My husband Dave and I opened CrossCut CrossFit in Hayward, Wisconsin in 2012. It was a major lifestyle change after a 35-year career as a journalist at a large metropolitan daily newspaper. I was 60 when I first walked into a CrossFit box to earn my CF-L1. My introductory workout was “Fran,” a terrorizing choice for one who’d never done a pull up or a thruster. I might have bailed, had it not been for the encouragement of legendary CrossFit Games athlete Chris Spealler, one of our trainers. CrossFit is not about the Games, he told me. CrossFit is about health, fitness and longevity. I've needed to remind myself of that when I struggle to decide whether to sign up for the Open each year. Like most CrossFitters, I'd prefer to be closer to the top of the leaderboard than the bottom. But now I’m 67, seven years older than the youngest in my age category. Many RX movements remain out of reach for me now and likely forever. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with Miyoshi Myopathy, a muscular dystrophy that is slowly and progressively atrophying my leg muscles. I’ve likely had it for 20 years or more, and the diagnosis finally explained why movements that required power from the ground, such as like running, jump roping, wall balls, and more seemed unusually challenging for me. Now I work to find the delicate balance between building muscle where I’m able while not overly taxing my already compromised muscles. Unlike healthy muscle, they won’t rebuild when torn down, and are easily fatigued. So why bother participating in the Open? Because, thanks to CrossFit and the fitness I've gained over the past seven years, I still can.
Open
| Year | Rank Worldwide | Rank by Region | Rank By Country | Rank By Affiliate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1090th Women (60+) | – – | 814th Women (60+) United States | – – | ||||
| 2018 | 1222nd Women (60+) | 125th Women (60+) North Central | 955th Women (60+) United States | – – | ||||
| 2016 | 685th Women (60+) | 67th Women (60+) North Central | – – | – – | ||||
| 2015 | 387th Women (60+) | 43rd Women (60+) North Central | – – | – – | ||||
| 2014 | 147th Women (60+) | 13th Women (60+) North Central | – – | – – | ||||
| 2013 | 167th Women (60+) | 17th Women (60+) North Central | – – | – – | ||||
Age Group Quarterfinal
| Year | Rank Worldwide | |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 166th Women (60+) | |
Benchmark Stats
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30 Muscle-ups For Time -- Abbate -- Adambrown -- Adrian -- Alec -- Alexander -- Amanda -- Andi -- Andy -- Angie -- Annie -- Arnie -- Artie -- Back Squat 1RM -- Back Squat 3RM -- Back Squat 5RM -- Badger -- Bar Muscle-ups -- Barbara -- Barbara Ann -- Barraza -- Bell -- Bench Press 1RM -- Bench Press 3RM -- Bench Press 5RM -- Bert -- Big Sexy -- Bike 50 Cal -- Blake -- Bowen -- Bradley -- Bradshaw -- Brehm -- Brenton -- Brian -- Bruck -- Bulger -- Bull -- Buriak -- Cameron -- Candy -- Capoot -- Carse -- CHAD1000x -- Chelsea -- Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups -- Cindy -- City 100 -- Clean & Jerk 1RM -- Clean & Jerk 3RM -- Clean & Jerk 5RM -- Clovis -- Coe -- Coffey -- Coffland -- Collin -- Crain -- CrossFit Total -- Dae Han -- Dallas 5 -- Daniel -- Danny -- Deadlift 1RM -- Deadlift 3RM -- Deadlift 5RM -- Del -- Desforges -- DG -- Diane -- Dobogai -- Dominic J. Hall -- Donny -- Dork -- Double-Unders -- Dragon -- Drew -- DT -- Dunn -- DVB -- Elizabeth -- Ellen -- Emily -- Erin -- Estrada -- Eva -- Eva Strong -- Falkel -- Feeks -- FERN -- Fight Gone Bad -- Filthy 50 -- Finseth -- Foo -- Forrest -- Fournier -- Fran -- Free Handstand Hold -- Freestyle Diane -- Front Squat 1RM -- Front Squat 3RM -- Front Squat 5RM -- Gage -- Gale Force -- Gallant -- Garbo -- Garrett -- Gator -- Gaza -- GHD Annie -- Glen -- Goose -- Grace -- Grettel -- Griff -- Gwen -- Hall -- Hamilton -- Hammer -- Hammy -- Handstand Push-ups -- Hang Power Clean 1RM -- Hang Power Clean 3RM -- Hang Power Clean 5RM -- Hang Power Snatch 1RM -- Hang Power Snatch 3RM -- Hang Power Snatch 5RM -- Hang Squat Clean 1RM -- Hang Squat Clean 3RM -- Hang Squat Clean 5RM -- Hang Squat Snatch 1RM -- -
