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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 happen right away.
When it get hot in the kitchen,
you decide to stay.
That's how a winner's made.
Stick a fork in a hater.
What is going on, everybody?
Welcome to the Clydesdale Media Podcast,
where we're featuring the
athletes of the 2024
CrossFit Games Semifinals.
And I'm so pumped to have
with me CrossFit OG, Jamie Heggia.
Hello.
Hi, how are you?
Thank you so much for having me.
Yeah, yeah.
I'm super excited to have you on.
I've been a fan for a very long time.
And I have to start this off
with a little story.
You were covering,
you were on the broadcast
for the Granite Games a couple years ago.
Yes.
I was on the field getting
post interviews just like you,
but I never picked the same
people you do.
But I do that.
And there was a point where
you were demoing what the rope climb was.
You literally dropped your
mic and pulled the biggest
baller move I've ever seen
and did the legless right
there in street clothes.
Yeah, my broadcast team,
the producers and everybody was like,
Jamie,
why don't you get up there and show them?
You can do it.
And that's part of the cool
part of being a broadcast
and you're a former athlete.
You understand the movements.
You know how to do things.
And I was like, yeah, I can do that.
And so then I kind of just dropped it down,
went to the top, touched it.
And I was like, oh, that was fine.
That was so fun.
And yeah, the crowd was kind of like, whoa,
is she broadcast?
Is someone on there that
shouldn't be on the field?
But yeah, it was a super fun time.
And it went right up to the
start of the event.
And I think like people were afraid,
is she going to be able to
pull this off in the time
before the start?
And there was a lot of this tension,
but true OG killed it.
Oh, thank you.
So, again, super excited to have you on.
And another reason is I'm a
big-time sports fan, right?
So women's basketball has
made a huge surge in the
last couple years.
Yeah.
When I Google you,
you don't come up Jamie Hygieia CrossFit.
You come up Jamie Hygieia
USC basketball player.
yeah that was my background
before I started playing at
the age of four so I've
grown up my whole entire
life and that was my like
first love um it was my
dream to play in college
one day but everyone told
me I was too short I was I
wasn't good enough and I
never played division one
um and I you know love
being an underdog and I was
like okay great like I'm
gonna show you guys and so
I ended up getting a one
full ride to the University
of Southern California it
was one of the most
life-changing things that
has ever happened to me um
and to this day like yeah
it's like I I can't believe
I still talk to my
teammates and and you know
with the rise of women's
basketball it's just
absolutely incredible
especially at USC at this
time Juju Watkins I'm sure
you've seen her play um
yeah but just incredible
for the game in general and
um yeah and that was my
first love so always will be a fan
Does it surprise you that
that's still like the label
that Google has on you?
Yeah.
I mean, it was a million years ago.
Like I'm like, this is like 20,
like I Oh three to Oh seven.
I was there.
So that was so long ago.
And, but yeah, I mean,
I I'm surprised I'm even on the internet.
I don't know why, but, but yeah,
for any reason, I guess that's great.
I like, I love basketball.
I'm always like an advocate
for women in sports and
just the game in general.
So happy to be on there.
So this year,
I admittedly watched way more
of the women's tournament
than I did the men's tournament.
Absolutely.
It was way more exciting.
Yeah.
When you finished basketball
to play professionally,
you had to go overseas, right?
I did.
My best friend and my teammate,
Shay Murphy, was an All-American.
She was drafted in the WNBA.
But before that, she played.
And then in the fall,
you go play overseas.
And so one of her agents got
her a deal in Greece.
And so then he set up three
of our teammates to go play in Greece.
And we had a fantastic time over there.
Yeah.
Was it just like continuing
college overseas,
like studying abroad almost?
Kind of, yeah.
It's so funny.
I think you'll understand.
Any sports person will understand.
Basketball,
the craziest thing is Spanish
is a little bit easier to pick up.
I'm from Southern California, LA,
so we hear it a little bit more Greek.
never, like it is so difficult to read,
to speak.
And so, you know,
we're out there on the floor and, and it,
basketball is a universal language,
you know,
I guess kind of like CrossFit is
a universal language,
a snatch is a snatch, you know,
like a crossover, a jump shot.
