On the podcast this episode is Kelly Friel, who's season - after a painful start - now sees her returning to Madison in the 40-44 division for the fourth time. Actually the fifth time she has qualified in the same division - a feat not matched by any other age group athlete! We chat about her journey into CrossFit, as a methodology & a sport, taking to the Regionals floor in 2018 as 40 y/o Individual athlete before heading to Madison as Masters athlete for the first but far from the last...
Jul 18, 2022•49 min
Celebrating 10 years of The European Championships, we sit down with Carl Saville - taking a look back and look forward to one of the household names in UK competition. From humble beginnings in a sports hall to making the move to the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham - it was special to understand what makes Carl tick when it comes to events and the quest to return the UK scene to a colesium style venue. The 2022 TEC Live finals will by on August 16-21st, including Day 1 held off-site at Holm...
Jul 01, 2022•1 hr
Prior to SemiFinals, I sat down to chat with Ste Fawcett of JST Compete & High Performance CrossFit. We discuss the changes in the sport since Ste's first trip to the Games in 2015 & how competitive programming can help to create structure, focus & reward outside of the changing landscape of the Games. With JST Compete in their new home of High Performance CrossFit, we chat the intent of that centre and what it means for his daily coaching & training experiences. Finally, as a...
Jun 17, 2022•54 min
Wrapping up the SiD mini-series down in London at Motion Training - home of CrossFit Surbiton. Affiliate Co-owners Harrison & Grace not only went to the Games last year but finished 4th in the process. This season was looking different with no firm plans to compete but went new blood showed competitive potential, things evolved from there! Support the show
Jun 09, 2022•16 min
This week we're running a SiD mini series as we fast approach CrossFit Strength in Depth - a CrossFit Games SemiFinal taking place in London at the Excel. Now we head down the A1 and chat to the team from CrossFit Witham. Making it as far as Regionals/Semifinals was a long-standing goal for the affiliate - which they achieved last year & its awesome to see them repeating that achievement now we're back to live events. Speaking to the team its very apparent that whilst 4 take to the elit...
Jun 07, 2022•13 min
This week we're running a SiD mini series as we fast approach CrossFit Strength in Depth - a CrossFit Games SemiFinal taking place in London at the Excel. Today we chat the team from Dauntless Fitness (CrossFit Blaydon) who are making the trip down from the North-east. We chat about final preparations including worm rigidity of all things! Stay tuned for short chats with more UK teams this week. Support the show
Jun 06, 2022•16 min
What better way to mark the Episode 100 of the podcast than to welcome Sam Briggs! With over a decade a the pinnacle of the sport, Sam is in her last year as an individual and is soon to be heading to CrossFit Strength in Depth to try and secure another trip to Madison. We take time to reflect on the evolution of the sport over the last 10 years but also focus on this season, spending time training here in the UK and get excited to take to the floor with a ticket to the Games on the line on...
Jun 03, 2022•54 min
Back with another episode from the CrossFit UK & Eire Affiliate Gathering. This time sitting down with Shortz of Flow State & Gavin Hesleton of CrossFit Glasgow. With only 1% of trainers obtaining the credential, we chat about the intent of the Certified CrossFit Level 3 Trainer and how it helps to further develop a trainers knowledge. Beyond this we also discuss the importance of continual development through a trainers journey, from giving & receiving feedback to how thing...
May 27, 2022•41 min
Following a trip to the Games in 2021, Georgia Radley made the move to JST Compete. But more than that, she made the move to Wigan and a focus on training full-time. We chat about her journey with CrossFit, the journey to Madison and some of the frustrations with competitive CrossFit when you're giving your all day-in-day out. Be sure to follow Chalking Fitness on Instagram & sign up for the Chalking Fitness Newsletter for more podcast insights & UK centric competition news & art...
May 20, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Recording on-location at the CrossFit® UK & Eire Affiliate Gathering, we're talking with affiliate opening & ownership with some of the newest affiliate owners in the UK & Ireland. Roice Gummer, of CrossFit Thurrock, along with David Marks & Rebekah Thompson of Avenge CrossFit, Northern Ireland, share their experiences of opening during the last couple of years. From finding a premises to welcoming new members, there's plenty to cover! Chalking Fitness is sponsored by B...
