“You train the whole year for this weekend.”
Nothing has ever been guaranteed for Tyson Takasaki.
In 2011, the Canada West athlete missed qualifying for the CrossFit Games by a mere 1 point. At the time, he was a member of CrossFit Taranis and invited to compete with the team at the Games. That year, the team finished in third place.
In 2012, he competed as an unaffiliated athlete and finished sixth at the Canada West Regional. In 2013, as a member of CrossFit 204 in Winnipeg, he finally made it back to Carson, California, as an individual athlete and placed 23rd.
As with many regional events in 2014, little was certain by Day 3. In Canada West, Lucas Parker held a solid lead, but three men were in contention for the second-place spot: Joe Scali, Brent Fikowski and Takasaki. And they were all separated by just 1 point.
“I knew I had a lot of work to do to make up the point spread,” said Takasaki, who sat in fourth place on the final day. “In Event 6 I was fired up, but went way too hard out of the gates, thinking I needed to win it. That was a huge mistake and cost me.”
Finishing sixth, he had one event and one last chance.
“You train the whole year for this weekend,” he said. “I knew I had to win that one in order to have a shot. The rest was out of my control and I had to let the pieces fall where they did.”
Plowing through his 64 pull-ups and 8 overhead squats, Takasaki won the event in 1:53. Then he had to wait. He watched and counted as Fikowski and Scali completed their reps. Fikowski finished eighth, and Scali 16th, putting Takasaki in second place.
He was going back to the CrossFit Games.
Waiting in the athlete corral as the final Leaderboard results were tabulated seemed like an eternity, Takasaki said.
“Finally, Dave Castro came around … and he was like, ‘Congratulations, you’re goin’ back,’” Takasaki recounted. “That’s when I finally believed that it was true that I actually did it. It was awesome.”
This was the first year Takasaki was able to focus solely on training for CrossFit.
“For the first couple of years I just did football and then CrossFit in the offseason,” the former wide receiver with the University of Manitoba Bisons said. “Once I finished football, it’s just been all exercise.”
While Takasaki’s goal was to perform well at regionals and qualify for the Games, he included unconventional exercises in his training to keep his bases covered.
“Last year we were the last regional to go, and I’d never been (to the Games) before,” he said, “so I was super excited, but also in panic mode because I didn’t feel like I had a lot of time, and I was very inexperienced with my prep and what I needed to do.”
Since Canada West was on Week 1 this year, he said he planned to use the extra prep time to his advantage.
“I took a few days off, then got right back into it,” he said. “I knew where I had to go and there was no panic mode. I’m super excited, but I’m also a lot more focused this year.”
Takasaki said he will be picking up the intensity and focusing on strength as the Games approach. He will also continue to work on unusual movements.
“My training’s always a little bit random, but I’ll be incorporating more things that we will likely do,” he explained. “Just odd skills, like working on triple-unders, sleds, stones, odd objects and stuff, long-distance running, swimming and getting outdoors.”
The 6-foot-1, 205-lb. athlete is also trying to fine-tune his weaknesses.
“I’m a bigger guy and, naturally, gymnastics are going to be tough for me, so I’m focusing on that,” he said. “Swimming was my worst event last year so … starting in January, (I’ve been) in swimming lessons.”
He added: “If it does come up again and I don’t do well, there’s nothing else I could have done to get better at it. I’ve definitely improved in that area.”
Takasaki doesn’t have a specific goal at the Games other than putting in a good fight.
“I want to make it to the last event, on the last day,” he said. “I want to be in the last heat. That’s my goal.”
Although he’s no longer playing football, Takasaki said the mental toughness he acquired playing on a varsity team prepared him for CrossFit competition.
“Going through training, understanding the grind of the year to lead up to an event, and learning how to deal with both the losses and the wins” are some of the things that have helped him approach each competition.
“I love to compete,” he continued. “I love to push myself and see where I’m at.”
While Takasaki is bringing a new toolkit with him to Carson—more experience, more focus, and a broader skill set—the self-described peanut butter addict said his favorite food would not be one of the items he’ll be packing. Last year, his jar was confiscated by airport security on the way to regionals.
“It was a little bit embarrassing. They were like, ‘Sir, what’s this?’ and I was like, ‘I don’t know what to say to you, man,’” he said, laughing. “I’ll probably buy peanut butter when I get there.”
Takasaki said he might not be going back to California if it weren’t for the support he’s received during all these years of competition. He gives much credit to his mom, Dianne, his girlfriend, Eden Larabie, and the man who took him under his wing, CrossFit 204 founder and Managing Editor of the “CrossFit Journal” Mike Warkentin.
“He’s given me every kind of opportunity someone could offer someone, from a job to training opportunities to advice,” Takasaki said of Warkentin. “He’s given me every opportunity that he could to try and make me successful. He’s been a huge help in the last few years.”
Looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and “soaking it all in,” the humble athlete is up for whatever challenges are thrown at him.
“I can’t wait to be back.”
