“I’m never going to stop doing CrossFit. I just want to be as fit as I can. I have goals.”
— 18-year-old Samuel Kwant, 2014
When he was just 18 years old, 2020 Games athlete Samuel Kwant knew he had a future in the Sport of Fitness. Back in 2014, on the heels of qualifying for the North West Regional, he had aspirations to compete at the CrossFit Games. And in 2016, his goal was realized.
In his rookie Games appearance, Kwant finished 16th overall and earned his first CrossFit Games event win in Double DT. He returned in 2017 to finish in 20th overall, earning three top-10 finishes over the course of the competition.
After taking 2018 off, Kwant earned his best finish at the 2019 CrossFit Games with 13th overall. His best event was Sprint Couplet, 18 bar muscle-ups sandwiched between two 172-ft. sled pushes, in which he took fourth.
This weekend, Kwant is competing in the 2020 CrossFit Games Finals, hoping to realize his ultimate goal of standing on the podium.
Kwant qualified for the 2020 CrossFit Games via the CrossFit Open with a 15th-place finish. In 2020, he’s already more than bested his prior Games finishes after earning his spot in the top five via Stage 1, where his best finishes were third in 1,000-m Row and Handstand Hold.
Becoming a Dad
A former cross-country runner, Kwant is a father to 6-month-old baby boy Layton.
When asked how he’s been able to keep up with training for the Games while caring for a new baby, Kwant — who has six siblings — expressed gratitude for his family and support system.
“My family has definitely stepped up to help me with training,” Kwant says. “I train mostly out of my parents’ shop, so when I go there to train, one of my siblings usually will watch my son, which works out pretty well.”
“I’ve definitely got a good support system going on that makes it possible for me to be here,” he adds.
Kwant finished Day 1 in fifth overall. His best performance was in Corn Sack Sprint, where he took second, finishing the grueling hill sprint with a 50-lb. corn sack in 3:07.9 just behind reigning champion Mat Fraser.
As for what he’d like to see come out of the hopper for the rest of the weekend, the 24-year-old from Washington State says, “Any type of farm work would be pretty sweet.”
Day 2 is underway and streaming on games.crossfit.com, YouTube, Pluto TV, and Facebook.