Can Tia and PRVN Rule HYROX?

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Good morning and welcome to the Morning Chalk Up.

In today’s edition:

  • Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr and PRVN Fitness are going all-in on HYROX in 2025.

  • Affiliate growth starts with smarter decisions; this simple matrix can help you avoid costly mistakes.

  • CrossFit saved his life… twice. Get to know James Scharnick from Certus CrossFit below.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

One thing I try to tell my classes when I coach is, respect the gift, honor the gift of this because sometimes that gift is taken from people.”

Coach James Scharnick on the message he imparts to his classes
HYROX

Why Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr and PRVN Want to Take Over HYROX

Credit: @shaneorr01 / Instagram

The excitement surrounding Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr and PRVN Fitness as they enter the HYROX world is well-deserved. 

  • The CrossFit training brand and its leaders are making significant efforts to promote the fitness racing sport in 2025. 

Toomey-Orr, her partner and the co-owner and head coach of PRVN, Shane Orr, and PRVN HYROX coach James Kelly recently shared a video on the PRVN YouTube channel discussing why and how the brand is “taking over” HYROX this year.

Orr emphasized that PRVN’s primary focus since its founding has always been on what motivates people to become the best versions of themselves, both physically and mentally, with a recent emphasis on HYROX. 

  • “HYROX for us seems to captivate such an array of fitness and tests and enjoyment for that matter, and that’s why we want to get ourselves heavily involved in that this year,” Orr said in the video.

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SPEED READS

🏋️🏋️‍♀️ 2025 CrossFit Individual In-Affiliate Semifinals: The Individual In-Affiliate Semifinals start on May 1, and CrossFit released the workouts earlier this week. Check them out here.

🌎🏆 WFP Tour Stop I Fan Experience: The WFP released a list of spectator meet and greets, workouts, and other experiences for Tour Event I in Indianapolis, IN, on May 9 through 11. Check out the complete list here and sign up!

 🧑‍💻🏋️ Fantasy Fitnessing is Back!: Love fantasy sports? Draft three men and three women for the WFP Tour I Salary Cap Challenge! Join the Morning Chalk Up league—top score wins!

💪 🇺🇸 CrossFit Everyday Hero Service Cup and Games: CrossFit HQ and CrossFit Mayhem have teamed up to launch a two-phase competition for service members, featuring a virtual qualifier and an in-person final later this year. Registration will open in August 2025.

🤝 🙌 “CrossFit and HYROX: Friends, Not Competitors”: “Instead of the unnecessary and misinformed comparisons, CrossFit and HYROX can co-exist happily in a mutually beneficial relationship for years to come,” author Stephane Rochet (CF-L3) writes. Check it out here.

📚🏋️ Good Read — Can Creatine Treat Depression?: Is it possible that creatine, the most-studied and most-recommended supplement, is even more helpful than we thought?

ICYMI: Told to quit CrossFit, Lucy Campbell’s comeback continues with a Games ticket.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

How to Protect Your CrossFit Affiliate From Yourself – A Decision-Making Framework

Credit: @besthouroftheirday / Instagram

A few months ago, I shared the painful story of losing $100,000 in 2017 by chasing shiny objects – buying another affiliate, opening a boot camp, launching a sports facility, and purchasing a cryotherapy machine – all within a single year.

  • If you missed that cautionary tale, it's worth a read to understand the basics of why staying focused on your core business is crucial.

However, today I want to delve deeper into the framework I now use to evaluate business decisions – a tool that would have saved me from the costly "ignorance tax" I paid.

Let's explore how you can apply this proven risk assessment model to your affiliate.

COMMUNITY

"Respect the Gift": James Scharnick’s CrossFit Comeback Story

Credit: James Scharnick

James Scharnick had a near-fatal bike accident in 2023 that left him a quadriplegic.

Fast forward two years, and he just achieved a post-accident milestone – competing in the 2025 CrossFit Open.

  • Scharnick is a pillar of his gym, Certus CrossFit, in Clovis, CA. Before his accident, he worked as a coach and manager and has been a fixture in his community. He began CrossFit in 2013 with a trainer and weighed 475 pounds. In just ten months, he lost 110 pounds.

From that point on, he was hooked and became a founding member of Certus CrossFit. Scharnick tells people that CrossFit saved his life twice: the first time from extreme obesity and the second from a spinal cord injury that resulted in him becoming a quadriplegic.

HIGHLIGHTS

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

  • 👟Congratulations to Jasmine Cabourn, who completed the London marathon last weekend.

  • Check out the heavy-lifting duo of Chandler and Jessi Smith as they share the bar on squat day.

  • Ever try running in a dream? Does it look anything like Lenn Postel’s run to the finish line last weekend at Wodland Fest?

  • Watch this single-arm barbell snatch from Gustavo Antunes of Brazil. 🤩 Tag us in a video if you’ve got one of these!

  • 🦈Kelsey Kiel is all geared up and ready to compete in the Grid League with the SWFL Sharks. Let’s get it, Kelsey!

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