And, and so, yeah,
it was like a really great experience,
the food, the people,
just being able to go over
there to play the game I
love so much and extend my
life as an athlete and to
get paid for it.
I was like, this is a dream.
So yeah, it was definitely a good,
good time.
So with this resurgence or
the surgence of women's basketball,
the WNBA has so few teams
that it's still like we're
not to the point where the
great athletes are getting
rewarded and able to play
here in the States.
How long do you think it'll
take for expansion to grab
hold and move that needle
forward a little bit more?
I think the great thing is
it's happening right now.
There's teams that are
signing up for the 2025 season.
They're getting it together.
And deservedly so.
There are so many talented
women that are getting cut
and not being able to play
that have to go play
overseas or that should be on a roster.
But because there's only 12 spots,
And there's so many veterans
that are still playing.
Diana Taurasi, one of the best of all time,
is still, you know what I mean?
It's so cool to see her playing.
But you're literally,
these are all Olympians, world champions,
NCAA champions.
That's the only people that make a roster.
So these are all all-star
teams every single game you go to.
Jameen Alderson,
my favorite CrossFitter ever.
Oh, thank you.
And fellow D1 baller.
Yes, yes, yes.
We love it for the CrossFit ballers.
So my last basketball question is,
you know, Juju is huge right now.
NIL.
I think NIL is actually
saving women's basketball.
Oh, hands down.
I mean, you know, it's like, like, finally,
there is a time and okay, look,
I went to my the same year
I went in was the same year Reggie Bush,
we were freshmen at the same time.
And so you know,
the whole thing came in and you know,
like, and you know, whatever happened,
like a house or whatever he got,
but I was like,
everyone's doing this across the country,
they give us a stipend to live in LA,
which barely covers our rent.
How do you expect all these kids to like,
to live you know groceries
like to get around gas
everything and so I'm happy
that you know now they can
focus on and like have like
have support so that they
don't have to worry about
that they can just go out
and play the game they love
and make the money that
they deserve yeah so so
with usc having juju and
you being an alma on alumni
how do you get to go to games much
Oh yeah.
A lot of our teammates went
to them and Lindsay
Gottlieb is a head coach
now and she is amazing.
She's such an advocate for
all the alumni to come back.
We, um, honor the 84, 83,
84 champion national
championship team with Cheryl Miller.
And so all of them came back and, um,
and yeah,
we were all getting season
tickets and they invite us
to all these house of victory,
like NIL events just to support the team.
And they're really great
about bringing an alum.
Like USC is huge on networking and, and,
um,
an alumni so it's really
yeah been such a great
experience to be still
connected with them one of
all colleges like usc seems
to embrace legacy like so
much and all the former
players back you know even
for football you see like
all the players on the
sidelines supporting the
team all the time do you
feel that as a female
basketball player as well
Yeah, I mean,
they had a night where they
honored all of us.
They brought us out at halftime.
And they're really realizing, like,
this is a big deal to
recognize the people that came before us.
You know,
women's basketball is on fire right now,
like you mentioned.
But they're like, you know,
it's all of us who played in front of,
like,
400 people instead of 10,000 people.
You know what I mean?
It's amazing to see Galen
filled up with...
and sold out and lines out
the door three hours before.
But, um,
we had to play in the sports arena,
which was empty and they
had to cover half of the rafters.
So it didn't look so empty
and you know what I mean?
And it's just like,
and that doesn't matter.
That's, you know, I'm,
I'm happy to play even the
smallest little part to
help move the needle along.
Cause it really is the
future of all these women
that are taking it to the next level.
Well,
now I'm going to move on to your
CrossFit life,
but I had to hit that
because who better to
understand that than you?
Oh, love it.
So I'm going to share a post from your IG.
This was made a couple weeks ago,
I think now.
And it was you and your car
kind of just blown away in the moment.
And then we'll talk about this.
I unmute you.
Mind is like blown.
Um,
people are texting me and my coach
called me and was like, you're,
you're in the top.
You made the individual
North America West individual semifinals.
You're in the top 40.
I finished 39th and I'm like this,
that can't be right.
Like this can not, that's not right.
That's not right.
