Up to My Ass in Crevasse

By Vince Shimp as told to Paul Eich

In Athletes, CrossFit

November 20, 2008

PDF Article

On Saturday, August 2, 2008, my life got interesting. It’s not that I live an uninteresting life, but I discovered that being 25 feet under ground, with blood in my eyes and melting ice water for a blanket, fully captures one’s interest. Among many thoughts I had, one that literally kept running through my mind was “Thank God I CrossFit, this is what’s going to get my ass out of here.”

My friend Shaun Kennedy and I had set out to climb Castle Peak (14,265 feet), just outside Aspen, Colorado. We reached the summit from our starting point of 11,200' in 2 hours, 45 minutes, and were sitting on the top at 8:45 AM. We completed the most difficult portion of our descent and were walking across a flat, snow-covered basin. One instant I was fat, dumb and happy, the next instant it was dark and I was falling.

See also Vince Shimp describing his escape from the crevasse on video.

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Escaping the Crevasse

By Vince Shimp

In Athletes, Audio, CrossFit, Videos

November 20, 2008

Video Article

On August 2nd, 2008, Vince Shimp and his friend Shaun Kennedy crossed a snowfield after descending from Castle Peak in the mountains near Aspen, CO. Vince hung back to take a picture when the snow beneath him collapsed and he fell into a 25' crevasse.

Tony Budding caught up with Vince at the CrossFit Level 1 cert in Golden, CO on October 24, 2008. In this video, Vince describes the experience… Continue Reading

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In Basics, Coaching, Special Populations, Videos

November 19, 2008

Video Article

This is the second part of a complete training session that Mary Conover, 78, had with Jim Baker at CrossFit Santa Cruz Central, where he is a trainer and co-owner.

Mary talks about some of the challenges of working out as she gets older, as well as the amazing impact the training has had on all aspects of her life. You learn to never give up, she says.

This video is the… Continue Reading

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Winning the Battle of the Bulge

By Major James Maxwell

In Athletes, LEO/Mil

November 18, 2008

PDF Article

US Army Major James Maxwell began CrossFitting to lose weight.

"Are you kidding me?" I couldn't believe it. I weighed over 200 pounds again. How is this possible? I had been in the army for over 16 years, doing daily PT, lifting weights…and was over 200 pounds. Diets, starving, taking caffeine pills…over 200 pounds. Thirty-five years old and five-foot ten inches tall…over 200 pounds.

It worked. He lost about 15lbs… Continue Reading

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Tanya is a Beast - Part 2

By Tanya Wagner

In Athletes, Audio, CrossFit Games, Olympic Lifts, Videos

November 17, 2008

Video Article

Tanya Wagner finished 2nd overall in the 2008 CrossFit Games. She was a D1 soccer goalie in college, and now she and her husband Josh are both PE teachers. They also run CrossFit Apex in Sellersville, PA.

Tanya recently attended the CrossFit Olympic Lifting Seminar with Coach Mike Burgener at CrossFit Montclair.

This video is the second, concluding part of Tanya’s story, put together by the crew at … Continue Reading

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In Affiliation, Audio, Equipment, LEO/Mil

November 17, 2008

Audio Article

This is the ninth episode of CrossFit Radio, which aired at 8am PST on November 16th, 2008.

0:00 Show intro and CrossFit Journal Challenge
2:00 Bill Henniger of Rogue Fitness
15:00 Nick and Rebecca Ballstaedt on CrossFit marriage counseling
26:30 Some science of the stability ball
28:20 Jimi Letchford of Operation Phoenix
41:00 No news in the news
43:00 Comment of the week from Amie
48:00 Andy Stumpf from CrossFit… Continue Reading

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