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The 2024 GORUCK CrossFit Open & CFA Intramural Open

REGISTER HERE

We’re already taking some steps to help get you ready. You’ll be seeing more specific skill portions in class, working past Open WODs into the programming, doing some extra PT sessions… all in hopes of preparing for the next Open.

More details will come soon with specifics on teams and game outlines, but for now we just wanted to get the word out because when the time comes, we’re going to have to act fast!

Who:
Open to all CFA members of all skill levels.

What:
The Intramural Open experience is a team format take on the CrossFit Games Open. All participants will be placed into a blind draft (2/24) – see below for more info) and then drafted into different teams managed by your Team Captains.

Points will be earned by things like:

Participating in the Open Workouts
Top performance in the Open Workouts
Team Spirit
Team Outings
Showing up to Friday Night Lights
Other super fun shenanigans

And more… To be determined, but will be established before we begin!

When:
Starting on February 29, one workout will be released from CFHQ each week for 3 weeks on Thursday evenings. We will program the workouts as part of the normally scheduled programming on Fridays  AND we will have an additional schedule that will be the BIG time for teams to gather and have a fun time together on Friday evenings. Special make ups outside of the classes/events may be requested and addressed on a case-by-base basis. The Intramural Open experience will wrap up with the final WOD announced on March 14th and we’ll have our wrap party Friday the 15th!!

Where:
The workouts will be run at the gym as part of the normal class sessions and during a special events schedule Friday evenings. If you are traveling during this time period, you may also find an affiliate to complete the standard workouts with to earn your participation points.

Why:
Because it’s fun and we believe it’ll make you better in more ways that just improving your health and fitness. Cheering each on other on in this environment gives you an experience that you can’t find anywhere else. The Open is a great way to test to see where your current potential is. We encourage everyone to participate because it’s the path that’s going to allow you to pursue your most positive potential and be able to connect with other fellow CFA family members.

For those that want to submit scores via the CFHQ Open, please feel free to do so, make sure you have a judge for your workout, and we will validate your scores via the CFHQ system accordingly. Please note, it is NOT a requirement that you sign up through HQ in order to participate with us. Signing up through HQ will allow you to see how you rank with the rest of the world, but we don’t require it for IMO.

How:
Sign up online through the PushPress Events HERE!! The registration fee is $50. This includes your t-shirt, entry fee, and funding for the finals party and winning team’s prizes

REGISTRATION DEADLINE – Friday, February 23! – The draft happens 2/24 at our February Birthday Social and shirts will be ordered immediately following! 

Again, you DO NOT have to register through CFHQ to register for the intramural open. You ONLY need to register with HQ if you want to submit your scores worldwide.

PRIZES
The top team will earn a GRAND prize. Details released soon!

Our focus is on FUN. We want participation because it will make you fitter, and it will get you high-fives and you’ll be happy and love life more and glow and stuff.

Please don’t hesitate to ask questions or if you have any reservations about any unique challenges, I’m positive we can work it out.

Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.

Our 2023 December Athlete of the Month is Rola Hassan! Rola joined CFA in May of 2023, and her consistent effort over the last several months hasn’t gone unnoticed. Rola devotes 2 hours a day, 5 days a week to working out. She’ll do her accessory programming before class and then still participate full out in noon class. She strives to make improvements in her technique and strength and has always been very coachable. We are excited to see her continued improvements, and we’re proud to call her our December AOM! What a great way to close out 2023! Congratulations Rola, and thank you for letting us share in your journey!

State your Name and/or Nickname please:

Rola

Words to live by?

And you Lord is going to give you, and you will be satisfied.

What is your fitness background?

I started hitting the gym in 2014.

I used to do spinning, pilates, aerobics, boot camp, and trampoline “unbound”.

How long have you been CrossFitting?

I started crossfitting in 2017

Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today?

Although I had an idea about CrossFit, I did not expect it to be that challenging.

