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We cover the sport of CrossFit from all angles. We talk with athletes, coaches and celebrities that compete and surround in the sport of CrossFit at all levels. We also bring you Breaking News, Human Interest Stories and report on the Methodology of CrossFit. We also use the methodology to make ourselves the fittest we can be.
I was born to kill it.
I was meant to win.
I am down and willing,
so I will find a way.
It took a minute,
now it didn't have to ride away.
When it get hot in the kitchen,
you decide to stay.
That's how it win us, man.
Stick a fork in the head of
my dinner plate.
what is going on everybody
welcome to the Clydesdale
media's semi-finalist
series this is our second
so far yesterday we
interviewed Scott Tetlow
didn't see that go check
that out it's on YouTube
now and today we're
starting our all like I
think it's Canada Day here
at Clydesdale media our
first Canadian of three
today Emily Rolfe what's
going on Emily hello
Yeah.
We've been accused of being Canadian bias,
and we're really proving it today.
Who isn't?
We're so nice.
So I'm so excited to have
you on the show because
last year it was like we
talked every week.
We followed you through the whole season,
got to know you really well,
and this year I haven't got
to talk to you at all.
Yeah, I know.
I mean, it's kind of flown by, though,
you have to admit.
Yeah.
It is.
It almost feels compressed, but it's not.
Yeah.
Like quarterfinals are done
and semifinals are almost here.
Yeah,
I think last year quarters were right
after the Open and then
there was a long until
semis and now it's like the opposite.
We had a few lull weeks there and then,
yeah, quarters and go.
So there's a lot of noise
around quarterfinals this year.
Were you impacted by any of that,
like emotionally, mentally,
anything like that,
just trying to get through the week?
Or did you just ignore it
and figured you'd come out
on the other side?
A little bit of both.
I think, like everyone,
I kind of naively just put
in my scores and was like, okay, sweet,
done.
And then when all the
penalties started rolling out,
it was like, ooh.
Yeah.
And like everyone knows,
I redid that first workout
three times because I had video issues.
So the benefit of that was I
watched my first video until it cut out.
And yeah,
I just picked out a couple of
tweaks and was like,
some of those step ups,
like if they want to be really strict,
they could be.
And yeah,
so really it was a blessing that
I redid it because who knows,
I could have been...
could have been on the other
side of that so really
lucky there it was painful
at the time but I'm lucky
and so I i kind of want to
dive into that a little bit
you know carolyn privo is a
part of our thursday night
show now she said she did
that workout looked at it
and said if they want to be
strict they could they
could know rep me here and
she redid it as well and
thank goodness because now
you're both are sitting in
the top 10 going into semifinals
Do you review all your
videos or was it just
because you had the clock issue?
Yeah.
Well, from now on I will, but no,
usually I don't.
So usually,
which is crazy now that I think about it,
cause so much can go wrong.
Um, but no, usually I just upload it,
copy the link to my notes
and submit it when, you know, I,
I check to make sure it plays,
but I've never watched it fully through.
Um,
Um,
which is a lesson that now I will for
sure.
Do you think that changes
across the board for all athletes now?
I think a little bit for sure.
Um, and I think it was hard because, uh,
maybe the angles at what
people videoed out were
different and because there was no,
there was no guidelines there.
So I think that made it tough for people.
Um, yeah, it's just unfortunate situation,
but cause again, if you're competing live,
your judge tells you once you fix it,
you missed the one rep.
Like you didn't fly through
the workout and then get told after,
which,
Yeah,
I feel for the athletes that that
happened to.
It sucks.
So I've made an argument
that probably doesn't put
me on the popular side of the athletes.
I don't know.
But I've seen a lot of
really good athletes not
get moved forward because of crap videos.
Yeah.
And people who do not meet the standards,
then they get to semifinals
or the next live competition,
and they're incapable of
doing the work that's
required at that level.
Yeah.
So I think it's a good step
if we're going to go in
this direction consistently.
Yeah.
And across the board,
like I think they should
have had quarters right
after the open to give more
time for video review to
make sure all the videos got that review.
Yeah.
Cause yeah, people are complaining that,
Oh,
like they didn't even look at three
and four or some people did,
but it's like,
I think they say they're
only going to look at one.
I mean,
they obviously have to look at more
for the top 40,
but basically if you have a
test and there's four tests
and you don't know which
one they're going to review,
you best do well on all
four because you don't know.
And I think that's what they
kind of go for, but I don't know.
Yeah.
I wish we could give them
more time or more staff to
be able to do it because it seems silly.
It's like drug testing one
or two people on a team and
you're good to go if one or two pass.
Yeah.
You know,
that seems to happen a lot with CrossFit.
Mm-hmm.
So looking at your placings,
they've improved year over
year over year.
Mm-hmm.
What does that mean to you
when everybody around you
is improving and you're
improving at a level where
the leaderboard is showing
it year after year?
Yeah, it's very encouraging for sure.
That's kind of what keeps me going.
Like I just keep getting better and better,
which is, yeah, it's great.
Yeah.
Yeah, I mean,
you're coming into the
semifinal in the third
position in the West.
