"I know I’m good and can compete with these guys. I deserve to be there."
Article by Candice Case
Video by Mike Donofrio
Jordan Troyan is no stranger to competition. He was a four-year All American swimmer in college and participated in soccer and track in high school.
In 2010, Troyan found a new outlet for his athletic pursuits in the form of CrossFit.
He competed at the 2011 Mid Atlantic Regional with less than a year of training. He finished in 25th place, but returned in 2012 to finish 10th. In 2013, he had a goal: make it to the CrossFit Games.
“This last year I worked on my weaknesses,” he says. “I wanted to move more efficiently with my lifts and get stronger. My one-rep maxes are not as high as some athletes. My raw strength isn’t the best, but my endurance is good.”
Troyan was able to focus more on training, as he opened his own affiliate, CrossFit Rage, in Skippack, Pa., in May 2012. A 2006 graduate of West Chester University with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, Troyan also works as a substitute teacher. His original career path was to be a health and physical education teacher. Now, his “students” are the 80-plus members of CrossFit Rage.
“Owning and coaching at the box doesn’t feel like a job,” he says. “It’s been an incredible year for me.”
Incredible because in addition to opening an affiliate and sharing his CrossFit passion with others, Troyan also qualified for the 2013 Reebok CrossFit Games. He made the podium in third place with the fourth-place finisher only one point behind him.
“After the deadlift (box jump event), I thought I was done,” Troyan admits. “The chipper (Event 6) was a good one for me, though, and I really needed it to push me up the Leaderboard. After the last event, I thought I would make the podium, but there were a few minutes where I wasn’t sure.”
The atmosphere of Regionals with its throngs of spectators and multiple heats of competitors was different from Troyan’s training environment. Troyan does his own programming and makes videos to analyze movement. He estimates that he does 90 percent of his workouts alone.
“The Regional atmosphere was good motivation. I was able to not freak out and stay composed,” he says. “I would glance around to see where others were in the workout, but I stuck to my game plan. I knew my pace, where I was at, where I needed to be, and I didn’t let others affect me.”
Leading up to Regionals, Troyan focused on improving his strength and Olympic lifts. In past years, Regionals have featured heavier weights and Troyan knew this would be a limiting factor for him. Now that he’s on his way to the Games, he’s hoping for the longer endurance events and an open water swim. He’s added swimming and running back into his training program.
“Besides being a swimmer in college, I was a part of the Sea Isle City Beach Patrol for seven years,” he says. “I’m a good runner, too. I would love to see something similar to last year’s first (event at Camp Pendleton).”
While Troyan is preparing for the unknown and unknowable, he’s confident in his progress and his ability to perform under pressure. He wants to take in the Games experience, as well as make a name for himself and his box.
“I’m excited to stand next to Rich Froning, Jason Khalipa and Matt Chan. It’s going to be surreal. I know I’m good and can compete with these guys. I deserve to be there. My goal is to be relaxed and make it to the final round.”