I did not even know that despite hitting the gym daily for years I was not even able to do a good squat or pushups!

What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin?

The friendliness of the coaching team!

Current Training Goals/PRs?

My goal is to get getter at “double unders” and to achieve a new PR in deadlifts and back squats.

What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit?

CrossFit is challenging. Don’t be discouraged! Keep pushing yourself to achieve your training objectives! And once you hit your training target you will get this sense of satisfaction and fulfillment of hard work

How do you balance staying focused in your training when life gets busy?

I block 2 hours of my schedule daily for training! Hitting the gym daily is a must!

What is your cheat meal go-to?

I don’t have a cheat meal!

However, sometimes I crave for traditional Arabic sweets!

How do you use your fitness outside of the gym?

Exercising daily helps me stay focused! Exercising is one of the most effective ways to improve mental health.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your fitness journey?

The biggest challenges I faced in my fitness journey are related to adopting a new lifestyle. I had to be committed to a daily training schedule and adjust my diet… not eating a pizza is not easy!

Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout.

I used to be scared of handstands… it was a challenge for me since I was a child! Now I enjoy doing handstands!

If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be? 

I would create a Wod called Naim (inspired by the name of my son).

The workout would be:

13 (for my son’s age) rounds of

11 (for my son’s birth month) weighted sit ups

5 (for my son’s birthday) deadlifts

Directly into

2010m (for my son’s birth year) row

What keeps you going on the days you don’t feel like it?

Dedication 

What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?

I am into fashion, cooking, and reading.

Tell us something we don’t know about you…

I am a holder of a master’s degree in Arabic philosophy

Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words…

I moved recently to Austin, and you made me feel home again❤️

THANK YOU!!! We had such a wonderful time celebrating 15 years of CFA with you on Friday night! Thank you so much for joining us and making it a wonderful evening. We are looking forward to another incredible year with you!

Here’s a little recap of our Awards Ceremony

IRON BUFFALO RECIPIENTS
Melissa Barker
Matt Cleaver

BITTER BURPEE AWARDS
“The Watty” (aka Participation award) – Thomas Bueno
Swolemates – KB & Diamond Horton
Most Competitive – Ryan Vonier
Golden Shoes – Cory Guevara
Longevity – Shawn Mauser
Social Media Mogul – Annalisa Guartuche
Rookie of the Year – Michael Habib
OG of the Year – Jose Gonzalez
Tenant in C-300 (attendance) – KB
Community – Lynn Sexton
Fitness – Jack Smith
Adventure – Jenn Stem

Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.

Our October Athlete of the Month is Lakshmi Sirigireddy! Lakshmi joined CFA in March of 2023, brand new to the realm of CrossFit/Weightlifting Training. We must say, she has caught on very well! Since day one, Lakshmi has been extremely coachable and willing to learn. It is awesome to see her analyze a movement or get super excited to show one of the coaches when she has progressed in a skill. Lakshmi is a duel athlete! She participates on the CrossFit side and Weightlifting side equally, so you’ll be sure to catch her at some point. We are excited to see her continued improvements and we’re proud to call her AOM! Congratulations Lakshmi and thank you for letting us share in your journey!

State your Name and/or Nickname please:

How do you balance staying focused in your training when life gets busy?

I’m happy and proud most days because I’ve just been super consistent in and outside of the gym and it’s been showing! I’m able to hit cleaner cleans and snatchier snatches and nail some of the harder skill progressions I’ve been aiming for.

Tell us something we don’t know about you…

Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.

Our August Athlete of the Month goes to the one and only Mr. Billy O’Marra! Billy joined the CFA family on December 16th with a hunger for growth and knowledge. Billy continues to surprise us with his dedication, discipline, and great attitude toward fitness. When the man has a goal, there is nothing that will stop him which is just one of the many things we admire about him #GOALS!

Not only does he put in the hard work, but he also listens to his body and makes the right decisions, constantly reinventing himself and adjusting his goals for a better road to success.

