“I love it. I’m not just doing this for the fun of it anymore.” ~Brooke Wells on CrossFit
Photos courtesy of Kim Singer
Brooke Wells might strike you as an ordinary college freshman.
She spends her time studying kinesiology or hanging out with friends when she’s not working part time at a local gym.
But once you see her in a CrossFit box, you’ll realize she’s extraordinary.
The 18-year-old, who trains at CrossFit 540 in Springdale, Ark., currently sits in ninth place in the North Central Region, finishing no lower than 51st on any Open workout. What started as supplemental training for her track career has blossomed into a full-blown focus.
Wells’ name is new to the Leaderboard, but her athleticism and passion for the sport have helped her rise as a competitive CrossFit athlete.
“I’ve improved a lot,” she said. “Last year, I had only been doing CrossFit for six months, so I was kind of doing the Open just for fun.”
In 2013, Wells finished in 115th in North Central in the Open and began to wonder what she was capable of if she dedicated herself to training.
She decided to prioritize CrossFit, and it shows in her results. Her current top-10 placing comes as no surprise to her coach Trevor Belline.
“Who knows where her ceiling is?” Belline said. “The fact that this is being done as a freshman in college is crazy. I remember where I was as a freshman and it wasn’t in a gym. So I’m sure that she will continue to grow as an athlete.”
“I know I’m excited to keep training her and helping her develop,” he added.
Wells competed in gymnastics during high school before switching to track. She planned on continuing her track career when she went to college and was looking for something to supplement her workouts. She asked her father to help pay for a gym membership and he told her he thought she should try CrossFit.
She was a natural from the start.
“From the get go, Brooke's motor was unreal,” Belline said. “The first (workout) that Brooke did at 540, I was beyond impressed. She did our homegrown workout, the 540—50 overhead lunges, 40 pull-ups, 30 thrusters, 20 burpees and 10 squat cleans—which we also had Rich Froning do when he visited the gym for a promo spot he was doing. She was just a few seconds behind his time. Unreal. Incredible, natural athletic ability. And a good work ethic doesn’t hurt either.”
Eventually choosing CrossFit over track, Wells had to turn down a track scholarship to the University of Arkansas where she currently is a student. It wasn’t an easy financial decision, but she said her parents were supportive knowing how much she loved CrossFit.
“I knew if I took those (scholarships), I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on track like I would need to,” Wells said.
Wells said Belline has helped her reached new heights.
“It nice to have someone there to really push me,” she said of her coach.
Wells is on her way to earning a spot at the North Central Regional in Chicago, Ill. However, she said she will forego competing as an individual this year and plans to take in her first regional experience with her team, Beefy 540.
Her progress in CrossFit hasn’t come without sacrifices. She knows it’s important to strike the right balance among school, training and fun, and she said her friends understand how important CrossFit is.
“It’s really difficult to balance social life, schoolwork and training, but it’s kind of helped me keep my priorities straight,” Wells said.
Her long-term goal is to qualify for the CrossFit Games as an individual to see how she stacks up against the top women of the sport. She also plans on incorporating CrossFit into her career once she’s done with school, perhaps as a full-time coach.
“I think it’s my passion,” Wells said. “I love it. I’m not just doing this for the fun of it anymore.”
