Hannah Black Joins Team Invictus Unconquerable

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In today’s edition:

• Hannah Black planned to compete as an individual in 2024, but a last-minute call and quick decision led to a big change

• What can we learn about scaling from CrossFit Games athletes?

• South African CrossFit Level 2 Seminar goes back to the garage with CrossFit One for All

Nominate your affiliate as the Morning Chalk Up’s Affiliate of the Month for May. Just drop us a note explaining why your gym should be featured.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I wouldn't be doing anything else. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I didn't give myself one hundred percent the opportunity to go to the Games because I know that I can,” - Hannah Black on her decision to commit full-time to being a professional CrossFit athlete

CROSSFIT GAMES

A Quick Pivot: Hannah Black Talks Late Adjustment to CrossFit Invictus Unconquerable Team Roster

Hannah Black had her “breakout” performance during the 2023 North America West Semifinal, where she snatched 215 pounds, winning the event, setting the world record, and making her one of the athletes to watch for seasons to come.

Black, 27, came into the 2024 CrossFit Games season planning to compete individually, but a last-minute call from CrossFit Invictus changed everything. 

Not even a week before the 2024 CrossFit Open started, Black was asked to join the second CrossFit Invictus team – CrossFit Invictus Unconquerable – and was told she needed to make a decision immediately. 

After some quick discussions with her team, Black took them up on the offer and has now found herself commuting to and from San Diego, California. 

Remind me: CrossFit Invictus has formed several so-called “super” teams for the 2024 season, including CrossFit Invictus Unconquerable, which consists of Phil Muscarella, Roldan Goldbaum, Emily Loogman, and now Hannah Black. 

The team was ranked sixth worldwide coming out of the Open and currently sits inside the top five in the world on the Team Quarterfinals leaderboard (the leaderboard will be set no later than April 15, 2024, according to the 2024 CrossFit Games Rulebook). 

• Black’s background is in Olympic weightlifting, which she turned to after deciding not to continue playing volleyball in college. She had been taught Olympic weightlifting technique in high school and returned to it throughout college. 

Her weightlifting gym at the time was also a CrossFit gym, and after some friendly coaxing, she jumped into some classes. 

“For two and a half years, I just did it for fun. I showed up for class, and then I left right after. I always say I was such a cherry-picker. If there was running in the workout I wouldn’t come that day,” Black tells Morning Chalk Up in an interview.

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SPEED READS

2024 Team Quarterfinals Leaderboard (Unofficial, as of 9:30 p.m. ET, April 8, 2024)

🚨🚨Rogue Invitational 2024 Volunteer Applications: In case you missed the announcement, the Rogue Invitational is going international in 2024, and you can be there, behind the scenes, for all the action in Aberdeen, Scotland. Get more information and apply now.

Hustle Up App Named New Games Sponsor: On Friday, CrossFit named Hustle Up as an Official Sponsor of the Masters, Teenage, and Adaptive CrossFit Games.

• From the press release: “ This newly formed partnership will extend beyond the CrossFit Games, as Hustle Up will also be an Official Sponsor of the CrossFit Semifinals and will provide helpful resources for CrossFit affiliates.”

👟👟 Reebok Revives the Nano UKNWN: Reebok launched the Nano UKNWN in 2020, and now it’s back by popular demand. Check out the design and order today.

West Coast Classic Private Suite Contest: Affiliate owners — learn how you can enter your gym for a chance to win a private suite in the "Tennis Stadium” at the West Coast Classic in Carson, CA.

• From the post: “1️⃣ Shoot us a DM from your gym’s or coach’s account and we’ll hook you up with an exclusive code. 2️⃣ The gym that purchases the most tickets with their code get access to an exclusive suite for all 3 days of the West Coast Classic. With seating for 15 and standing room for up to 30, the whole crew is invited!”

✍️ Now Hiring: PRVN Fitness is growing and wants to hire a new coach with a background in online programming and community building. The hours and location are flexible. Want to be part of the PRVN Team? Send your application now.

🎥🥇 Chasing the Podium: Check out Finnish CrossFit Games veteran and endurance master Jonne Koski’s new YouTube series, “Chasing the Podium.” The episodes will follow Koski as he attempts to qualify for his 10th Games.

ICYMI: Get to know Mirjam von Rohr, HYROX 2022 European Champ and women’s winner of the 2024 CrossFit Open.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

To Scale or Not to Scale?: What We Can Learn from Elite CrossFit Athletes About Listening to Our Bodies

Being able to do the programming at your gym “as prescribed” can feel like a badge of honor. 

• “I have finally arrived. And I will kill myself before I ever do the scaled version of the workout again,” can easily become your default way of thinking.

And so, you get to the gym after a particularly long day at work, on four hours of sleep because your 5-year-old joined you in your bed in the middle of the night. Not to mention, your neck is a little sore because you slept in an awkward position.

The workout is Diane – 21-15-9 deadlifts and handstand push-ups – and dammit, you’re going to bash your head against the ground 45 times because you can do handstand push-ups, and you’re not a scaled CrossFit athlete anymore.

It’s an ego-driven but understandable way of thinking. You have worked hard to get your fitness to where it is, and you don’t want to feel like you’re slipping.

• But what if we told you Semifinals and CrossFit Games athletes scale workouts all the time?

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COMMUNITY

Coming “Full Circle”: CrossFit Level 2 Seminar Headed to Garage Affiliate in South Africa

Chad Theron started CrossFit in 2007, “outside in the dirt,” and soon began training clients out of his parents’ backyard garage in South Africa.

That wasn’t uncommon in the pre-2010 days. 

Dave Henry – the long-time owner of CrossFit London, which closed in 2022 – also started coaching in his parent's garage in 2007. He would invite people to workouts via Facebook, charge $10 cash for the workout, and shove the money into a pencil case.

• “I didn’t give out change,” he said, laughing.

Why this matters: The small garage gym has been a part of CrossFit since the beginning and in 2024, the “back to basics” vibe of the shift to the GORUCK Era has the community remembering them fondly. 

Of course, as CrossFit grew over the years, it went mainstream and left the garage for the strip mall and industrial park. Now it’s more common to see state-of-the-art facilities, like the 22,000 square foot affiliate that six-time CrossFit Games champ Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr just opened in January: CrossFit PRVN Nashville in TN. 

That being said, as much as CrossFit affiliates have grown past their humble garage beginnings, we love a look back.

Case in point: Most recently, the 24.2 live CrossFit Open announcement was held at two-time Games champion Justin Medeiros’ home garage gym, “The Shred Shed.”

HIGHLIGHTS

Celebrating a PR, hosting a fundraiser, this, that, or otherwise? Send us a tip.

• 🎂Happy birthday to Dan Bailey.

• Happy belated 10-year anniversary to CrossFit Fixx in Tucson, AZ.

• Congratulations to Karoline, who won the Rogue Echo bike challenge in the 17 and under division, biking 50 calories in 1:55.

• Congratulations to Gabby, who won the Rogue Echo bike challenge in the 18 and over division, biking 50 calories in 1:04.

• 🙌Great job to Marte of CrossFit Westchase in Oldsmar, FL, on getting after it every day.