🇦🇺 The Down Under Championship Is Back — Here’s Who to Watch

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COMPETITIONS

Bayley Martin Returns to Competition, Set to Compete in Down Under Championship This Weekend

The Down Under Championship (DUC) returns to Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, this weekend, October 24-26. 

• For the second year, the DUC features two elite divisions – individual and same-gender pairs. This is in addition to RX, intermediate, age-group, and adaptive divisions.

In 2024, Aimee Cringle and Peter Ellis topped the podium in the Elite Individual category. In the Elite Team division, Ricky Garard and Aniol Ekai won for the men, and Charlotte Baldwin and Julia Hannaford won for the women.

One athlete we’re excited to see take to the competition floor once again is New Zealand’s Bayley Martin. 

• At the Torian Pro in June, Martin had to withdraw from the competition after suffering a minor heart attack. In the months that followed, Bayley recovered and safely resumed training.

Take a look at the full leaderboards for all divisions, schedule, and workout details. 

• From comeback stories to sibling rivalries — here’s who to watch as the DUC heats up in Wollongong.

A MESSAGE FROM VELITES

Velites Presents: The HOLO Fall Collection

This season, performance meets style. The HOLO Fall Collection by Velites is here! Bringing new designs, new colors, and for the first time, a three-quarter sleeve version inspired by the raw spirit of early CrossFit.

Every HOLO T-shirt is crafted to deliver total freedom of movement. Made from lightweight, breathable, and odor-resistant materials, they keep you comfortable through the most intense training sessions. The quick-dry technology and in-house production ensure a precise, athletic fit — designed by athletes, for athletes.

With its second-skin feel, superior stretch, and minimalist design, the HOLO collection embodies what Velites stands for: innovation, functionality, and passion for training.

Train hard. Move free. Look bold.

Available now. Delivery in 2–3 business days.

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MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

…UNDERSTAND

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RETURN TO THE ROOTS.

…KNOW

Why Some CrossFit Athletes Struggle to Get Strong

In the latest episode of Training Think Tank’s podcast, coaches Kyle Ruth and Ryne Sullivan unpack why many CrossFitters spin their wheels when it comes to strength: weak foundations, genetic biases toward endurance, and mismatched programming. They break down how to assess your gaps, correct your strength bias, and build real progress that transfers to the whiteboard.

STRENGTH FIRST. PROGRESS NEXT.

…WATCH

CrossFit Games Champ Jayson Hopper’s Rogue Prep

Follow the 2025 Fittest Man on Earth through a full training day as he prepares for the Rogue Invitational — log lifts, pegboard practice, bench work, and all. Between sessions in his new home gym and candid reflections on staying healthy, it’s a raw look at elite-level focus and consistency.

GRIND. RECOVER. REPEAT.

INDUSTRY

5,000 Coaches Strong – How Brianna Battles Is Changing the Game for Pregnant Athletes

It all started in 2013 when Brianna Battles got pregnant.

The strength and conditioning coach, who holds a Master's degree in coaching and athletic administration, realized she needed her own coach to help navigate training during her pregnancy, but it was difficult to find one.

• “In 2013, there was significant oversight for understanding how to work with female athletes through pregnancy and postpartum. The information was either really generic or dismissive. I was humbled, both as a coach and an athlete,” Battles, now a mother to a 12 and an 8-year-old, said in an interview with the Morning Chalk Up.

That’s when she realized she wanted to shift her focus to work with pregnant and postpartum female athletes.

She began by offering a strength class for women at a local CrossFit gym and by sharing her own postpartum journey on social media. 

• “That prompted a lot of questions. I started getting a lot of emails from people saying, ‘I wish somebody had talked to me about diastasis [recti]…or ‘I pee my pants during double-unders. Can you help me?’” Battles said.

In 2014, she launched Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism, offering training programs for pregnant and postpartum women.