“Three years ago, hardly anyone in Holland had heard of CrossFit. But, increasingly, it is being recognized and all the boxes are reporting more inquiries and interest.”
When Nolan Mooney moved to Holland three years ago, there were two CrossFit affiliates in the country. Today, there are 22.
Although that might seem like a small number for a country with a population of more than 16.5 million, Mooney, a Level 1 Seminar Staff member, says it points to progress.
“Three years ago, hardly anyone in Holland had heard of CrossFit,” he explains. “But, increasingly, it is being recognized and all the boxes are reporting more inquiries and interest.”
Originally from California, 30-year-old Mooney discovered CrossFit in 2006 when he worked as a firefighter after retiring from the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army, where he served as a paratrooper.
“One of my work buddies told me to check out the Nasty Girls video,” he says. “I did, and I was sold.”
Three years later, Mooney moved to Holland, his wife’s native country, where he opened an affiliate near the Dutch province of Utrecht. The box, today known as Reebok CrossFit FSF, was one of only a handful of affiliates in the 2,000-square-mile country.
With CrossFit being so unknown, Mooney had to figure out ways to get it on the radar. To generate interest, he helped organize Sint Gone Bad in 2010. The competition was open to CrossFitters throughout the area of Benelux, comprising Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
Around the same time, articles about CrossFit appeared in Men’s Health and Muscle (and) Fitness magazines. The same year, the country hosted its first CrossFit Level 1 Seminar.
“From there, more boxes started to open,” Mooney says.
And when London hosted the CrossFit Invitational in October, even more people started paying attention.
“The show was transmitted live on TV across Europe,” Mooney explains. “The Dutch commentator was also a CrossFitter and the event, along with his enthusiasm, resulted in a surge of inquiries. In fact, an event we held soon after attracted an audience of 600 people, which is 300 more than we were expecting.”
To continue expanding CrossFit in Holland and Benelux, Mooney and Jan van Delden, of CrossFit Twente in Holland, organize an annual affiliate gathering hosted by various boxes.
“This gives an opportunity to discuss best practices and to share ideas for us all to help grow the community,” Mooney explains.
With CrossFit finally gaining traction in Holland, the biggest obstacle the country’s affiliates face is price, Mooney says.
“The Dutch are very careful with their money and in order for us to convince them to spend 90 euros ($117) a month on membership, we offer them their first two months at a highly discounted price of 30 euros per month ($39),” he says.
The reduced price draws in people, allowing them to see that membership at a CrossFit affiliate is a good value, Mooney says.
“Nearly everyone who takes advantage of the offer signs up,” he says. “There is no experience like it and the bonds that you make through suffering together become very strong.”