That's the highest you've
ever entered semis.
Does that give you any confidence,
or do you just... Yeah, I think so.
I mean, we all know it doesn't matter.
You could come in the last
heat and make the games.
But yeah,
it does give you a bit of confidence,
and I think just this whole
year of training,
Kyle switched around a few things, and...
I think it's really, um, yeah,
I've really benefited from
it and it's been a hard year of training,
but a really good year.
And you yourself feel better
now than you have in past years?
Oh yeah.
Um, fitness wise and strength wise.
Um, and like I say,
like we've tried a couple
different things this year
and I think they're really paying off.
And, um,
Injury-wise, too.
Last year, at this time,
I was still dealing with
that calf that was just hampering me.
Knock on wood, going into semis,
I'm feeling really good.
We talked to Scott Tetlow yesterday,
and he actually backed off
volume this year.
He said it's the first time
he's going into semis with
a clean bill of health right now.
Yeah.
It's,
it's shocking at this level that to
not have something that's nagging.
I mean,
that's not to say I haven't had
injuries throughout the year.
Like I had a bad shoulder
injury right after
Wadapalooza and that took a
while to clear up.
Even going into the open, I wasn't great,
but yeah, it's, it's good now.
So feeling good.
Noticing a trend with
Wadapalooza and injury.
Yeah.
Maybe that's one you should
take off the list.
But it's so fun.
That was so fun.
And then we go for a cruise after.
It's just such a good trip.
So I want to get into both
of those things.
We've talked about it in the
past about doing every one
of the big three in the offseason.
You're one of the few people
that have done that in the past.
At one time we talked and you said,
you're not sure you're ever
going to do that again.
And then this year you do it again.
Yeah,
I think this year was the only year
that I did all three.
I would argue two years ago
you did all three.
Did I?
Geez.
Yeah, not the plan this year.
Okay.
Well,
now I know why you did it again
because you forgot you did
it two years ago.
I did forget.
Yeah.
Yeah,
because we actually we had a
conversation about it and you said,
I'm not doing that again.
And then here we are two
years later and you did it again.
Wow.
OK, well, I won't do it again now.
So.
So you have a perspective of
hitting all three.
What do each one have that
the other ones don't that
make it worth going to?
I think, like I said,
Wadapalooza is just super fun.
It's probably like the most chill,
the most like party kind of atmosphere.
And it's warm in Florida in January.
It's a great time to leave Canada.
Yeah, that one's just all about more fun,
I would say.
And then Rogue is just great
because it's such high level.
You know,
it's always the top people from
the games.
Um, for me,
it's a really good challenge
because usually it's quite
heavy and like more strong
men kind of stuff.
Um,
and they also treat the athletes great.
Like they pay our way.
They put us up.
Um, yeah,
we're really treated really well
at Rogue.
So that's a special experience.
And then Dubai is just cool.
It's Dubai.
Like Dubai is so cool.
Such a cool city to be.
And, um, again, it's warm in December.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And it's just cool.
Like there's no other
opportunity probably that I
would go to Dubai.
Um, so yeah, it's a good opportunity also.
So you always,
you seem to piggyback
vacations or holidays with
these competitions.
And I, I've seen on your Instagram,
you did a cruise after Waterpalooza.
Did you do anything after
the other events?
So Dubai,
last year we went to Germany on
our way back.
This year we had to come
straight home because we
had to go to work.
And then after Rogue, oh,
we also did a cruise.
So yeah, we had a riot.
We had a blast on that cruise.
And I think it's just, one,
we work full-time jobs.
So if we have the vacation
off to go there anyways,
we just tack on a few extra days.
Um, that works out.
And then I take the week off
after I compete anyways.
So it's fun to just travel
and just not be sitting at
home for that week.
So I've never been on a cruise.
You did too last year when
you went to rogue,
did you go somewhere other,
did you do a cruise out of
Texas or did you go somewhere else first?
No, we flew back to LA, which was almost,
yeah,
halfway home and then went out to LA.
It was actually,
we booked that cruise after
the games and we actually
missed it because we missed our flight.
So yeah,
we um thank goodness for
american express we got got
our refund and then booked
it after rogue cool so
where did that one so where
did the two cruises go that
one was like la mexico
catalina island just around
there and then the one
after guadalupalooza is to
bahamas and back okay and
the private island stuff yeah super fun
Awesome.
And do you need that after
competitions to just kind of rejuvenate?
Yeah.
I mean, I don't need, I'll say I need it.
I don't need it, but I like it.
It's just nice to have some downtime,
especially because Kyle and
I are going through everything together.
He's my coach as well as my husband.
So it's nice for us to just chill out.
Yeah.
Still my favorite story is
when you guys had an
interaction as coach
athlete and he was writing
the apology as husband
while you were on the competition floor.
Yeah.
Sometimes it's like that.
Yeah.
Um, wide zombie jumps in with,
are you excited to have go
rock sponsoring the games?
Yeah, of course.
So when I signed with them was last year,
around this time, maybe a bit earlier.
I had no idea.