Billy, we love that you chose us to help you on your journey to success and can’t wait to see your continuation to success in your fitness journey

State your Name and/or Nickname please:
William O’Marra, Billy, aka Goat (the farm animal, not the acronym)

Words to live by?
Be tolerant with others, and strict with yourself.

What is your fitness background?
Growing up, I played sports like lacrosse, basketball, and football. My best sport was probably Ultimate. I had
more trophies for math than sports. As an adult, I got into yoga, calisthenics, boxing, and now CrossFit.

How long have you been CrossFitting?
January 2023, the journey officially began.

Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts
today?
My first day doing CrossFit was my first Fundy Day w/Coach Alien who shadowed me during a class. There
were burpees and pull ups, so it was in my wheelhouse, and I felt pretty good. In general, the weightlifting
aspect is all new to me, and most classes at the start were super tough. Classes are still tough, but I now have
an understanding of the fundamental weight lifting movements and it’s easier to figure out how to scale the
workouts appropriately.

What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin?
The community is great, and I’ve met a lot of inspiring people who’ve shown me the ropes along the way, either
through example or side chats. I really enjoy the music the coaches play, and am known to take over the playlist from time to time.

Current Training Goals/PRs?
Get stronger. I want to be able to do the Rx version of at least one OPEN workout next year, so I’m going to
spend the fall and winter focusing on building strength, spending more time on the WL side of things.

What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit?
Don’t stress, stretch
Show Up
Scale Down (as much as you need to)
Rock Out
The only stupid questions are the ones you don’t ask.

How do you balance staying focused in your training when life gets busy?
No matter how busy life gets, it only takes a few minutes to drop down and do some push-ups, squats, or
burpees. In your office, hotel room, outdoors, on a plane (easier done on big planes), wherever you’re at.

What is your cheat meal go-to?
Lately, the double stacked chicken nachos at Twin Peaks, with a couple beers to wash it down. For dessert, if Crumbl cookies are wrong, I don’t wanna be right.

How do you use your fitness outside of the gym?
Throwing my nephews around at the pool/beach. I work in video production so it helps to be able to hold a camera for a long time or carry/move heavy equipment. I enjoy helping people move, too. Moving boxes and furniture, up and down stairs, is probably my favorite workout. If you need a hand, hmu.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your fitness journey?
Mostly Injuries. I’ve got a disc in my lower back that easily slips out of place, and learning how to heal from and manage that has been a journey. Being open-minded, patient, doing research, and listening to my body.

Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout.
The first time I did 300 burpees (3 sets of 100) with a 12 lb vest was pretty freakin’ cool.

If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be?
Goat’s 300 Workout – 10 Rounds for time of:
10 burpees
5 pull ups
10 wall balls
5 pull ups
Scale Up: Add weight vest and/or do 2-pump burpees (two push ups at bottom)

What keeps you going on the days you don’t feel like it?
Just learning over time that 99% of the time when you don’t feel like it, you’ll feel better after working out. Sometimes I have to trick myself saying “Just do ten minutes.” Ten turns into 45-60 real quick once your heart
starts pumping.

What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?
I enjoy volunteering with the Travis County Juvenile Probation Dept. I teach a documentary class designed to provide education, life lessons, and combat recidivism. I’m also a huge fan of Portugal FC and the Jets.

Tell us something we don’t know about you…
I lived in NYC/Brooklyn for 15 years before moving to Austin in November 2002, but I grew up in Northern NJ ~20 miles west of downtown Manhattan, and from the top of my street you could see the Twin Towers on a clear day.   My father was supposed to be at 9am meeting on the 90th floor of Tower 1 on 9/11, thankfully he was late to work that day. A miracle for man who was never late and never had a sick day in his career. Unfortunately many of his co-workers lost their lives that day, 358 of them to be exact. I saw the sky turn black that day. I am forever grateful my father survived, and every 9/11 I think about those who weren’t as lucky. RIP

Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words…
Never get high on your supply.