May 13, 2022•41 min
This week we're chatting with Tara Watkins & Max Camozzi of Team ShireFit. Along with team mates Hannah Morton & Jack Turner the team are heading to the CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown in just a couple of weeks time. As well as chatting about how their fitness journeys brought them both to ShireFit West Yorkshire we talk about the dynamic of team training and making the commitment to each other to make team the focus. Be sure to follow Chalking Fitness on Instagram & sign up for the...
May 06, 2022•49 min
Josh Al-chamaa is no stranger to the competition floor, with multiple Regional & Sanctionals appearances as an individual plus a Games invite from Wodapalooza in 2020. We reflect on the 2021 season, which went from an uncertain start to the Last Chance Qualifier & Fittest in the UK! On to 2022, Josh shares how it is to be doubling down in San Diego with Team Invictus with sights firmly set on Madison. Josh's is known for his energy & this is apparent as we chat about the excitem...
Apr 29, 2022•51 min
Joining us on the podcast this week is Ste Beckett - co-owner of The Defiant Co. More than just an apparel company, we chat about the motivation to not own set up The Defiant Co but also nurture a community around it that includes an impressive ambassador team as well. If this wasn't enough, and reflecting that larger community target, after two postponements in the last 2 years, we'll see The Defiant Games taking place at the Institute of Sport in Sheffield on May 14th. On behalf of the org...
Apr 22, 2022•47 min
We're joined on the podcast this week by Tim Green of Team Up and take a membership journey - from first inquiry through to an established & engaged member that is an essential part of the community in any facility. We talk about the importance of a virtual store front to attract new members, tracking attendance, navigating membership pricing and how software can offer automation to enable coaches & business owners to focus on the human interactions that matter most. Head to goteamup...
Apr 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min
This week I'm joined by Polly, Madi & Sarah - three of the team at Eleiko UK. As women in sport - both professionally & personally - we talk about their individual journeys with sport & how they coalesced to all be working for a world leader in strength equipment. We chat about the importance of role models, facilitating participation as well as performance and some of the exciting partnerships Eleiko have with the likes of BeaverFit & here in the UK, JST Compete. Finally, ...
Apr 08, 2022•57 min
Lorna Heyes opened CrossFit West Dublin back in 2011 when there were only a handful of CrossFit affiliates in Ireland. In 2021, she made the tough decision to sell her 10 year affiliate and move north to Ballycarry on the Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland. However, this was never going to the end of affiliate ownership for her & she has since opened CrossFit Livin - right next to where she now lives. A decade of coaching & affiliate ownership have allowed her identify what she enjoys - ...
Mar 29, 2022•50 min
With lockdowns halting Emily's ability to earn & a desire to retain her independence, she decided to realise the dream and took the opportunity to become owner of CrossFit 13 2021. We reflect on the last 11 months of ownership and the lessons learnt in that time. We also chat about female role models in CrossFit, at the affiliate level and across the UK, and how this can help individuals to identify and strive for healthy, realistic goals. This series of episodes is sponsored by Eleiko....
Mar 25, 2022•48 min
When CrossFit Nottingham opened in 2011 there were less than 40 affiliates in the UK. Whilst the CrossFit methodology hasn't changes, in that time Katie & the coaching team certainly have adapted to ensure their affiliate remains successful. We also chat about Katie's own journey into CrossFit, both as a competitive athlete & coach. Here the demands have also changed over time as Katie reflects on adjusting training when becoming pregnant and juggling parenthood with being a passiona...
Mar 22, 2022•51 min
As Div 1 softball player & scholar at Georgia Tech. Sarah MacDonald was no stranger to an athletic lifestyle and pursuing her goals. When family brought her to Scotland CrossFit certainly rekindled that fire & ultimately led her to opening her own affiliate, CrossFit Haddington. We chat about her own journey with coaching and supporting others with a coaching development pathway before rounding out talking about plans for the future, particularly for teens and providing increased str...
Mar 18, 2022•44 min
We continue our Female Affiliate Owners Series, sponsored by Eleiko, with Oakley Woodhouse, owner of Forrest Flow CrossFit. Finding CrossFit at a relatively early age, Oaks' competitive aspirations were clear and she sacrificed a lot, along with the rest of the CrossFit JST team, to make the CrossFit Games in 2017. We talk frankly about that opportunity, how she has moved on from that achievement as an athlete, member of Seminar Staff & since early 2020, owner of Forrest Flow. Forrest F...
