In 2007, a new sport emerged on a ranch in northern California. The first CrossFit Games gathered around 70 curious athletes in a series of fitness tests pulled out of a hopper.
CrossFit had just ushered in a new era of fitness competitions — an era where no points are awarded for style or appearance. The only way to win: do more work faster than anyone else, and let the clock be the judge.
There are a few athletes who have been with the Sport of Fitness since its earliest days. These athletes have grown with the sport, and — a decade later — are still bringing stadiums of fans to their feet at the Ultimate Proving Grounds for the Fittest on Earth.
The face of longevity and athletic achievement, they are a reminder of how far this sport has come over a decade.
15 Years
Rebecca Voigt Miller
Photo by Joy Silva
The longest-standing athlete in CrossFit Games history is Rebecca Voigt Miller. She has been at every CrossFit Games since 2008 (except for 2020). Miller spent 10 years of her career in the individual women’s division, moving into the masters 35-39 in 2017. She has now aged up into the 40-44 division. In 2011, Miller was the third-Fittest Woman on Earth.
2023 Games Placement: Fourth (Women 40-44)
13 Years
Lynne Knapman
Photo by Wendy Nielsen
Lynne Knapman is the only athlete to qualify for every CrossFit Games of the masters division’s existence. Beginning in the Women’s 50-54 division in 2010, Knapman’s career spanned across three age divisions over the last 13 years. She competed in the Women’s 60-64 division this year.
2023 Games Placement: WD
13 Years
Annie Thorisdottir
Photo by Wendy Nielsen
Annie Thorisdottir — widely known as “Iceland Annie” — has been competing at the CrossFit Games since 2009. The sport has seen her struggle to get her first muscle-up while at the 2009 Games, become the Fittest Woman on Earth twice (2011 and 2012), join the team division and take fourth at the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games, and now returned as an individual once again, qualifying for the CrossFit Games across two decades.
2023 Games Placement: 13th
11 Years
Samantha Briggs
Photo by Joy Silva
Samantha Briggs has been competing at the CrossFit Games since 2010. She became the Fittest Woman on Earth in 2013. After the 2022 season, Briggs announced her retirement from the individual division, looking to return to her pre-CrossFit career as a firefighter. She joined the masters division in 2023, competing in the 40-44 division.
"I'm definitely happy with what I've done in the sport. I love CrossFit, and I'm always gonna be doing CrossFit,” Briggs said.
2023 Games Placement: First (Women 40-44)
10 Years
Noah Ohlsen
Photo by @wongsdottir
At 32 years old, Noah Ohlsen has commanded the Individual Men’s division for a decade, receiving this accolade at the perfect time: his last year before retiring from individual competition. Ohlsen has qualified for every CrossFit Games in the individual division since 2014, with his best finish being second place at the 2019 CrossFit Games.
“Your character is more important than your performance,” Olsen said. “I’ve been striving to win the CrossFit Games for a decade, and I’ve come close, but never really managed to take it all the way. And I think on this 10th and final individual year, I’m having more fun and having more of an impact on the people that are watching by everything I’m doing off the competition floor … . I’m hoping that has more of a positive impact on the world than wherever my name is on the leaderboard.
2023 Games Placement: 16th
Cole Sager
Photo by @wongsdottir
Cole Sager started CrossFit in 2013 as a new competitive outlet after hanging up his football cleats. He qualified for his first CrossFit Games just one year later. Sager has qualified for every CrossFit Games since, adding his 10th Games to his record this year.
“Competitive CrossFit has taught me a lot about myself. It’s actually one of the biggest and main reasons why I have been so engaged in the sport for so long,” Sager said. “You can learn things about life and yourself in the span of a season or even a training session.”
2023 Games Placement: Cut
Laurie Meschishnick
Photo @wongsdottir
Laurie Meschishnick has spent a decade of her life at the CrossFit Games in the masters division. She first joined the Games roster in 2011 at the age of 48, competing in the Women’s 45-49 division. Meschishnick became the Fittest Woman on Earth in the Women’s 55-59 division in 2019 and 2021.
2023 Games Placement: Third (Women 55-59)
Björgvin Karl Gudmundsson
Photo by Adam Bow
Björgvin Karl Gudmundsson is a former gymnast and soccer player from Iceland who qualified for his first CrossFit Games in 2014. Gudmundsson has qualified for every CrossFit Games since in the Individual Men’s division. His best career finishes were third place in 2015 and 2019.
“The biggest lesson (I’ve learned) … is how fortunate I’ve been. First of all, being able to qualify all those years … made me realize I have a lot of people in my corner …” he said. “Family, coaches, friends I’ve made in the competition and out of the competition. That’s the most value that’s come from that … . But not necessarily the trophies or the placements.”
2023 Games Placement: 11th
Katrin Davidsdottir
Photo by Joy Silva
Katrin Davidsdottir first appeared at the CrossFit Games in 2012 and is best known for her back-to-back championship titles in 2015 and 2016. Davidsdottir narrowly missed a ticket to the 2022 NOBULL CrossFit Games, but after a second-place finish at the 2023 North America West Semifinal, she returned for her 10th appearance.
2023 Games Placement: Seventh
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Cover photo by Johany Jutras