I don't know if they,
if it was in the works then or whatever,
but I had no idea that they
were going to be sponsoring the game.
So when that happened, I was like, oh,
cool.
It's like,
not like it's the brand that's
going forward,
but it's like kind of cool
to be a part of that.
Did you have a talk with
their newest athlete that
this is your house?
I did not yet.
Yeah.
I'm the OG.
No, it's super cool.
I mean,
of course Tia brings so much to the
table.
So yeah,
it's cool that like the two
athletes are me and her.
Yeah.
But does she have to always
go with the sponsor of the games?
Apparently she does.
Man.
Give other people some dude.
Yeah.
Now, I think that's really cool.
And you've talked about how
cool they are with you and
that you've actually had
input into the design of
some of the shoes and stuff like that.
Yeah.
Yeah,
so they've – and they're super receptive.
So, like,
when their first trainer came out,
there was a couple of
things that I really didn't
like about it.
Like, my heel was slipping out.
And so I told them that,
and they fixed it right away.
And now their trainer is, like, amazing.
So their runners are great too, so –
Hopefully we can do the same
with their clothing.
How many pairs do you have?
Too many.
The closet is full.
Yeah.
And was last year at semis
the first time you got to
like sport them?
Yeah.
So it's been a year.
Yeah.
That's really cool.
Mm-hmm.
And then I've seen their clothes.
They've always been a major part at Rogue.
And the one year I volunteered down there,
I sat right outside their booth.
Their stuff is really cool.
Really well made.
Yeah, their stuff,
I like it because it's kind of like...
I don't know how to say like
kind of grindy, kind of like military,
like hard ass, like that kind of stuff,
which is really good.
We're just,
I think they're going to
continue working on the woman's line.
And I think because a lot of girls,
they like color and they
don't want to be like dark all the time.
And that was one of the main
things last year.
I was like, okay,
like you got to have pink.
You got to have some pink somewhere.
So then they came out with
that like bright pink backpack,
which Kyle was sporting
throughout the games, which was great.
I love it.
Yeah,
we captured that in some of our
footage and stuff.
Yeah, he was easy to find.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Um, Greg Pasley says, uh,
go rock makes an excellent product.
Several people, uh, wide zombie.
Emily is my favorite.
Oh, uh, Barry.
Emily is my favorite too.
Uh, so yeah,
lots of people cheering you on
in the chat.
So, so now you have a,
it seemed a much shorter
time from quarterfinals to semis.
Um,
does training have to change this year?
Do you have this Kyle have to like,
actually, um,
you can't use the template
from last year because it's
just different timing.
Yeah, I mean,
we're just continuing how
we're going because I felt
great going into quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals went fine, went well.
We're just continuing what
we're doing because it
works and I feel good.
So I'm actually pleased
semifinals are closer.
Like I don't need another
two months of training before semifinals.
Like I want to go.
And we talked about like
when I said how you feel,
you said you've changed
some things and your
fitness is high as well as your strength.
So it's a well-known fact.
Your whole has always been strength.
Right.
How much time do you spend
on improving that?
A lot.
Like that's like my top energy.
And you'll ask any athlete,
like your weakness,
that's what you have to work on, right?
Like I don't go for runs ever.
Like, I never run.
My last big run was, I guess, Rogue,
and then the 5K at the Games.
And my next big run will
probably be if we run at the Games.
Like, I don't run.
So, yeah, I think a lot of strength,
a lot of, like,
power output kind of things
we've been doing this year,
which really seem to have helped.
Um,
and I think like it shows that workout
floor on the quarterfinals,
like I'm closing that gap slowly,
which is, that's all I can,
I can ask for.
So that's encouraging.
And mentally, when you're looking at that,
like you're never going to
lift like Danny Spiegel.
No.
Right.
Right.
You're just trying to get to
a point where it doesn't
hurt you on the weekend.
Yeah, exactly.
Like I said,
like we're just trying to close that gap.
Yeah.
Yeah.
it's funny because like a
few years ago I go to Christy Aramo,
Connell's gym and I watched
her like that was all she did.
Like strength cycle after
strength cycle after strengths.
And she was just trying to
get to mid pack.
Yeah.
Like that, that was it.
Is that the same approach
that you're taking?
Yeah.
And I think, um, yeah, pretty much.
Um,
Like I say,
we've been doing a lot of like
power things.
Strength wise, I'm not terrible.
It's more the power output,
which we've really been focusing on.
And that seems to help not
only in that area,
but in other areas in CrossFit too.
So it's good.
So I'm going to pull something up.
At Rogue,
you seem to be working on the
strength or something in that manner.
This made me just how
because it seems so out of
character for you.
But your little promo video.
I forgot about that.
It just seems so out of character for you.
And I just laughed and I had
to bring it up somehow through this.
It's a pretty good double bicep flex,
though.
It definitely is.
And it shows that you've
been working on some strength for sure.
Yeah.
And I think,
especially after my arm injury,
like I had to rebuild all
that up and at the time it wasn't fun,
but now I'm like reaping
the rewards from that.
Like I'm way stronger than I was before.
I'm just focusing on those little things.
So that's fun too.
