They called him “Grumpy Phil.”
That was Phil Hesketh’s nickname at CrossFit Alioth in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Then, in February 2016, Mia Åkerlund also started coaching at the affiliate.
“Since you showed up, he’s always smiling,” the women at CrossFit Alioth told Åkerlund at the time.
Not long after, the two started dating.
Roughly a year later—shortly after the 2017 Meridian Regional—Hesketh proposed in Åkerlund’s native Sweden in Swedish. Earlier the same day, Hesketh had checked with Åkerlund’s dad to be sure his pronunciation was on point.
“I knew. I met her, and I knew,” Hesketh said.
The 27-year-old native of the U.K. started Day 2 in fourth place overall at this year’s Meridian Regional at La Caja Mágica in Madrid, Spain. Åkerlund, meanwhile, was in 17th place overall Saturday morning.
The pair is one of four couples made up of elite-level CrossFit competitors who live in the UAE. The vast majority are competing this weekend at the Meridian Regional.
Like Åkerlund and Hesketh, Elliot Simmonds and Jamie Greene also met at work.
Simmonds had already been at CrossFit Yas in Abu Dhabi, UAE, when Greene was hired. She caught his eye from the start.
“I definitely approached her,” he said while hopping on a stationary bike in the warm-up area at the Regional after winning Event 1 on Friday afternoon.
He continued: “It was courtship at its finest. I was an English gentleman.”
Not really.
Had he tried to be an English gentleman, his pursuit of Greene likely would have failed miserably, Simmonds quickly added.
“J brought me down a few levels.”
Emilia Leppänen and Jonne Koski, meanwhile, already knew each other before moving to Ajman, UAE, to coach at CrossFit Sand Warriors. But they hadn’t started dating yet.
“Both of us knew there (were sparks) right away,” Leppänen said after finishing Event 1 in ninth on Friday.
Although Koski is not competing this year because of knee injuries, he is on hand to provide moral support.
“He makes me relax more,” Leppänen said as she tried to unwind on the stationary bike after Event 1. “Otherwise, I would be all over the place.”
Rasmus Andersen and Lauren Fisher also had met prior to moving to Dubai a year apart. They had been a couple in California before Andersen moved to the UAE last year. Fisher joined him roughly a year later.
“It’s been so nice being with Rasmus,” Fisher said after finishing Day 1 in third place overall. “Obviously with the 12-hour time (difference) we wouldn’t be able to talk every day, and we like to talk every day.”
She added: “It’s so much nicer when you’re together.”
Plus, Fisher is the one who ensures Andersen is getting his game-day nutrition.
“She’s usually running the back-end stuff,” he explained, still breathing heavily shortly after finishing Event 2.
The benefits of sharing elite-level CrossFit competition far outweigh any drawbacks, the couples said.
“It’s awesome,” Leppänen said. “(It’s) the best situation.”
And although she and Koski are competitive, it’s not to the point where it’s detrimental.
“It’s a different gender. So, the competition is there, but if I lose I’m not mad.”
Hesketh said he loves that he and Åkerlund are competing at the Regional.
“It’s amazing having her here,” he continued. “We travel all over the world together (doing CrossFit). It makes it easy.”
All the couples said they shared quarters during the Regional, though some try to dodge each other during the competition.
Åkerlund’s nutrition coach gave specific instructions for her to avoid her fiancé, telling her they were to be “strangers who sleep with each other.”
The directive fell on deaf ears.
Before starting Event 2, better known as Linda, Hesketh rubbed oil on Åkerlund’s left calf. Following the event, when she crumpled to the concrete near the athlete warm-up area with a cramp in her calf, Hesketh showed up again.
“Your muscle was rock hard. I didn’t want to say anything.”
Then he had some good news to report: “I’m fourth. Ahead of Rasmus.”
Åkerlund was excited to hear the good news but was bent over, still feeling the effects of the intense cramping.
“Looks like I’m on massage duty tonight,” Hesketh said with a smile.
After a successful Event 1, Simmonds walked through the athlete warm-up area and happened upon Greene walking past.
“How was it?” she asked of the event known as Triple 3.
“Try to keep a little bit of distance,” Simmonds advised.
His words were useful. Greene finished the event second overall. Both started Day 2 atop the Leaderboard.
Their exchange lasted all of 10 seconds before each athlete continued walking.
“So that’s pretty much the extent of the interaction,” Simmonds explained.
Nonetheless, there’s comfort in having his fiancée around.
“J’s the most chilled-out person you’ll ever meet,” he said later while pedaling on the bike. “And I’m the opposite. So, I maybe stress her out a little much.”
For Greene’s part, she said she’d be more anxious if she weren’t competing and just watching Simmonds. In the meantime, the two will speak little of their Regional performance during the three-day competition.
“Maybe on Monday we can discuss it.”
Men
1. Elliot Simmonds (256)
2. Rasmus Andersen (240)
3. Lukas Esslinger (214)
4. Willy Georges (210)
Women
1. Jamie Greene (288)
2. Lauren Fisher (248)
3. Alessia Joy Wälchli (204)
4. Manila Pennacchio (198)
Teams
1. CF Riviera Team (342)
2. CrossFit Valley Road (332)
3. Cape CrossFit Wolfpack (304)
4. CrossFit Norte Redondela (288)
For complete details, visit the Leaderboard.
