My Journey to the CrossFit Games

From 50 lbs Overweight to the CrossFit Games: My 16-Year Journey

If you had told me in 2010 that I'd one day be preparing to compete at the CrossFit Games, I probably would have laughed.

When I first walked through the doors of FirePower CrossFit Training, I wasn't chasing competition. I was about 50 pounds overweight, a former rugby player who had drifted away from training, and I simply wanted to get back into shape before my wife and I started a family.

CrossFit gave me exactly what I was looking for—and much more.

Discovering a New Passion & Transitioning to Coaching

Over the next few years, I lost 50 pounds and rediscovered my love of training. Along the way, I completed several Spartan Races, other adventure races, a half marathon, and started testing myself in local CrossFit competitions. Every challenge pushed me a little further than I thought I could go.

As much as I enjoyed competing, I found even more fulfillment in helping others. I began coaching part-time at FirePower, hoping to give back to the community that had completely changed my life.

About a year later, I made one of the biggest decisions of my career. I left my corporate job to pursue coaching full-time, allowing me to spend more time with my family while doing work I genuinely loved. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Taking the Stage Internationally

Coaching also opened doors I never expected. In 2017, I competed internationally for the first time at Wodapalooza alongside a few fellow FirePower coaches. I returned as an individual in 2018 and again in 2019, gaining valuable experience competing against athletes from around the world.

Around that time, one of our members asked me a simple question:

"Have you ever wanted to compete at the CrossFit Games?"

My answer came without hesitation: "If I ever make the cut, I'd absolutely go."

At the time, it felt like a distant dream. I wasn't building my life around qualifying—I simply loved training, coaching, and seeing what I was capable of. But that conversation stayed with me.

Over the following years, I continued competing in Masters events, including Masters Fitness Collective and Fittest of the Coast. Every competition taught me something new and made me a better athlete. I kept showing up, kept learning, and kept believing there was another level I could reach.

Committing Fully to the Process

This year, my training partner looked at me and said, "This is your year."

From that moment on, I committed fully to the process. Every training session had purpose. Every early morning, every sore muscle, every sacrifice, every hour in the gym—it was all focused on one goal.

Each stage of the season brought me one step closer.

Then came the moment I'll never forget.

When the final leaderboard was released, I saw my name sitting in 5th place. I was overwhelmed with emotion. It wasn't just about qualifying—it was the realization that sixteen years of hard work, consistency, setbacks, sacrifices, and countless hours of training had led to that moment.

Reaching the Biggest Stage in Our Sport

Now, I get the opportunity to stand on the biggest stage in our sport and compete at the CrossFit Games.

It's still hard to believe.

None of this happens alone. I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey. To the FirePower community for believing in me from day one, to my training partners who pushed me every day, to my coaches and mentors who helped me grow, and especially to my wife and our kids—thank you.

Your support, encouragement, and sacrifices made this dream possible. This achievement belongs to all of us.

The journey started with a guy who simply wanted to lose 50 pounds before becoming a dad.

Now, I get to represent my family, my community, and FirePower on the competition floor at the CrossFit Games.

I can't wait to see what comes next.