Fighting Nerves: Emcee Dylan Malitsky

March 21, 2014

Lauryn Lax

“Me speaking in front of 20,000 people? A couple years ago, I would have said, ‘No way!’” Malitsky said. “Public speaking was never easy for me. I was kind of quiet and socially awkward.”

"Me speaking in front of 20,000 people? A couple years ago, I would have said, 'No way!'"

Photos courtesy of Jota Murillo.

When CrossFit coach and college student, Dylan Malitsky, 22, first started coaching, he was nervous to speak in front of 10 people. 

Now, more than a year later, Malitsky can say he has spoken in front of more than 20,000 people as an emcee on the main floor at the 2013 Reebok CrossFit Games.
 
Malitsky never imagined he would be working as an announcer for several CrossFit events, including the 2013 South East Regional, South Central Regional, North Central Regional, Mid Atlantic Regional and the Games.
 
But he said that is exactly what CrossFit has prepared him to do—the unthinkable.
 
“Me speaking in front of 20,000 people? A couple years ago, I would have said, ‘No way!’” Malitsky said. “Public speaking was never easy for me. I was kind of quiet and socially awkward.”
 
That is until his boss and head coach at Peak 360 CrossFit, Guido Trinidad, saw an opportunity to help the coach-in-training get out of his shell. Trinidad asked if Malitsky would help as a volunteer and take control of the microphone as an emcee at the annual Wodapalooza Fitness Festival in January of 2013. 
 
“Guido viewed it as a personal development tool for me and asked me to give emceeing a go,” he said. “I thought, ‘This is scary,’ but another part of me thought, ‘This could be huge,’ so I said, ‘Sure.’ When the first day of competition came, I stepped out there, and for whatever reason, I just felt comfortable. It almost felt natural to be calling the action.”
 
Malitsky’s talent did not go unnoticed. He ended up getting a call to emcee the South East Regional three months later. He continued to develop his confidence on the competition floor at other regional competitions over the next three weekends. By the end of regionals, Malitsky had earned his spot to the top. 
 
“I got an email to head to the Games,” he recalled. “It was a dream come true!”
 
Reflecting back on the past year, Malitsky said if it wasn’t for CrossFit, he is not sure he would have discovered his knack as an emcee. He said he loves to keep the crowd alive, informed and engaged in all the action on the competition floor. 
 
“The biggest thing I’ve gained through CrossFit, particularly this past year when the whole emcee thing began, is self-confidence,” Malitsky said.
 
Not only has he gained confidence in himself and public speaking, but Malitsky said he has now gained confidence to go for the “unthinkable” once again—competing as an individual at the South East Regional. 
 
“Three years ago during my sophomore year of college, I don’t think I thought I would really be considering this today,” he said. “After doing P90X three times through, I thought I was in shape when my friend Noah Ohlsen convinced me to try CrossFit. I quickly learned what it meant to be a true athlete, and that was not me at the time.”
 
Malitsky became a regular at Peak 360 CrossFit, attending classes and enjoying the community atmosphere.
 
“Since I am originally from Pennsylvania, the box became like a family,” he said.
 
To earn his keep as a poor college student, Malitsky took on cleaning the gym and keeping it tidy, often helping to close up shop around 9 p.m. As he witnessed many of his fellow gym members get stronger, faster and fitter, including Ohlsen and Trinidad, Malitsky wondered if he could ever get there. 
 
“I was stuck at 135 lb. on my snatch and a 185-lb. clean and jerk forever. I knew I had a long way to go,” he said.
 
He didn’t give up. He continued to train. Today, with a snatch of 215 lb. and clean and jerk of 285 lb., Malitsky said he has progressively grown stronger by following Coach Ben Bergeron’s Competitors WOD and by keeping Trinidad’s training motto at the forefront of his mind: “Day by day.”
 
In fact, last year, he finished within the top 100 individual male athletes in the South East Region at 92nd place.
 
“I actually was selected as the head of Team Peak 360 (to compete at the regional), but, I turned it down so I could emcee and volunteer,” he said. “I am so happy I took that opportunity. But this year during the South East Regional, I hope to be on the floor competing, preferably as an individual, and if not, then on the team.”
 
Malitsky said in order to achieve his goals he has learned the art of balance between training and working as an emcee for CrossFit events.
 
“I was really thrown off by all the travel associated with emceeing last year that my training took a little dive,” he said. “I told myself travel was the reason I slacked. I realize now that was simply an excuse. If I want to be the very best I can be, I can’t let travel be my reason my training suffers. If those on the (Level 1) Seminar Staff can do it, and remain some of the best in the sport, then I can do it, too.”
 
Keeping this perspective in mind, Malitsky is excited for his future when he graduates from the University of Miami with a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology and sports administration.
 
Malitsky said while he has learned a lot in school, this past year has taught him even greater lessons.
 
“Much more than just how to be better on the mic,” he said. “I think I've learned an important life lesson that is preached beginning at a very young age for most kids: follow your dreams.”
 
“If you work hard enough, and you want something bad enough, you can achieve it,” he continued. “Never in a million years did I think I'd be at the CrossFit Games with some of the biggest names in the sport calling the action. Don't ever think something is impossible until you give it a try. If I'd never taken the chance and stepped out of my comfort zone to emcee at Wodapalooza, I'd never have made it to regionals, and in turn, the CrossFit Games.”
 
So is there a career in emceeing for Malitsky in the future? 
 
“If it's possible for a true career emceeing, then it is definitely something I'll consider,” he said. “At this point though, I'm going to wait and see where the wind takes me.”