Sports & Fitness

Six-time CrossFit Games athlete Amanda Barnhart completed Semifinals Linda in 11:46.61 at the 2023 North America East Semifinal.

2024 is going to be fun.

Undefeated. Kevin Koester (55-59) is a four-time CrossFit Games champion.

The world expects us to play a role, and it wants us to look the part. Woman. Man. Mother. Wife. Breadwinner. Boss. Grandparent. Champion. But the barbell — or the goal posts; the mountaintop; the finish line; even the top of your basement stairs — doesn’t care about your costume. All that matters is what you can do. Like “move things from A to B and run fast and lift heavy,” says newly crowned Fittest Woman on Earth @laurahorvaht 🇭🇺. She earned the title with feats of strength and speed; technique and control; power and perseverance. We all face scrutiny and stereotypes. We’ve all tried and failed at some point or another to fit into a mold we weren’t made for. Maybe that’s why so many of us are drawn to sport. To physical conquest. Barbells don’t un-lift themselves because you look like you shouldn’t be able to handle their weight. Miles aren’t discounted because you don’t “look like a runner.” On the field and in the @CrossFit gym — and ultimately, in life — work is what matters. And as Horvath says (and proved last week), “It’s amazing what our bodies can do if you put the work in.”

Mark your calendar (or make one). The 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games start Aug. 1. @BFikowski