But yeah, that, that at Rogue,
you're like in a green room
and they're like, Hey, do something.
And you're like, yeah,
And if you don't have a plan
or remember what you think
you were going to do,
you just kind of... I don't know.
Throw up the peace sign or do a flex.
The flex looks awesome.
And the way they slow-mode it,
it made it even cooler.
And Rogue is so awesome at that stuff.
Yeah.
They're very professional.
They always make the athletes look good.
So...
So when you do all those
off-season competitions,
how much of that is a
learning process and an
experiment process?
Oh, a ton.
That's,
that's kind of when the time is to
do it because you don't
really want to be
experimenting when you're
trying to make the games.
And obviously you train all
year to peak at the games.
So that's like,
unfortunately you do
experience a lot and
experiment a lot at the games, but yeah,
the off season is when you
want to try new things and
see what's been working and
see what hasn't and yeah,
all that kind of stuff.
And I learn a ton every time.
Like there's always so many
things to take away that we
put back into training.
So that in that way,
it's really beneficial.
So for you,
like rogue is important because
that is experiencing and
experimenting with things
that you're working on.
Yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
It makes total sense.
And they have the best swag
bag in the business.
Yeah.
I still wear my cowboy boots
that we got a few years ago.
It's so funny because either
people love that or they're like, yeah,
I gave that away as soon as I got home.
Oh, heck no.
I went to a country concert
like two weeks ago and rocked them.
It was great.
Like...
that's where I was actually
stationed when I because go
ruck was there the the
fitting for the hat and the
boots and all that stuff
was kind of in that one
corner and uh I watched
everybody come in and get
fitted and it was so funny
oh I bet like and then and
then I worked media for the
weekend for rogue just
trying to learn stuff but
for that day I was
stationed in there and it
was really really cool yeah
so and then we talk about um
I want to I have a question
about dubai I watch it on
tv or stream and it looks
like there's nobody in the
crowd yeah is it just is
there nobody there or is it
just bad camera angles so a
bit of both so they do
condense the crowd to like
the end of the finish line
like think if you're
watching a hockey game like
where the goal like that area and
um so there's that and then
there's also like the
stadium they do it it's
pretty big and you're right
like the crowd isn't there
like in the u.s not at all
um and I think mostly
because it's so far like
people yeah it's it's far
and it's expensive to get
there so and and it's and
it's crossfit isn't as big
in the middle east or no okay
Not for girls anyways.
I think there's a lot more men that do it,
but not women.
Okay.
Is there ever an uncomfortable feeling?
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
So it wasn't this year.
It was the year before we went.
And our luggage got lost for
like four days.
So Kyle and I had no clothes.
All I had was one pair of
workout gear that I put in my carry-on.
So I was just hand-washing
that for a couple days
until we got some stuff.
And I remember we were
walking home from one of
the gyms that I was
training at just like on the,
on the road.
And of course I'm in my
workout gear and yeah, they,
you get a lot of stairs.
I mean, they're not used to seeing women.
I guess you could say like scantily clad,
like in shorts and a tank top,
like they're not used to seeing that.
Right.
So of course people are going to scare.
They're mostly covered there.
Right.
Like, Oh yeah.
Yeah.
that just seems odd to me,
but I know that that's the
culture and that that's
just the way it is.
But so then what a Palooza
I've always called that the
CrossFit family reunion,
because it's just everybody
who's in the space is there
that weekend hanging out chatting.
How hard is it to actually
then go compete with kind
of all of that going on?
Or are you really good about
putting your blinders on
and just doing what you're there for?
Yeah, I mean, like you say,
I've heard from people like
that's the most fun crowd to be at,
like more fun than the games.
People just love Wadapalooza.
But yeah, for me, it's not hard to focus.
Like when I'm competing, I'm competing.
And I've been lucky the schedule,
like usually it's two day indie,
two day team.
And this year I only did indie.
So I compete two days and
then I have two days to
just hang out with people
and do what I want after.
Do you have sponsor
obligations during that time or?
Sometimes.
Okay.
Yeah.
I had a few events lined up this year,
but yeah, it makes it fun.
Cause I, I,
I think there's more sponsors
at Wadapalooza than there
are at the games.
Yeah.
And,
and I know like I've talked to some
athletes where they're busy
on their off day as much,
if not more than when they're competing.
Oh yeah.
Like some people just
couldn't do teams because
they had like meet and
greets lined up all day.
And it was like,
It's insane.
If they could just fix the weather.
I know.
The rain, like, man,
it's so hit and miss with
the... It's either super
nice or it's torrential rain.
Yeah.
Two years ago, it was freezing cold.
Was it?
Well, not for Indy.
By the time the weekend came for teams,
like, it was...
I didn't, I didn't have a jacket.
Cause you know,
coming from the North to Miami,
you're like, I don't need that.
And then it got down to 40, like,
what's that?
Like 10 Celsius for you.
Yeah.
That's cold.
Yeah.
It was really, really cold,
but you had injured your
calf and like withdrawn from the team.
So I don't know if you were, Oh,
it was that year.
Okay.
Yeah.