Hang Squat Snatch 3RM -- Hang Squat Snatch 5RM -- Hansen -- Harper -- Havana -- Heavy Grace -- Helen -- Helton -- Hidalgo -- Hildy -- Holbrook -- Holleyman -- Hollywood -- Hoover -- Hope -- Hortman -- Horton -- Hotshots 19 -- Ingrid -- Isabel -- J.J. -- Jack -- Jack's Triangle -- Jackie -- Jag 28 -- Jared -- Jason -- JBo -- Jennifer -- Jenny -- Jerry -- Johnson -- Jonathon Farmer -- Jorge -- Josh -- Josh-O -- Joshie -- Josie -- JT -- Justin -- K27 -- Karen -- Kelly -- Kelly Brown -- Kerrie -- Kev -- Kevin -- Klepto -- Kutschbach -- L-Sit Hold -- L1 Benchmark -- Ladder Nancy -- Lane -- Larry -- Laura -- Ledesma -- Lee -- Leehan -- Liam -- Linda -- Locke -- Loredo -- Lorenzo -- Luce -- Luke -- Lumberjack 20 -- Lyla -- Lynne -- Maggie -- Maloney -- Manion -- Manuel -- Marco -- Marguerita -- Marston -- Martin -- Mary -- Matt 16 -- Maupin -- Maxton -- McCartney -- McCluskey -- McGhee -- Meadows -- Michael -- Miron -- Monti -- Moon -- Moore -- Morrison -- Mr. Joshua -- Muller -- Murph -- Muscle-ups -- Nancy -- Nasty Girls -- Nasty Girls V2 -- Nate -- Ned -- Nick -- Nickman -- Nicole -- Northrup -- Nukes -- Nunez -- Nutts -- ODA 7313 -- Omar -- Otis -- Overhead Squat 1RM -- Overhead Squat 3RM -- Overhead Squat 5RM -- Ozzy -- Partner Kelly -- Partner Weston -- Pat -- Paul -- Paul Pena -- Peyton -- Pheezy -- Pike -- Pikey -- PK -- Power Amanda -- Power Clean 1RM -- Power Clean 3RM -- Power Clean 5RM -- Power Snatch 1RM -- Power Snatch 3RM -- Power Snatch 5RM -- -
Pull-ups -- Push Jerk 1RM -- Push Jerk 3RM -- Push Jerk 5RM -- Push Press 1RM -- Push Press 3RM -- Push Press 5RM -- Rahoi -- Ralph -- Randy -- Rankel -- René -- Restrepo -- Rich -- Ricky -- Riley -- RJ -- Robbie -- Rocket -- Roney -- Row 1000m -- Row 100m -- Row 2000m -- Row 250m -- Row 3000m -- Row 500m -- Row 5K -- Roy -- Run 1 Mile -- Run 100m -- Run 10K -- Run 2 Miles -- Run 200m -- Run 400m -- Run 5k -- Run 800m -- Run Row Run Rx -- Run Row Run Scaled -- Run Row Run Sprint -- Ryan -- Ryan Comas -- Ryan SO -- Santiago -- Santora -- Schmalls -- Scooter -- Scotty -- Sean -- Servais -- Severin -- Sham -- Shawn -- Ship -- Shoulder Press 1RM -- Shoulder Press 3RM -- Shoulder Press 5RM -- Sisson -- Small -- Smykowski -- Spehar -- Split Jerk 1RM -- Split Jerk 3RM -- Split Jerk 5RM -- Squat Clean 1RM -- Squat Clean 3RM -- Squat Clean 5RM -- Squat Snatch 1RM -- Squat Snatch 3RM -- Squat Snatch 5RM -- Stephen -- Strange -- Strict Elizabeth -- Strict Handstand Push-ups -- Strict Muscle-ups -- Strict Pull-ups -- T -- T.J. -- T.U.P. -- Tabata Something Else -- Tabata This! -- Tama -- Taylor -- Terry -- The Chief -- The Don -- The Ghost -- The Lyon -- The Other Total -- The Seven -- Thompson -- Thruster 1RM -- Thruster 3RM -- Thruster 5RM -- Tiff -- Time Priority Angie -- Timothy Helton -- TK -- Toes-to-Bar -- Tom -- Tommy V -- Topsy -- TPT9000 -- Triple Deuce -- Tully -- Tumilson -- Twelve Days of Christmas -- Tyler -- Viola -- Wade -- Wall Handstand Hold -- Walsh -- War Frank -- Weaver -- Weighted Pull-up 1RM -- Wes -- Wesley -- Weston -- White -- Whitt -- Whitten -- Willy -- Wilmot -- Wittman -- Woehlke -- Wood -- Wyk -- Yeti -- Zembiec -- Zeus -- Zimmerman --