Why Emily de Rooy Said "Yes" to Super Team Mayhem Thunder

July 24th, 2024

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • Emily de Rooy almost turned down an opportunity to team up with her Australian CrossFit idols. Find out why and what happened next.

  • Learn how David Rubin turned his team of part-time coaches into full-time professionals and what it’s meant for his gym and community.

  • The CrossFit Store is back with classic gear and apparel just in time for Fort Worth! Check it out and get all the info below.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I went over to Wodapalooza (in January 2024) and the coaches from Mayhem asked me in person, saying that Kara [Saunders] had reached out, we now have James [Newbury] and Khan [Porter] on board as well, would you reconsider?…It would be silly to say no to that.” - Emily de Rooy on her decision to join team Raw Iron CrossFit Mayhem Thunder

CROSSFIT GAMES

Credit: @thewodlife / Instagram

Emily de Rooy Brings Youth to Australia’s Super Team Raw Iron CrossFit Mayhem Thunder

It’s not every day you’re asked to join a CrossFit super team filled with your idols. 

But after competing as an individual at the 2023 CrossFit Games, Australia’s Emily de Rooy was presented with exactly that opportunity.

And she said “no” — at least at first. 

A Look Back to 2023 

The season started well for de Rooy. 

After putting together a career-best performance at the Oceania Semifinals, she found herself on the podium in third place with her first ticket to the Games in hand. 

But three weeks before the Games, injury struck:

  • “A week before I left for America, I bulged a disc in my back,” de Rooy shared. “It wasn’t how anyone would want their first Games experience to go.” 

While she said “it was awesome” being at the Games, she was barely able to squat in the lead-up and could only lift from the hang position. She was disappointed that she couldn’t perform at her best.

After that injury-plagued Games debut, de Rooy’s main focus was getting healthy and strong again. She took two months off completely and then trained carefully to avoid re-aggravating her back.

  • “It took five to six months before I was competing again,” de Rooy said.

At this time, de Rooy’s goal was to return to individual competition — but fate had other plans. 

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SPEED READS

🌡️🥵 Training in the Heat?: As the CrossFit community prepares to descend on Fort Worth for the 2024 Games, there has been a lot of discussion about working out in the heat. If you are training in a hot part of the world right now, check out these tips from Brute Strength.

💪📋 HWPO on Main Site: In case you missed the announcement earlier this week, the team from Mat Fraser’s HWPO will program CrossFit main site workouts from July 22 through August 4. CrossFit has featured guest programmers for the past year or so, including Adrian Bozman, Dave Castro, and others.

🎙️🍸 The Kettlebells and Cocktails Podcast is Back: Niki Brazier is back from maternity leave, and she and John Wooley catch up on all things related to the CrossFit Games, Niki’s thoughts on not being asked to be part of the broadcast, and the importance of communication with the CrossFit community.

ICYMI: Have you noticed that some Games athletes always seem to be at the top of the leaderboard with particular programming and toward the middle or bottom of the pack with different programming? What are their superpowers and kryptonite? 

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Credit: @couragedurham / Instagram

How David Rubin Turned His Team of Part-Time Coaches Into Full-Time Professionals

In 2020, David Rubin had 16-18 coaches at Courage Fitness in Durham, NC. 

They were all part-time coaches, many of whom had other full-time jobs, while others were students who bartered for a free membership by coaching a couple of classes a week.

The result: Nobody but Rubin was truly invested in the business. 

  • “Other than just in their personal passion, because financially they weren’t invested, because they didn’t have a long-time future [coaching here],” Rubin admitted. 

Rubin knew if he wanted a successful business, he needed to be able to compensate his coaches professionally, so they, too, would invest long-term. 

So he “made a conscious decision to create full-time, professional staff,” he said. 

Today: Rubin has seven full-time coaches, all of whom earn between $5,000 and $7,000 a month. 

  • “My guys: They take vacations, they are buying houses and cars, they’re having babies. They’re living a normal professional person’s life,” he said. “And that all starts with helping them make more money.”

Why This Matters

What Rubin is doing is particularly relevant when we consider the industry average.

  • The 2023 State of the Industry Report that looked at more than 130,000 gyms—put out by Two-Brain Business in partnership with various software companies, including PushPress and Wodify—showed that the average wage of the highest-paid coach at a gym was just $30,408.

  • Further, the average number of full-time coaches at CrossFit gyms was just 1.2, and the average amount paid to coach a class was $26.46.

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INDUSTRY

Credit: Drew Schwartz

CrossFit Relaunches Online Retail Store Featuring Classic Apparel and Gear

If you have been looking to fill your wardrobe with some new CrossFit gear, you are in luck. 

  • On Tuesday, July 23, the CrossFit store is being relaunched. 

The e-com portal will open in phases, the first of which will highlight t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and accessories.

  • “Our launch collection features classic pieces representing the heritage of the brand. In future drops, we will expand our offering to include performance apparel, workout gear, and additional limited edition collections and brand collabs,” CrossFit CMO, Jenna Hauca, told the Morning Chalk Up in a statement.  

Additional product lines, partners, limited edition products, and capsule collections will appear later. 

Are you searching for something to commemorate the Games' move to Texas? 

  • CrossFit will also offer limited edition items for sale only at the CrossFit Games in Fort Worth.

The landscape has been missing the CrossFit online store for several years.

Worth noting: CrossFit is currently accepting applications for a director of retail position it is seeking to fill. The successful candidate will “lead and grow our retail operations and online sales channels, driving sales growth and enhancing customer experiences.” 

HIGHLIGHTS

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