I was still around limping around.
Yeah, if they could just fix the weather,
that would be epic every year.
Yeah.
So now you're going to semis
at one of the most iconic
locations in CrossFit history.
You never got to compete at
the games in California.
So how excited are you to
compete at the tennis
stadium where CrossFit was
kind of birthed?
Yeah,
when I saw that it was going to be in
Carson at the tennis stadium,
when did they announce that?
Like, way back in November or something.
I was stoked.
I was like, man,
this is going to be so cool.
Like, as you say,
I think the last games
there were maybe 2016?
I don't know.
I was barely into CrossFit then.
I didn't make regionals until 2017.
So...
didn't really watch I
remember it playing um on
on the tv at the global gym
I was going to um and I
remember like looking a bit
but like not wasn't even
like in it by then and then
um yeah looking back I see
all this stuff and I'm like
wow like yeah I'm super
excited it's gonna be so
cool I love I love
competing outside I love
that added element so
that's really cool too
So you said when you started CrossFit,
you weren't really watching it.
No.
How fast did it take you to
dive into all of the stuff?
Very quick.
As they say, I drank the Kool-Aid.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I remember seeing it on TV.
Someone at the gym was like, oh,
you should do that.
I was like, no, whatever, ignored it.
And then, yeah,
once I actually did a class or two,
I was like, well, this is, I'm in it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I, I started in CrossFit in 2011,
had no clue what the games were.
And then in the games came around in 2012,
like I was hook, line and sinker.
Yeah.
I think most people are like that.
Like you just get,
it's so addicting to like
keep getting better,
keep learning new skills.
Yeah.
It's just super fun.
when I'm,
and imagine when you first
started in a class,
every day is a competition, right?
You're, you're new to it.
You're competing with the class.
You're trying to do as well
as everybody else, you know?
Right.
And then coming in from like
a background of gymnastics,
track and field,
like I knew how to weightlift.
Like it was just,
everyone likes doing things
they're good at.
Right.
So you come in,
you're already pretty good.
People are like, Oh,
it's like the open next month.
Like, okay, sign me up, I guess.
Yeah.
For me,
it was trying to master new skills.
Even though some of the
stuff I was okay at, I mean,
I started at 500 pounds,
so it was a different story than you,
but learning how to master
those skills over time is
what kept bringing me back.
I mean,
I was a competitive swimmer in high
school and college,
and to get that competitive
spirit back was everything to me.
yeah I was the same like
when yeah it felt like I
was back in gymnastics
competing so I can't
imagine coming in fresh
though without any
weightlifting background or
like never having done
gymnastics like the people
that come in from that
that's pretty impressive
like that must be so
overwhelming to learn all
that like I can't even imagine
Yeah.
So I, I mean,
I did have some lifting background.
It was more power lifting lifting.
And I did, I was very athletic as a kid.
I had a sport in every season and,
and I actually flirted with
gymnastic stuff just for fun.
Okay.
Like doing flips and stuff.
So I,
some of that muscle memory came back.
Right.
But I ask you,
then you go to becoming a pro athlete.
And a lot of times you're
working out by yourself.
So are you addicted to competition?
And is that one of the
reasons you keep signing up for Rogue,
Dubai, Wadapalooza?
I never really thought about that,
to be honest.
That's a thought.
I don't think, I love competing,
obviously.
And yeah,
like most days I'm down grinding
in my dark garage alone.
Like, that's no fun.
But I was thinking the other day,
like it makes you train so hard.
If you,
if you can push yourself through it,
you train so hard because, you know,
Kyle's making these
interval split times and
these goal times and goal
reps and like things that I
need to hit in the workouts.
And I'm just killing myself
to make those times.
And I think if I had someone beside me,
I would be a lot more, Oh,
just stay ahead of them or
just race them.
And you kind of don't go to
your full potential.
Whereas when I'm racing the machine,
what it says on the concept to machine,
or I'm racing the clock, like there's no,
you know what I mean?
Like you just push so much harder.
So I feel like if you can
put your head down and be like, yeah,
it's not as fun.
Cause I'm not laughing and
joking with someone and you know,
Um, but if you can push through that,
like I think training's actually better.
So I can relate to that
because in swimming, everything's,
everything's intervals.
Yeah.
Like everything.
And you're not,
you're not swinging against
one-on-one against anybody.
There's like six people in a
lane trying to keep that
same interval going.
Right.
Right.
And so it's not a competition.
Then when the meat comes,
like then I'm in a zone.
Cause like now I get to
release all that competitive.
This and that meat.
Yeah.
I'm just curious if that was
the same for you,
like with water Palooza and.
Yeah.
I guess in a way it's,
it's way more fun to
there's 10 other girls.
Now we get to race.
Like that's way more fun than, you know,
trying to hit these times
that Kyle set out for me
that are really tough, you know?
So yeah, I guess so a little bit.
And, and your fun,
we've talked about this
before is you're like one
of the nicest people ever
when you're just kind of hanging out,
coming off the competition floor and,
You give this look like I'm
going to freaking kill you.
Coming off or going on?
Probably both.
