Outstanding Overtakes and Formidable Feats

From Last to Second in One Minute

By: Kelley Laxton

Lauren Farhat of CrossFit Arvada | Photo by Wendy Nielsen

Adaptive Test 4 — Pulling Power — started with just one legless rope climb for the Lower Extremity division, and it took no time for the entire field to fly up the rope and make their way to 10 deadlifts.

While a few women reattached their prosthetic legs before approaching the 185-lb bar, Lauren Farhat hopped over and began to lift on one leg, the entire weight of the bar testing the strength of her left side.

That was her only option.

“I only have 30% range of motion in my hip on my right side. I can’t bend down enough to pick up the barbell, and it would cause a massive injury. Throughout the year, we just make sure we have this bad boy strong,” Farhat said grabbing her left leg.

You could see the toll it was taking. In slow-and-steady singles, Farhat chipped away at the 10 reps as the rest of the field moved on to the rope pulls and back to the rig for their second legless climbs.

Farhat fell farther behind as the clock counted down the 13-minute cap. But she continued on — slow and steady.

But at Round 3, the rope climbs were beginning to block almost every woman in the Upper and Lower Extremity divisions. Athletes were receiving no reps, their hands slipping before they could make it up a foot. Some sat at the base of the rope, a look of defeat on their faces.

This was Farhat’s chance.

After minutes of her competitors attempting their final rope climbs, Farhat had finished her final rope pull, tore her prosthetic off, and hopped to the rope. She flew to the top and back down, leaving the rest of the field in her dust. Wasting no time, Farhat stepped up to the barbell and completed a deadlift before the time cap.

In just over 1 minute, Farhat managed to move from last place to second place.

“Even when I started feeling behind, I knew if I kept myself steady on those deadlifts and steady on the rope pulls — that consistency would prevail me forward,” she said.

The Final Push

By: Dan Froehlich

Jose Pablo Luna Alpizar | Photo by Joy Silva

It was a race to the finish for 15-year-old teen athletes Jeremie Jourdan and Jose Pablo Luna during Test 4, Pulling Power.

Jourdan and Luna reached the final round at nearly the same time, but Jourdan was first to complete the rope climbs with Luna close behind.

When it came to the final deadlifts, Jourdan broke after 5 reps. Catching a glimpse of Jourdan’s back from one lane over, Luna broke at 6.

“I noticed when I was behind, I knew that it was the time to push as hard as I can and do the extra work that I have been holding,” Luna said through an interpreter. “I knew the other guys were weaker on this part of the workout and I made the decision to take advantage of my strength and push as hard as I can.”

As the saying goes, the Devil is in the details.

Although Jourdan was again first to complete the 42-foot sled pull, he struggled to pile his rope on top of the sled, allowing Luna to slide ahead. Luna took off, pushing the 195-lb sled the final 126 feet without stopping, and claimed his first test win.

Rudy! Rudy!

By: Dan Froehlich

Rudy Berger of Chalk Dust CrossFit | Photo by flsportsguy photography

It’s Wednesday morning and the Men’s 40-44 division is in the Coliseum for Test 5, Gymnastics Chipper. Fourty-one-year-old Rudy Berger has already completed half the test and was on to his 30 toes-to-bars. He jumped up to the pull-up bar, looked to his left, then to his right.

Nobody there.

Berger completed 6 toes-to-bars while continuing to keep tabs on the other lanes. Still nobody there. It wasn’t until Berger was on his 12th rep that anyone else joined him on the rig.

“That’s when you start to go into, ‘I don’t have to go unbroken on these, I can take a strategic break that will payoff if someone makes a surge later on,’” Berger said.

It was that way the rest of the event — he went unchallenged.

“It went pretty well,” Berger said. “I executed to plan. I do a lot of those movements in training. It paid off.”

Having completed his second set of 30 single-leg squats, 30 GHD sit-ups, and 30 box jumps, Berger — the reigning Men’s 40-44 division champ — looked around and took it all in. He drew in a deep breath, glanced around the Coliseum, and flipped up on his hands, completing the final 48-foot handstand walk in 18 seconds.

He finished in 9:46.17 and waited at the endline to cheer on the other competitors.

