No Play Makes Harder Work

Hayley Murillo gets set on fire. Merisa Downs sometimes finds herself fighting men. Kyle Kleinschmidt picks up chainsaws while wearing up to 80 lb. of gear. And Julian Martinez chops a lot of vegetables.

And CrossFit helps all of them do their jobs better.

A 13-year veteran of the Anaheim Police Department in California, Downs said it would be a disservice not only to her partners on the force but also to her family if she didn’t work on her fitness. It helps keep her alive.

“It’s so important for your job,” said the 34-year-old shortly after finishing Event 2 on Friday at the California Regional. “You never know when you’re going to be in a fight for your life or for your partner’s life.”

When fights do happen, Downs said, they are with perpetrators who outsize her.

“As a female officer, you never get in a fight with a female suspect,” explained the former collegiate basketball player. “It’s always male suspects, who are bigger and stronger than us.”

Training CrossFit is invaluable to her job, said Downs, who started CrossFit in 2011 and trains at CrossFit CrownTown in Corona, California. Plus, it gives her bragging rights during workouts with her fellow officers.

“There’s maybe a handful of guys who could beat me in our department,” said Downs, flashing a quick smile.

Kleinschmidt understands the importance of fitness for life-or-death situations.

A career firefighter and paramedic, he’s taken it upon himself to motivate his co-workers to do CrossFit.

“I need to get others in shape, too, so that (none of us) are in jeopardy,” said the 34-year-old who trains at Diablo CrossFit in Pleasant Hill, California. “We kind of lead by example.”

And when it comes time to pick up both generators and chainsaws—in a similar fashion to the 150-lb. kettlebells of Saturday’s Event 4—while wearing anywhere from 40 to 80 lb. of gear—a much heavier version of the 20-lb. weighted vest of Event 1—it’s not a problem for Kleinschmidt.

“It’s a real-life job where you’re picking up equipment and taking it into a house or a fire,” said the San Rafael Fire Department firefighter.

For Murillo, her job as a stuntwoman not only involves physical stamina but mental fortitude.

“I get lit on fire a lot,” she said slyly.

The 30-year-old started CrossFit seven years ago and began her current profession two years ago. Before that she taught physical education and was a cheerleading coach.

“CrossFit gave me the confidence to get into a really competitive career,” said Murillo, who trains at CrossFit Horsepower in Studio City, California.

Murillo and her husband help comprise a three-person team at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California, that gives the theme park’s visitors a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how stunts happen.

“I’m the only female on the entire cast,” Murillo said with pride.

But CrossFit doesn’t only help with the physical.

When he opened his Santa Barbara restaurant Barbareño in 2014, Martinez, a chef, was putting in 80 hours a week just running the business, as well as cooking.

“CrossFit is the one thing that kept me sane,” said the 27-year-old Regional rookie.

The training methodology also has helped his posture at work, added Martinez, who trains at CrossFit Santa Barbara.

“I’m chopping a lot,” he noted.

Still, some habits die hard.

As a chef, Martinez finds himself frequently eating.

“I nibble all day.”

And the restaurant, he added, doesn’t avoid processed carbohydrates.

“The restaurant isn’t Paleo or anything,” he said, smiling. “We serve pasta.”