I just don't have access to coming on.
Okay.
That looks worse.
And I interview a lot of
people after events.
Very few of them scare me like you do.
Sorry.
I wasn't aware of that, Scott.
I'll work on that.
I mean, I pushed through.
I pushed through for the interview.
But man,
it's hard for me to remember the
questions because you give
the death stare.
Yeah, I guess just, yeah, in the zone.
And I can't imagine Kyle
getting on the wrong side of you.
Yeah.
You should ask him.
Jake Chapman asks,
is Emily coming to rogue?
I would love to.
We'll see.
Usually they do invites after the game.
So yeah.
Come in the top 10,
15 of the games usually
have a pretty good shot
unless they decide to do it
differently this year.
I don't know, but Scotland's pretty cool.
Jake's in Europe,
so that's what I'm asking.
They're excited that Rogue
is coming there.
Kyle B and Carson?
Of course he will be.
Pink Backpack?
Pink Backpack and all, yeah.
You can only buy him one year, though,
because I don't know if we
told you this story.
There was a competition here
called Canwest Games.
And he coached me,
but it was like a hot weekend.
It was super hot.
There was a beer garden at
the competition.
And you know how you have a
lot of time in between events, whatever.
He would just disappear.
And, you know,
we had friends there and whatever.
And then he'd come back and
I didn't really think anything of it.
And then I realized he was just hammered.
And when he was coaching me and I was like,
what is wrong with him?
And
Yeah, never again.
But I won.
I won the competition.
So that's his saving grace.
He's like, oh,
I still coach you to the W. But yeah,
not again.
That sounds like a fun time with Kyle.
Kyle's always a fun time.
Wadzomi says Canwest was the
one with the big prize money, right?
Yeah, the one that fell through.
But this was before it fell through.
So this was like 2017 or something.
2018 I think yeah it was
actually around for a long
time before the big fiasco
it was and it was a great
competition I mean when I
won the prize money was
three thousand dollars so
it was a lot less than what
they promised a few years
ago um but yeah it was
really really a good
competition when it was
going there for a few years
a wad zombie said he's a
big dude he can do two beers
And then Jake says,
isn't he English or Canadian?
Yeah, he is from the UK.
So yeah,
I know you guys can put away
alcohol like no other.
So, um, wow, that got us derailed.
So
So I wanted to ask you this, too,
about quarterfinals.
With the reduction in from 60 to 40,
did that enter your mind at all,
or was it just, I'm good enough,
I don't have to worry about that?
Yeah, it was,
I'm going to make it through.
Wasn't worried.
I actually like that they cut people.
Sounds savage, but yeah.
I would rather they cut it to 30,
to be honest.
But yeah, so when that was announced,
I was like, sweet, that's good.
Um,
I would say the only concern was just
like, I remember saying to Kyle, okay,
like we can't afford, you know,
a large penalty or, you know,
screwing up my video or like,
we just have to make sure
we're doing everything, um,
the way it's meant to be done.
Just like take care in the small things.
So when we went up to 60 a
couple years ago, the thought was, boy,
it's going to be tough
because if you do really bad in one event,
a 60-place finish would be
hard to come back from.
Yeah.
I mean, we saw Sydney do it.
We did.
Last year was such a weird,
weird programmed year.
it had all these like traps
that people couldn't get past.
Yeah.
And so a lot of people had bad scores.
Yeah.
There was a lot.
Like if you look at the
people who made the games, people,
there were very few
consistent all the way through people.
Like people were like
bouncing all the way around
in the events.
Um, so yeah,
who knows what this year will bring.
So, um,
Is the 40... Are you excited
about the 40 because it
kind of has a safetiness to it where,
well, you can't fall too far?
I think just it takes away
some of the outliers.
You know,
the people that can make it
because they're really good at one thing,
but they can't do other things.
Or, you know, like 40 to 60,
a lot of those people, you know,
they're just super strong,
but they're not fit at all.
Or, you know, they have other good things.
And I think it just...
I don't want to say get in the way,
but they can kind of skew
the leaderboard in some events.
So yeah,
it's just good to get rid of that.
Yeah.
I like what you're saying.
I hate that we don't get to
know more athletes.
Yeah, so as an athlete that competes,
I don't want to say I don't care, but,
like, that's my thought on it.
But I understand, like, you know,
those athletes that are just over the 40,
you know, what do they have?
They're so close to semifinals,
but they just can't get out
of the virtual, like, the online,
you know.
So, like, for that, you know, really,
40 to 100, like,
they're still good athletes.
It's just tough to make semifinals, so...
you know,
it would be cool if they had like a tier,
you know, semifinal one,
semifinal two or something
like that would be cool.
So they can just, cause people, you know,
so many people thrive
competing live and aren't
good online or the opposite, you know?
So it'd be nice to give those,
those athletes an opportunity.
Yeah.
I've been, you know,
I was on coffee pods and
wads yesterday for their game show.
And one of the things is how
do we attract more people
to North America semis?
And I was thinking like,
wouldn't it be cool to have
like an event right before the event?
