As an avid CrossFitter (for 17 months and counting now), my eyes are glued to this year’s Reebok CrossFit Games, which officially kicked off yesterday morning and continue through the weekend. It’s amazing to see how far this sporting event has come since its inception in 2007—back then, the Games were held at a ranch in northern California. Now they’ll be broadcast on ESPN. Even more awesome though is that this competition offers a highly visible platform to showcase the strength of some pretty badass women.
Watching these epically fit ladies battle it out for the title of “Fittest Woman on Earth” is simply enthralling. Take Pier Paddle, event number one, for example: Competitors were tasked with completing a 500-meter swim, followed by two miles of paddle-boarding, and capped with another 500-meter swim. And that was just the beginning of day one. Tomorrow they’ll tackle Murph, a signature hero WOD, where each competitor must run one mile, do 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and then run another mile—in that order. (Ouch.)
With several grueling tests of strength, endurance, and overall fitness still to come, as well as plenty of points up for grabs, it’s really anyone’s game. The only certainty: Over the next couple of days, these women are going to push their bodies to their absolute limits.
If you want an idea of who to lookout for (you can watch the Games live and catch missed coverage here), these four are some of the key players— and in my opinion, any of them have a chance at the top spot.
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Annie Thorisdottir, 25
A two-time champion (2011 and 2012) and runner up from last year’s Games, the Icelandic redheaded sweetheart with washboard abs, is hoping to capture the crown once more. So far, she’s holding steady in sixth place. Also worth nothing, she took second place last year, even after a back injury.
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Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, 26
This Quebec-native has beauty and brains (she’s a chemical engineering student). Oh, and did we mention she’s the defending champion? Leblanc-Bazinet is currently in 22nd place, but just wait until some of the strength events; muscle-ups have nothing on this leading lady.
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Samantha Briggs, 33
Standing in fifth place after yesterday’s sandbag challenge (moving a total of 480 pounds of sandbags down, across and up the StubHub arena, with a cap of 15 minutes), this UK resident has made it clear she’s a force to be reckoned with. Not doubt Briggs, who won the Games in 2013, feels she has something to prove after a failed handstand walk kept her from qualifying last year.
Also, you need to see this:
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Kara Webb, 25
This year’s events mark Webb’s fourth consecutive appearance. And while the highest she’s ever placed is 12th, this year she is certainly setting a winner’s tone. Current status? First place with an eight-point lead over her closest competition.
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