When six-time CrossFit Games competitor Spencer Hendel asked his dad for his thoughts on one of his opening events during this year’s Games, Andy Hendel couldn’t oblige.
“I said, ‘Dude, I got other stuff to worry about.’”
That’s because the 55-year-old former Miami Dolphins linebacker was thinking about his own competition—in the Games’ Masters Men 55-59 Division.
It’s Andy Hendel’s first year as a Games competitor, though he’s no stranger to the competition. He’s been accompanying Spencer each time his son has qualified since 2009.
Hendel is among three rookie masters competitors who have children competing as individuals at this year’s Games. All of them are competing in the same age division (55-59).
Having somebody around, figuratively speaking, is comforting, Hendel said.
“You don’t even have to talk; it’s just being there.”
And that’s certainly proven true this year as individual competitors left the Marriott in Manhattan Beach at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday to be transported to a then-unknown location that turned out to be The Ranch in Aromas, California, the site of the first three Games. Individual athletes arrived back at Manhattan Beach late Wednesday night.
Except for a handful of texts—including a “Way to go, mom!”—Donna Eramo hasn’t had a lot of communication with her daughter Kristi, also a Games rookie.
“I haven’t seen much of her.”
When 55-year-old Eramo heard about Wednesday’s early-morning call time, she was concerned for her daughter’s performance.
“I thought, ‘Oh no.’ She’s a sleeper,” a bubbly Eramo said. “She doesn’t do well on no sleep.”
But Kristi proved her mom wrong, finishing third in her first Games event, Ranch Trail Run. She followed that up with a tie for 24th in Ranch Deadlift Ladder (335 lb.), 30th in Ranch Mini Chipper and 2nd in Thursday morning’s Ocean Swim. The younger Eramo sits in eighth place overall after four events.
It’s also been a few days since Nella Forte saw her son Rob, who is competing in his sixth consecutive Games this year.
“I trained with him last week,” said the 55-year-old. “I haven’t seen him since.”
Still, his proverbial presence is felt.
“It’s great that we can watch each other,” Forte said. “It’s pretty cool.”
Both Forte and Hendel had set a goal of finishing in the top 10 this year. Forte finished in 11th overall, while Hendel finished in ninth overall to make it to the competition’s final event in the afternoon. Meanwhile Eramo’s objective was “not to be 20th.” Eramo finished 21st in the Masters Online Qualifier but received an invitation to the Games after another athlete declined.
“I have to be honest—I don’t know if I would have come if she didn’t make it,” said Eramo of her daughter Kristi.
She described her first experience as a Games athlete as “totally fun,” adding she never had intentions of competing.
“I just ended up being kind of good at stuff,” 55-year-old Eramo said as she stood in the warm-up area before Thursday’s D-Ball Triplet event.
Her husband, Tony, wasn’t surprised by her Games qualification.
“I’ve been married to her for 33 years, so I know what she’s capable of.”
Eramo finished in 10th overall, qualifying for the final event.
For his part, Hendel said his expectations for the masters competition were mostly met.
“It’s everything I thought it would be,” he said. “It’s harder than I thought.”
Hendel, also a special-teams-leading tackler/short-yardage specialist with the Dolphins, added he didn’t want to disappoint his son.
He said he has found himself thinking, “God, I want to do good for Spencer, make him proud.”
With a win in the first event on Tuesday, a 205-lb. squat clean he hasn’t done in six years on Wednesday and a qualifying spot for Thursday’s final, he’s on the right track.