Like the 20 that didn't make it in,
you get like these three
workouts and the number, whoever wins it,
it's a wild card into semis
or that'd be fun.
just something to like bring
more people there and
something dramatic to do
right before the event yeah
that'd be cool I mean they
have the event or I mean
okay so they have to set up
an extra day early or
something but they have
everything there it's
already all the equipment's
there like you know the
people are there it's easy
to add on really
you don't have to stream it.
You just let people come watch,
set it up in the Plaza or the, you know,
whatever.
Um, and they get in,
but they're kind of at a
disadvantage because they
just did three workouts,
but they get a shot.
Yeah.
Cool.
I like it.
Just something I've been
like flipping around in my
head since the game show yesterday.
So, um,
So yeah.
So the other thing that the
reduction 40 does is if you
guys get 10 in again this year,
25% of the field go to the games.
Yeah.
That's high.
I mean,
I don't know if we're getting 10
this year, but right.
Probably a bit less, but yeah, that's,
that's a big,
that's a big chance you get
really when you only had to
pass the online portion.
I get what you're saying there.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I like the old regional
format where three or five got in,
but it was just your region.
But it was 40 went, right?
40 people?
Yeah.
The last few years, I went to sanctionals.
And I think there were 30
and I won and I made the games.
And then the online games,
I was top five out of, I think 40.
And then 2022,
I was top five out of 30 again.
Last year I was top 10 out of 60.
Like it's,
I feel like every year that I've
qualified,
it's been a different scenario.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So, I mean, that gives me confidence.
It's like, okay, whatever it was,
like I somehow jumped through the hoops.
And got it done.
You can file a heart attack
as well as your fans.
Yeah.
But you always make it in.
Standard.
So what are you most looking
forward to in Carson?
I thought the programming
for quarters was really good.
I did too.
I hope the set is also good like that.
Like...
Yeah, there was strength and skill,
but it was like fitness.
Yes.
It's like why we all love CrossFit.
Yeah.
Do you think they'll
continue that on for semis?
I think somewhat.
I mean, there's going to be change.
It's going to be heavier.
It's going to be harder skill, I'm sure.
But I mean, you never know.
I never try to predict what
there's going to be.
I don't want to say that's Kyle's job,
but it's kind of his thing
to make sure I'm kind of
ready for everything come game time.
yeah, whatever it is,
you got to go out and do it anyways.
So, yeah.
So I'm going to,
I'm going to finish with
like two off questions.
And that is,
this has really been the year
for women in sports.
If you're following other women's sports,
the women's NCAA tournament
outrated the men's NCAA
tournament for the first time in history.
If you look at college NIL in the States,
women are in the top 10 in
NIL money with the men.
How does it feel to be part
of a sport that's always
looked at women as equal?
when you say it, it's like, wow,
that's super cool.
Like, but yeah, I mean,
we're used to it because
it's always been that way.
So you never really think anything else,
but yeah, you look at, I mean,
basketball is huge right
now with Caitlin Clark, but like,
yeah,
you look at what they're getting paid
versus the men.
And then I would say
CrossFit's almost the opposite.
Like,
I remember my mom was telling me she
was watching one of the
comps just streamed.
And, you know,
they had the top 10 girls
and the top 10 guys on the
same floor competing together.
And it was mostly watching the girls.
And she was like, I wanted to see Pat.
And I barely like it barely
even showed Pat because it was all girls.
And yeah,
we're in sports bras and booty shorts.
And maybe that that sells a little bit.
But I think we're almost the opposite.
Like people watch the girls
more than the guys.
I agree completely because
and it's to me like.
For the most part,
the women are more
approachable when I go to
like talk to them or do a podcast.
The men aren't as approachable.
It's harder to get them on the show.
And so my leaning is because
I get to know you guys more
than I get to know the men.
So I want to watch because
all the people I've gotten
to know over the years are women.
Right.
Not all.
I mean, there are exceptions, but.
Yeah, it makes sense.
If you know a person, you know their story,
you know what they've gone through,
like you're way more as a fan,
you're way more invested in that person.
Yeah.
And so I just think it's cool.
And I think it's this tide
that's coming where women
are doing as well as men in
different things.
And I think it's cool in
college here in the States,
name image likeness money,
women are doing as well as the men.
Yeah,
and I think that's partly thanks to
social media too.
Yeah.
But yeah, it's cool.
So the last question I'm
going to have for you is, again,
Carolyn Prevost joined us
on our Thursday night show.
She takes a lot of pride in
the fact that she's an
athlete who's also a
full-time employed worker.
Right.
You are as well.
Mm-hmm.
How much pride do you have
that you're doing all of
these amazing things and
you're working a full-time job?
Yeah.
I mean, I think it's cool.
And a lot of people, you know,
I do get a lot of credit for it.
Like people are always saying,
and people forget like
Carolyn does it too.
I don't think she gets quite
the hype that I get about it,
but she's also doing it.
She's working at, she's a teacher, right?
Full-time.
That's full-time.
Yeah.
So yeah.
Again, I honestly think, you know,
aside from some nights and, you know,
I honestly think it helps my training.