Like I'm not like,
it's not even a thought in
my mind that I would even do that.
Cause I'm trying to make the
age group 35 to 39, um,
top 200 to go to semifinals in.
Yeah.
Anyways.
Um,
I don't even know what to think.
Like if,
if I do make the individual semifinals,
like what it's here in Carson.
The last time I was there, um, was 2016.
The last year was at the
CrossFit games there.
And, uh, I don't know.
It's right down the street from my house.
Like it's in my backyard.
Do I go and try to compete
with these like 21 year olds?
It's crazy.
Wow.
So there's a lot in that.
Um,
Yes, there is.
So you going into this season,
you were really focused on Masters.
Okay,
I'm going to tell you the full story.
I had zero plans of competing.
Honestly,
I my last thing I ever did in
person was 2018 at the
CrossFit Games with my team.
And I retired and I was like, fantastic.
That was so great.
I went one time individual one time team.
I'm so good.
I got to do a little bit of
broadcast with them.
And I and I, you know, it was really good.
And my old coach, Matt Bryant,
one of my old coaches from grid league,
he, he's from
has his own golden line training team.
And so they came to my gym.
He was like, Hey Jamie, can we,
can we use your gym for an athlete camp?
And I was like, yeah, sure.
And he's like, jump in, you know,
you're welcome to join us.
And I was like, okay, great.
Jumped into their camp.
And then from there, he was like, you know,
if,
if you want to make a run for masters
this year, like I'll help you,
I'll coach you.
And I was like, really?
Like, so, and just from there,
like little conversations
just started going and we
started training in November.
And from that,
somehow all this stuff happened.
Well, whatever happens seems to work.
Oh, he's amazing.
Corey Leonard says,
more like those
20-year-olds plan on competing with her.
Very nice of you.
That's very sweet.
So you surprisingly make the top 40.
yeah and at this moment the
penalties haven't even come
down like you're just kind
of wait because you even
say at the end like video
review still has to happen
right right and I know the
deal you know what I mean
like I know we submit
everything you have to wait
you have to see what
penalties come out um and
unfortunately there was a
lot this year um but you
know I had no intentions of
like I was just trying to
make it one I'm taking a
one thing at a time in the open I got my
I don't know if I'm out of cast.
I got my butt kicked in the
open and it was a big wake
up call for me to like, okay, cool.
If we're going to do this, let's do it.
Let's add an extra cardio session.
Let's take this very seriously.
Quarterfinals.
I felt good.
And then, um, yeah.
And then from there they were like,
you made semis.
I was like, no, like what?
So yeah, I,
I really had no intentions and no, I mean,
that wasn't even on my radar at all.
So before we get to elite semis,
then as this is going on,
age group semis pop up and
you have to do those now, right?
Yeah, yeah.
So literally last weekend,
I finished the age group
semifinals to qualify for, you know,
unofficially, they take the top 40.
I'm in 21st or second or
something like that.
So unofficially,
I've made the crossfit
games for the age group.
But yeah,
that kind of the timing of isn't great.
It was literally last weekend.
You know,
I kind of had a meltdown this week,
because I literally got off
of that took a couple days
off and a week like on Thursday,
I was like,
I'm competing in person in
one week and I haven't tried.
I haven't tested.
I haven't done any of these
workouts that I'm going to do.
And you know,
my body's beat up and you know,
so it's just, it's been a lot,
but you know what?
I think it's just take it
one thing at a time and
just try to focus on the task at hand.
And that's kind of what we're going with.
That's all.
That's my only option.
It's funny because last year
I talked to Chelsea Nicholas,
who was in the same situation, right?
Like she qualified for both, did both.
And it felt like she never had a week off.
Yeah.
And I, and I mean, and we are older,
right?
Like I'm 39.
Like I remember literally
watching China last year and I was like,
Oh man,
Olivia cursor was like 18 and
China was like 38 or so.
There was almost like a 20 year age gap,
you know, between the two of them.
Um,
and to think like to beat your body up
and do an extra set of
qualifiers in the middle
that has nothing to do with
what you're going to see in person,
like that.
that's a lot on our bodies.
You know what I mean?