“The camaraderie is what brings you back, it’s why you do it,” Berger said. “These guys in the age groups, we do this for fun. It’s an insane hobby but we do it for fun. We enjoy it and the love that’s there is indescribable.”

In the stands are a legion of Rudy Berger fans with T-shirts and fatheads cheering on their gym mate, friend, and dad.

“All those people are in my journey,” Berger said. “They train with me, they are at my gym, I interact with them. Most of the story is before this weekend, but they show up, they cheer. It’s wonderful.”

None in Sight

By: Kelley Laxton

Casey Acree | Photo by Wendy Nielsen

The sun was just beginning to set on North Park as all adaptive and 45+ age-group athletes lined up for their final event of the day: Cross-Country 5K. The turf glinted with the setting rays, and fans packed the stands hoping to catch a glimpse of the athletes as they crossed the field at the end of each of the three laps of the course.

What started as a massive clump of athletes spread out fast. One in particular set himself apart from the pack: Upper Extremity athlete Casey Acree.

In just over five minutes, Acree had already finished his first lap and entered the stadium for another loop. Six minutes later, he returned, just as fast — and just as alone. He exited for his final lap through a tunnel of screaming fans.

The crowd had just begun to quiet as the final athletes set out for their last laps when Acree bolted onto the field once more for his sprint to the finish line, crossing at 18:59.65, well ahead of every other adaptive and masters athlete on the course.

From Athlete to Coach

By: Sarah Dugan

Pauline Sciascia of CrossFit Central Wellington | Photo by Meg Ellery

“My granny deadlifts more than you.”

That’s likely what Pauline Sciascia’s grandson, Kaha, was saying while he cheered her on in the stands during Age-Group Test 4, Pulling Power.

Sixty-five-year-old Sciascia hails from New Zealand and is appearing at her fourth CrossFit Games this year. When she’s home at her gym, CrossFit Central Wellington, Sciascia’s personality has earned her the title of “friendliest at the gym,” said her coach Nicole Taylor (CF-L3) and daughter Alice Sciascia.

“She’s friends with kids at the university … I mean genuine friends with them,” Alice said. “She’s like everyone’s mum at the gym.”

It’s this friendliness that has motivated the grandmother of eight to pursue her Level 1 Certificate after the Games.

“She wants to coach because she loves people and she believes CrossFit has changed her life,” Alice said. “She fundamentally believes in CrossFit, what it’s brought to her life, our family’s life.”

For Pauline, CrossFit is a family affair — her son Brian owns CrossFit Central Wellington, and the coaching staff at the gym are thrilled she’s pursuing coaching.

“She’s been shadowing me coaching for the last few months,” Taylor said. “She’s awesome! Like, helping everyone, she’s writing down their times, getting people’s plates out.”

Alice adds: “Lots of things in CrossFit haven’t come naturally to her, too, so she had to learn, had to listen to a lot of different cues.”

Previous to CrossFit, Pauline was never involved in sports or considered herself athletic.

“She’s got five kids,” Alice said. “She had never been to any gym, never lifted weights.”

From never touching weights to four-time CrossFit Games athlete — that’s one rad grandma!

Next Generation of Team PRVN

By: Sarah Dugan

Rylee Beebe of CrossFit East Nashville | Photo by Wendy Nielsen

Being a member of CrossFit East Nashville Team PRVN agrees with 16-year-old Rylee Beebe. And those closest to the teen competitor are starting to notice.

Beebe’s mom, Elizabeth, says the teen has changed how she attacks a workout, and you could see it in her performance on the rope climbs during Age-Group Test 4 — Pulling Power. Not much rest was taken. The same was true for her 3 sets of deadlifts. Elizabeth credits this performance to one thing: Confidence.

Rylee agreed.

“I feel like there’s really a big difference [being with PRVN],” she said. “Like, little things have been really important.”

Moving from Maryland to CrossFit East Nashville — where Rylee trains alongside some of the best with Team PRVN — has elevated her game to the next level. Her dad, Ben, says “the PRVN community has really “taken her in,” allowing Rylee to transition from her basement gym to training around people that challenge her.

“I do most of my training with [RJ Mestre]. He really pushes me in training. It’s been really fun,” Rylee said.

The future of CrossFit is safe with teens like Rylee in the mix.

Outstanding Overtakes and Formidable Feats — 2023 Games