It’s always darkest before dawn.
For the first two years after opening its doors, CrossFit Asphodel in Hong Kong remained unchallenged.
Then the CrossFit scene in the metropolitan area exploded. The opening of four new boxes in 2013 marked the end of a monopoly, including new kid on the block, CrossFit CSTL.
Led by former international rugby players Ant and Ed Haynes, the newly established affiliate has been quick to turn heads around the region. Apart from pioneering throwdowns in Hong Kong, the team has been bagging impressive finishes in competitions such as Battle of the Bay 2, the Manila Throwdown and the Sin City Invitational 2013—all of which culminated in the team’s formidable performance in their first-ever CrossFit Games Open, beating out veterans to take a fourth-place finish in Asia.
“This was the first time any of us have taken the competition seriously, and most of our girls have only been doing CrossFit for less than a year,” Andy Bratsanos said. “We were pleasantly surprised, and are very excited.”
The brains behind CSTL’s programming, Bratsanos spoke passionately about doing the Open with friends for a change, as opposed to taking on the workouts alone before the affiliate began to take off. He added that the team members’ naturally compact builds helped them ease through most of the Open workouts.
“We're a fairly well-rounded team, but like any newcomer, we have some kinks in our armor that are bound to slow us down,” Bratsanos admitted when asked about 14.3—the only workout the team placed outside the top five in Asia.
“The regional is an entirely different animal,” he added.
Made up of a handful of former professional athletes in sports including rugby, soccer and hockey, Team CSTL finds itself in a new yet familiar setting. Despite having only done the sport for a short amount of time, the athletes have celebrated milestones like muscle-ups and heavy snatches way ahead of the curve.
Above all, the familiarity with being in a team setting can only benefit these athletes in the regional events this weekend.
“Most of the team were actually born and raised here in Hong Kong,” said full-time coach Jamie Lau. “To have a chance at representing the country and community at a regional capacity is pretty amazing.”
“I was looking to make friends through CrossFit after relocating to Hong Kong, but they gave me so much more than that,” Lau said. “Regionals are going to be painful, but I want to do this for CSTL. This is my small way of giving back to the community.”
New Zealand native Emily Cameron confessed her personal fears about the regional. This will be the corporate lawyer’s first-ever athletic competition. Echoing her sentiments are teammates Larissa Hon and Sophie Reid, who similarly have less than a year of CrossFit experience.
“The coaches have been incredibly supportive,” Hon said. “There were times where I seriously doubted my own abilities and worth on the team, but they have been the biggest source of confidence and motivation for me to keep going.”
Despite the pressure, the team’s fundamental focus remains clear: do work and have fun. Its enthusiasm radiates effortlessly, from training sessions, to daily interactions with each other.
Even the box interior bears a striking resemblance to a playground—imagery fitting for a team that blurs the lines between work and play.
“I think the best thing about us is that we’re all on the same page,” Bratsanos said. “We spend a lot of time together. There’s always a lot of fun and laughter in the box, and we all have the same goal going into the weekend: to gain competitive experience from being there.”
Unsurprisingly, teammates Ed and Barbara Mountain echoed those thoughts, by deciding to gain experience with the team, despite qualifying as individual athletes.
From humble origins to unforgettable debut performances, CrossFit CSTL’s story has been a gripping ride to follow so far. Regardless of the outcome at the regional, it is safe to say the future of CrossFit in Hong Kong is beginning to shine bright.
