Getting Wild in Washington

April 3, 2014

Ashley Nicolas

“Some members said it was the most fun they’ve ever had on a Friday night.”


Photos courtesy of Brittney Anderson

It was a wild five weeks.

Anxiety-causing announcements, exhausting workouts and non-stop Leaderboarding have taken a toll on just about everyone. There were inexperienced athletes stressing about the difficulty of the movements, and seasoned veterans fretting about shaving an extra second or two.

But one box in Vancouver, Wash., found a way to keep the 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games Open fresh and exciting for all of its members.

For the past two Opens, CrossFit Untamed hosted what they called “Friday Night Throwdowns,” an opportunity for members to complete the workouts in a party atmosphere among family and friends. This year, affiliate owner Brittney Anderson took it up a notch with the “Wild One Open,” an in-house competition named for her athletes who love to work hard and play hard.

“Some members said it was the most fun they’ve ever had on a Friday night,” Anderson said.

Breakthrough Moments

Before the Open started, members paired up in teams. Anderson and her fellow coaches kept the playing field fair by discouraging the top athletes from joining forces and creating “stacked teams,” she said. 

“I didn’t want a divided community,” she explained. “It shouldn’t be about only focusing on the top athletes. We wanted to encourage everyone to sign up for themselves … as (athletes). It’s important to show people it’s not always about the Leaderboard. It’s about you pushing yourself harder than you ever have in a regular workout and being able to say, ‘I did it.’”

After each Open workout, the team members combined their individual scores to post a team score on the box’s Leaderboard, Anderson said.

All participants received a T-shirt, and weekly prizes were awarded for a variety of categories.

“For some, it was getting their first chest-to-bar, or for a 135-lb. man to deadlift 275 lb. numerous times,” Anderson said. “It was those breakthrough moments that really made the Open an amazing experience.”

A Real Wild Open

When asked to describe her box in one word, Anderson emphatically responded with, “Fun!” Members of CrossFit Untamed embrace the basic CrossFit tenant to learn and play new sports, and those who are called the “wild ones” are constantly looking for new ways to express their fitness inside and outside the gym.

“From relays to kickball, we are always up for any challenge or activity,” Anderson said. “Our events can be a little crazy but they are always a blast.”

In keeping with this wild spirit, each week the box had a theme for its competition. This year, themes included “box colors, dress like your favorite CrossFit athlete, twin day, battle of the sexes and Untamed pride,” Anderson said.

The affiliate’s ability to pull off this event week after week has been a credit to their dedicated coaches. All of them passed the 2014 CrossFit Judge’s Course and, along with a group of volunteers, have been able to accommodate all of their members every week. Their efforts have encouraged a sense of community in their box.

Everyone at CrossFit Untamed worked hard to ensure every athlete, no matter his or her skill level, has been engaged in the entire process. 

“CrossFit is all about community, and we wouldn’t be Untamed if it weren’t for all the hard work and dedication of our wild ones,” Anderson said. “It is motivating, exciting, and it’s a freakin’ blast!”