Mar 15, 2022•45 min
We kick off the Female Affiliate Owners Series - celebrating International Women's Day - with Kerry Cooley, co-owner of CrossFit Iron Duke on the outskirts of Portsmouth. In this episode Kerry shares her journey from corporate life to affiliate ownership and striving to create a safe space for all to train. It's clear inclusivity is also highly valued at Iron Duke, with mums, kids & adaptive members all accommodated and made to feel welcome. What's apparent from talking to Kerry is the ...
Mar 11, 2022•1 hr
With the Open upon us many of us may be challenged not just by the prescribed workout but how we visualise ourselves and out ability to tackle it. This can harm not just harm performance, but also basic enjoyment of the experiences that surround this community-centric event. Therefore, it was great to sit down with founder of Mindset Rx, Tom Foxley, to discuss key aspects of mindset, how it can be used to maximise potential not just for training & competition, but for life in general. Si...
Mar 04, 2022•54 min
By his own words, Tyler Hatherly found the fitness industry relatively late & at the beginning, owning a CrossFit affiliate was not in the plan. However, after experiencing CrossFit himself - and more specifically the communities that exist around it, he took his community on a journey that resulted in a new facility & affiliation in early 2020. Resolve was hardened through lockdown with Talisman as a business & community now going from strength to strength. Note: enjoy a 15 mi...
Feb 25, 2022•1 hr 4 min
With over a decade coaching CrossFit Games athletes, including Sam Briggs since 2011 & Emma McQuaid since 2017, few have the level of experience and insight into the sport of fitness as James Jowsey. A long-time scholar of placing training & movement mechanics into context, James is co-founder of RedPill Training which, whilst starting as an education platform, now has a host of knowledgable coaches, individualised programming for athletes & more recently RedPill Generic for anyon...
Feb 18, 2022•54 min
Having sustained serious life-altering injuries whilst deployed with UK Military in Afghanistan, Ross Austen's (@rausten59) rehab journey took him from the camaraderie of Headly Court all the way to the GB Squad for para-powerlifting, World Championships & the Invictus Games. After six years in the GB squad, he stepped away from that sport & quickly found CrossFit. In the year since, the methodology has opened his eyes to movements he never thought possible with his injuries and he is...
Feb 11, 2022•57 min
In the quiet between Christmas & New Year I had the pleasure of sitting down with Sian Evans (@strongwithsian). We chat about her motives to quit the corporate life & pursue a career in PT & coaching - reflecting on how getting that fulfilment from a job you love means the wishing away the time to Friday at 5pm is a thing of the past. We also talk about competing, from the joy & tears of competing team & setting the challenge to strive & thrive as an individual. Sign-...
Feb 04, 2022•45 min
Team AOD Fitness made their debut at the CrossFit Games in the 2021 season. I sit down with half that team, Helen Nutter & Mike Allen, to reflect on their journey to & experience at the Games as they prepare to make a run at Madison for a second year. Sign-up to the Chalking Fitness Newsletter for all the UK-centric community & competition news: http://eepurl.com/hPNI8j Sign-up before the end of January 2022 to be in with a chance of winning free entry to a 2022 UK HYROX event. ...
Jan 28, 2022•54 min
This week we're at CrossFit Aylesbury, chatting to Head Coach & Co-owner Owen Jones. Having found CrossFit whilst at university, when it came to opening his own affiliate in 2015, he looked for a gap in the Affiliate Map and CrossFit Aylesbury was born! Home to The Athlete Program CrossFit Games team as well as a bustling affiliate, its apparent that a great deal of experience & expertise from the whole coaching team ensures that those of all athletic abilities & aspirations can b...
Jan 21, 2022•49 min
Jess Rosart is the Gym Manager & Coach at WIT House LDN - the training space & CrossFit affiliate at flag ship store of WIT Fitness opposite St. Pauls in London. Whilst playing host to top athletes, brand activations and multiple daily drop-in, WIT House LDN also has its own dedicated community and Jess shares how they ensure their members get a top-class experience as much as those who see it as destination. We also chat about juggling working in a gym with your own training goals &...
Jan 14, 2022•44 min
We start 2022 by sitting down with the founder of HYROX, Christian Totzke. The UK had two of these live mass-participation fitness events in 2021 and the first of 2022 is only a couple a few weeks away in Manchester. Christian shares the concept of the fitness race for everybody, no matter you athletic ability or training methodology. We did into how the format was defined to maximise accessibility & feasibility for events that (here in the UK) are already toping 2000 participants. We wra...
Jan 07, 2022•56 min
