Compete With Yourself, Rise With Your Community

"Competition is a means of achieving greatness, not an end in itself." — Josh Waitzkin

Competition is not about proving superiority over others—it’s about using challenge as a tool for self-improvement. As the CrossFit Open kicks off next week, it’s the perfect time to reflect on what competition really means and how it serves as a vehicle for personal growth — not just in terms of performance, but in how we show up, push our limits, and support those around us.

The Best Competition is With Yourself

It will be very easy - and fun - to get caught up in leaderboard rankings, but the real measure of success is your own growth. Are you moving better than last year or last month? Are you stronger, more skilled, or more resilient? That’s the competition that matters most. We don't track community records around here, we track Personal Records - who hit Papa's PR Pan this week?

Every rep, every workout, every effort you put in is another opportunity to level up. Both day to day at the micro level and year to year at the macro level. The Open isn’t just a test—it’s a personal check-up. Kind of like a doctor takes your blood pressure and measures your cholesterol every once in a while vs the average, the CrossFit Open allows you to measure your fitness. And, it's not to make you feel good or bad about where you are in the present, it's simply a way to help you have more insight into your own progress. No matter where you place, if you’ve given your best, you’ve already won.

I've been doing CrossFit for a long time, but I didn’t start doing the Open until 2018. I regret every year from 2008 until 2018 that I didn’t do it for two reasons; 1) I don’t have a full story of the journey, 2) I was missing connection to the broader community. I was a garage gym CrossFitter and I thought I understood what it was all about. But, I was so wrong. It wasn’t until I really participated as part of the community that the barriers began to break for me. That was when I experience the Magic of CrossFit.

Competition Strengthens — and is Strengthened by — Community

One of the most beautiful things about CrossFit is how competition and camaraderie go hand in hand. When you see someone grind through the final reps of a workout, you cheer them on. When you push past what you thought was possible, this community celebrates with you. True competition isn’t about proving you're better than someone else—it’s about making each other better. We push each other, not just to win, but to grow.

This is why Friday Night Lights is such an incredible experience. It’s not just about individual effort; it’s about the energy, the encouragement, and the shared moments of struggle and triumph that make us all better. Our first Friday Night Lights of this year's Open Season is just one week away. Next Friday at 5:30pm we will kick off The Open and Celebrate our 1 Year anniversary as a gym and community. Please join us, even if it's just to cheer for fellow gym-mates or celebrate this huge milestone with friends. I'd love to have you register for the Open and put your name on the global leaderboard, but I'd much rather you just come enjoy the fun.

How to Compete with Purpose

1. Set Your Own Benchmarks – Don’t just measure success by a leaderboard. Compare yourself to where you were last year, last month, or even last week.

2. Embrace the Challenge – Discomfort is part of growth. Lean into it.

3. Support the Process – Success isn’t just about results; it’s about effort. Acknowledge progress in yourself and those around you, and recognize that growth takes time.

Compete. Grow. Rise.

Just this week, one of the coaches asked me what my score was on a workout because they knew someone specifically wanted to beat me. When I found out they did, I immediately sent them a congratulatory message. I think it took them off guard that I was so excited for them. But what kind of coach would I be if I wanted my athletes to be capped at my capacity? And what kind of competitor would I be if I didn’t want to put my own best up against everyone else’s best?

The best competitors aren’t just strong—they’re consistent, they embrace the process, and they lift others up. Keep showing up, keep challenging yourself, and keep making this community stronger.