3.Christopher Kulp

Women 60 +

1.Mary Schwing
2.Betsy Finley
3.Lois Charlton