Results for “McCoy”

Ertan Balaban opened CrossFit Balaban in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2013. One of the biggest cities in the world, Istanbul sits on two continents—Europe and Asia.

Balaban compares his city to New York or Tokyo, pointing out the large breadth of cultures in the area. But he is quick to note that the culture in his affiliate would be familiar to any CrossFitter in the world.

“Of course Turkish culture is different from the… Continue Reading

Gordon Heather of the Cook Islands will tell you he’s a kitesurfer first and foremost. He’s also a CrossFit athlete and former Olympian. At 18, Heather competed in the 100 meters in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, clocking a time of 11.41 seconds. When he found kitesurfing, his life changed.

“Kitesurfing has become a way of life for me,” he says. “My day goes by what the wind is doing.”

In CrossFit, Heather enjoys the variance and draws parallels between it… Continue Reading

With owner Olivia Heather and head coach Geoff Halston at the helm, CrossFit Tumuora has been transforming the Cook Islands community through its emphasis on an active lifestyle and good nutrition since July 2013.

“The Cook Islands is in a dire situation where we’re actually … the second most obese country or population in the world, as well as the most overweight,” Heather says.

“About 90 percent of our population is overweight, and 64 percent of them are… Continue Reading

All eyes were on the Aussies at the 2015 Pacific Regional that combined the Asia and Australia regions for a throwdown in Wollongong, Australia.

On the men’s side, several former Games athletes were looking for a return trip to Carson, California, but it was a rookie who stole the show at the last minute.

Ben Garard battled back from 29th at the end of Day 1 to take the final qualifying spot to the Games. Heading into Event… Continue Reading

Nick Evans and Matt Healey like to have fun.

That fun includes lifting in Speedos, handstand-walking across the street and dancing—lots of dancing.

The two coach at CrossFit Cronulla in Cronulla, Australia, a beachside suburb in southern Sydney.

The affiliate started in 2011 in Evans’ mother’s garage. Within a few months, it was growing so rapidly Healy and Evans asked their parents to co-sign a loan to obtain a larger space about five minutes from the ocean.

“We… Continue Reading

The Australia Regional brought a weekend of surprises. While Games veterans Ruth Anderson Horrell and Chad Mackay failed to qualify, returning competitor Denae Brown took first overall for the women, and Rob Forte stood atop the men’s podium for the second consecutive year.

Games spots were up for grabs all weekend.

“When you look at this Leaderboard, it’s becoming very clear that Australia is just as competitive as any other… Continue Reading

It’s 5:45 a.m. in Sydney, Australia. Three-time CrossFit Games competitor Chad Mackay is finishing his breakfast. By 6:15, he’s got his first cup of coffee in hand and is off to coach the 6:45 class at CrossFit Active Waverton.

“Pretty much a standard day,” Mackay explains while he drives.

He’s at the chiropractor at 9 and at the exercise physiologist at 9:45. Just after 10:15, he’s stretching while he eats—with the clock running.

… Continue Reading

It began with hang snatches and ended with a tiebreaker whose name was Fran.

The January CrossFit Tour stop in New Zealand not only gathered affiliate owners and community members to mingle and sweat, but it also summoned CrossFit Games athletes to compete.

In attendance were Ruth Anderson Horrell, Jason Khalipa, Chad Mackay, Scott Panchik, Alessandra Pichelli, Becca Voigt and Kara Webb.

Part 1 shows the first… Continue Reading

What’s scarier? Bungee jumping or a heavy Fran?

“Oh, I’d rather do that,” says CrossFit Inc. videographer Jordan Gravatt, pointing to the bridge from where he just bungee jumped.

At the January CrossFit Tour stop in New Zealand, not only did attendees leap off a bridge while tethered to a glorified rubber band, but they also partook in white-water rafting, workouts and a bit of “post-workout refreshment.”

On the first night, Dave Castro… Continue Reading

Using wooden plyometrics boxes, bumper plates and dumbbells, Sean Lind of CrossFit Gymnastics shows a progression for developing an L-sit press to handstand.

At the CrossFit Experience at this year’s CrossFit Games, he takes a spectator to a pike handstand with feet supported on the box and then back down again. Then he takes her to makeshift parallettes, which are dumbbells atop two bumper plates.

“When you get stronger… Continue Reading

On Sept. 7, 2013, a fire in Sydney, Australia, took down three business, including CrossFit Iron Cove. Also affected were the Muay Thai and jiu-jitsu businesses housed in the same building.

The damage to the old factory building was extensive, with a few warped barbells and stacks of ash-covered bumper plates visible in the rubble. The building had been renovated and a second floor had been installed in June of this year… Continue Reading

Since 2011, Lisa Long and her daughter, Rory Zambard, were hoping to both qualify for the CrossFit Games and experience the competition together. But life got in the way and Long went alone in 2011, finishing ninth in the 50-54 Masters Division.

This year, however, was different: both mother and daughter competed at the Games.

“It’s heaven, a little slice of heaven,” Long says. “It is a… Continue Reading

If the name “Kara Webb” doesn’t sound familiar, it’s because Kara’s surname was Gordon last year when she competed at the CrossFit Games. Her husband, Jason, admits that he’s the reason behind the confusion in 2013.

“That’s my fault,” Jason says.

It turns out Jason and Kara’s romance was sparked somewhere between the stepper and the treadmill in another gym several years ago, but by the time they were married in December… Continue Reading

Colonel Bryan P. McCoy is a published author on combat leadership (The Passion of Command: The Moral Imperative of Leadership) and is the subject of the book McCoy’s Marines: Darkside to Baghdad by embedded reporter John Koopman. He is currently the Commanding Officer of the 7th Marine Regiment, Twentynine Palms, California.

He attended the CrossFit Level 1 Certification seminar in Valencia, CA on August 18-19, 2007. Coach Glassman invited him… Continue Reading