Like, I wouldn't be, you know,
as soon as I wake up, like,
going to the garage,
doing a hard interval session.
Like, if I didn't work that day,
I wouldn't need to do that
session and then get to the
gym at a certain time and, like...
I would waste so much more time.
I think it's natural for humans.
The more time you have,
the more time you waste.
As a result,
my training is more productive.
It's more intense.
That's helping me as an athlete.
Honestly, my job helps me.
It's funny.
Scott Tetlow said the same
thing yesterday.
He's active military.
He has 90 minutes a day to
get his work done.
Right.
And so he goes and he does that.
And then if for some reason
he gets a break,
that's when he works on like his holes.
Wow.
That's a lot less time than I have.
So I definitely a lot more
training time than that,
but good for him.
That if he had more time,
he doesn't think he'd be as efficient.
No, you're not.
Cause like, you know, you finish a workout,
you're tired, you take a drink,
you go on your phone for a bit, you know,
you talk to other people,
like you can waste so much time,
but I'm like, okay, no,
at two o'clock I need to be
in the shower.
So this piece takes 20 minutes.
This take like,
everything's mapped out to the T. Well,
and at a competition, um,
you're not,
you don't get to choose when you can,
when you work out or when you,
I've done a few competitions,
specifically the games last
year when we had to have
that condensed schedule for ESPN or SPN,
the TV, whatever it was called.
Yeah.
And people were hurting, like,
not to say I was just like, I'm fine.
But, you know, I was used to it.
I was like, Okay,
this is how I train every day.
Like,
I don't need a long five hour break
in between.
And like, it's, it's,
it's good to just like, prepare for that.
Yeah.
It's kind of funny.
And I think Carolyn's the same way.
Her lunch hour is one of her sessions.
And then she doesn't get to
choose when it is.
It's when her schedule opens up.
And it just makes you more
flexible during competition time.
And I think it's a byproduct
of being a full-time employee.
It is.
And like, I noticed that all my days off,
you know,
sometimes I spend the whole day
at the gym, but you know,
I was half as productive as
I was on my work day.
You know, it's just like.
When you go to the gym and
you work out in your garage, what,
what does the gym give you
that the garage doesn't?
Just high ceiling things.
Rope climbs, muscle-ups.
You know,
I can do the little seated
muscle-ups here,
but bar muscle-ups I can't do here.
I'll smoke my head on the roof.
Just stuff like that.
And then just... It's a good
change of scenery.
So I'll do one session here and...
you know, there's, there's other people.
We have our gyms like half boxing gym.
So there's a bunch of people
fighting in the back and yelling and,
you know, it's just like some different.
Wow.
That's,
we had one of those in Columbus and
it closed half boxing, half CrossFit.
Now it's just CrossFit and
they moved out of that building,
but that would be insane.
Do you miss the gym if you
can't get in there and you
just have to do garage or vice versa?
no because the next day I'll
be at the gym like I'm
still at the gym five days
a week um the month after
the games like I didn't
think I i don't think I
went to the gym all of
august last year and then
all of august the year
before when I had my arm
injury um so a little bit
then and I think that's
just the people I think you
miss just being social
that's just yeah social
aspect do you ever miss the
parking garage
No, but sometimes I'll say to Kyle,
I'm like, man, I was so hard.
Like I remember that bar
used to be ice cold some
days and I would have to
wear like I'd put on gloves
and be squatting with like
gloves on because the bar
was so cold and like going
outside before my night
shift into the like, man, I was so tough.
You've softened up over the years.
Well now, I mean, the garage is in winter.
It's still not warm,
but then I think of that
and comparatively and I'm like, Oh,
I have a light here.
I don't have cars driving by.
Like I'm not half outside.
Like it's pretty good.
Sucking in the exhaust fumes.
Yeah.
Sucking in the fumes, wind coming in.
You finally got all that
cleared out of your system
and that's why you're
improving every year now.
Yeah.
It's like smoker's lung.
I got rid of it.
yeah uh wad zombie says I
imagine canada just always
being ice cold that's what
yeah we we live in igloos
pretty much I mean for
salmon and yeah hunting and
gather it's the hunting and
gather lifestyle here
Well, Emily, as always,
it's been awesome having you on.
Can't wait to,
hopefully I can get to Carson.
They have not approved media yet.
So I have no idea like what's going on.
Okay.
So fingers crossed for you.
Yeah.
Hopefully I can get out there.
But I heard you told,
you told me via DM that you
had already made your plans and
Assuming you were going to make it.
Yeah.
Confident.
Yeah.
Kyle booked my flight.
He was going to book it like way before,
but I was like, just wait.
And then, yeah,
as soon as I finished quarterfinals,
he just booked it.
And then, like I say,
and then all the penalties
came out and I was like, but yeah.
Well,
you've learned that you have American
express and like, if you need to refund.
Yeah.
They're awesome with that.
So there you go.
Well,
thank you to everybody in the chat
for being here.
Thank you to Emily, as always,
for just being a great
friend and always coming on the show.
We love you all,
and we'll see everybody
next time on the Clydesdale
Media Semi-Finalist Series.
Bye, guys.