JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska – CrossFit affiliate, 907 CrossFit, participated for the second year in a row in the annual CrossFit Open Games since the opening of its newly-built facility on Camp Carroll in 2013, with more than 20 athletes contending in the competition that concluded March 21.
907 CrossFit, a non-profit affiliate, was started by the Alaska Army National Guard’s Recruiting and Retention Battalion in 2011. The program expanded in 2013 with the expansion of its coaching staff, training through CrossFit Level 1 certification and funding for a facility.
The CrossFit Open Games is a worldwide event that includes five distinct weekly workouts in which athletes post their scores in an online, centralized forum, therefore tracking their standings by affiliation, region and worldwide.
More than 209,000 athletes from around the world collectively competed in this year’s CrossFit Open Games in determining “The Fittest on Earth.”
“The CrossFit Open Games were an incredibly challenging, but fun, experience for me because aside from competing against other athletes, you’re competing against yourself,” said Sgt. Kekoa Macloves, a supply specialist for Joint Forces Headquarters, Alaska Army National Guard. “For the majority of the competitors, these workouts are seen as a measuring tool as to how far you’ve improved your strength, agility and cardio, and then you get to scale that against other athletes in your city, state and around the world – it’s awesome.”
Officially developed in 1995 in California, CrossFit is a fitness program with constantly varied and functional movements done at high intensity. This type of workout, which differs daily and scaled to the psychological and physical capabilities of the athlete, took root within elite military units and police force units before quickly spreading to the masses.
CrossFit evolved and eventually, in 2007, the inaugural CrossFit Games were held.
“The Games is a great event for our Soldiers and Airmen to compete in, but now that it’s over, we’d like to see people in here who’ve never tried it before and get them, and the rest of us, ready for next year,” said Chief Warrant Officer Mark Nieto, property book officer for the 297th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, Alaska Army National Guard, and certified CrossFit instructor. “CrossFit, as a fitness program, can seem intimidating to people from the outside. However, I’m here to tell you to give it a shot – we have trainers and a community of people at every fitness level ready to support you in your goals.”
With the easily-accessible CrossFit structure on Camp Carroll, this effective strength and conditioning program is readily available at no cost to active-duty military members, Alaska National Guardsmen, family members and government employees. 907 CrossFit classes are held Monday through Friday at 6 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.
“I have been in the Army for more than 23 years and have tried everything to stay in shape, but I’ve always reached a plateau in physically bettering myself,” Nieto said. “With CrossFit, there is always another level to reach or to push yourself to, and with your CrossFit family behind you, you’re able to push yourself past your limits and progress in ways you could never imagine.”
Two athletes from 907 CrossFit had scores in the CrossFit Open that qualified them to continue onto the 2015 CrossFit Alaska Invitational, a one-day event held in Anchorage, May 2. This portion of the competition consists of the top 20 males and top 20 females in the state.
“If you have the opportunity to try a CrossFit class, you won’t regret it,” Macloves said. “I’m a novice in the CrossFit world, and I can tell you that I’m already looking forward to competing in next year’s Open to see how I’ve improved. I mean, I see improvements in myself and in others during every class. It’s inspiring.”
