"I do tend to think about CrossFit 22/7."
Knocking out the GHD situps in the Triplet Sprint
Bringing home a 4th place finish
Two years in a row, Sam Briggs from Manchester, England has proven herself to be one of the world’s fittest women (19th in the 2010 CrossFit Games, 4th in the 2011 Reebok CrossFit Games).
She admits being at the top makes it hard to stop thinking about the sport she loves. “I think we can safely say I’m a CrossFitter to the core. I do tend to think about it 22/7, and I save the other two hours a day to attempt to get some real world done,” says Briggs, who works full time as a firefighter.
Briggs’ main focus since the 2011 CrossFit Games has been on her Olympic weightlifting technique. “I am probably known for my bad form … I will never be able to be a CrossFit demo girl,” jokes Briggs.
The European star’s Olympic weightlifting progress, however, has been interrupted with injuries in recent months. First, Briggs was hit with SI joint problems, and when she recovered from that, she found herself with a knee injury. “I’ve had issues with my right knee 'maltracking' for a long time, and finally the cartilage wore away,” explains Briggs, who has been left unable to run for the last twelve weeks.
Briggs has been working hard to fix her muscle imbalances and rehabilitate her knee, but she isn’t expecting to be 100 percent healthy during the Open competition this year. “I may have to take some of the Open WODs a little steadier depending on the movements and the load involved,” says Briggs. “Obviously I’ll be doing everything I can to qualify but I don’t want to compromise my recovery.”
But even a watered down Briggs will have no trouble qualifying for Regionals and probably even to the Games, but the humble Briggs isn’t taking anything for granted. “With the sport growing in Europe, we may see some other contenders emerge in Copenhagen, which will force me to up my game,” said Briggs. “This year, there’s going to be one hell of a battle for that podium.”
