The beauty of the CrossFit Open lies in its accessibility to all and startling ability to challenge even the best among us. Poised at the intersection of "I can" and "I will," it offers an open door to the hardest hill you've ever climbed. We struggle, try harder, cajole, adapt, cheer, and persevere together. Through this shared experience, several hundred thousand athletes around the world develop a unique understanding of the strength of the human body and spirit. Personal milestones are celebrated with all the fervor of a Super Bowl win. That's the magic of the Open.

The next stage gets harder, faster, heavier. More chalk. More sweat. More glory. Only the top 10 percent of Open participants live to fight another day in the Quarterfinals — 10, the Pythagorean number for perfection. Those who have what it takes get to step up and once again leave it all on the floor.

From there, a small fraction of that initial several hundred thousand will advance to the next stage. An even smaller fraction will advance to the Games. Only a very select few will earn the right to call themselves the Fittest on Earth.