But, but yeah, I mean,
you kind of just adapt and go with it.
And, you know, the plan right now is just,
you know, when I freaked out,
I talked to my coach and he's like, Jamie,
your experience, your athleticism,
like you're going to have
to just go in and trust
that because we're a week out.
Like, you know,
everybody's banged up at this point.
I have a little like nagging
injuries here and there.
And I was like,
I can't risk like beating
myself up more and getting
injured and going into next week.
He's like,
I'd rather send you healthy and
just go for it.
So that's what we're doing.
Yeah.
so this is going to be a
weird question because you're,
you're a competitor.
You've been an athlete your whole life,
right?
Right.
Right.
You go into age group semis.
Is there any part of you that's like,
can I back off a little and
still make it and save my
body for the next phase?
Or do you have to say like,
this is the part I'm on and
this is where my attention has to be.
Yeah.
I mean, we really had to like,
there was four workouts and
like I had to repeat two out of the four.
Um, and you can,
you know, you just,
these women are so good.
Even in your age group,
these are the women that
have been competing for so
long and they're so talented and so fit.
Um, you really don't,
you can't mail it in at all.
So, you know, I definitely like pushed and,
um, yeah,
try to do the best that I could there.
And then we'll,
we'll see what happens next weekend.
So,
so it's gotta be weird for you because
you,
I looked at your Instagram
for your affiliate.
You're nine miles from the tennis stadium.
Oh yes.
And that was really the only
reason why I really was like,
gave it like real thought.
Cause I was like, it's in my backyard.
Like, and that's cool.
The last time I was there
was 2016 at the CrossFit games.
Like the very last year it
was here in Carson was my
first year making it.
And so I was like, it is down the street.
I get to sleep in my own bed.
I get to eat all my own food.
I have, you know what I mean?
Have my people in my corner
on my gym is down the street.
So that played a huge factor
into all of it.
How large of a contingent
will you have there?
Honestly, like as far as fans, like, Oh,
everyone is so supportive.
Like one of the guys at my
gym was literally, he was like, Jamie,
I just have to thank you for going.
I joined your gym in 20, the end of 2018.
So I missed all of like
Carson and all your years of competing.
And like,
we were planning on going anyways,
but now, you know,
that you'll be out there.
Like, like we're so excited.
And, and so I, like, I know like that,
that means so much to me to
have like my community and my people.
And like, again, like,
we could talk all day about
like the pressure of all
these things and going back
and you know what you know
what my goal is and what
all my thoughts are but you
know at the end of the day
like first or last or you
know what I mean in any
event like my my people my
team like they they love me
and support me and just
will be happy that I'm out
there so I can I can relate
in a way I go to christy
aramo o'connell's gym
Oh, love her too.
Okay.
Oh, that's amazing.
I live here in Columbus.
The first year of Rogue was
here in Columbus.
She went just for the fact
so people could see her compete, right?
Totally.
She's a huge fan favorite.
The contingent there that
the gym brought was so
massive and so special.
I can't even imagine what
it's going to be like for
you at semifinals.
Yeah,
I love you're presented by Thick Boy.
I have a shirt called Thick and Tired.
That's my really semi-final
shirt this year.
No notes.
Yeah.
And so, you know,
I think it's just like Del
Mar back in the day,
everybody like had so much fun and like,
you know, just rallying together and like,
oh, cool.
Like, you know,
let's all go and support
Jamie and like get behind her.
And and yeah, I didn't realize how big,
you know,
that or how much that means to
other people, I guess.
And so, yeah, it really blows me away.
All the support from
everybody like around the world, really.
So with every like really cool thing,
there's a flip side, right?
You're an affiliate owner,
nine miles from the semifinal.
Probably could be the
busiest weekend you have as
an affiliate owner.
Yes, totally.
And again, it's so funny.
I talked to Adam Klink,
he's from Rad Global, and he was like,
before any of this stuff came out,
he's like, Jamie,
we're wondering if we can host a,
you know,
just like a workout at your gym
on Saturday.
I'm like, yeah, sure.
Like, I'll be there.
I can help run it.
And then he's like, oh, you'll,
you'll be out there.
That's like, yeah, I will now.
Like, so my, you know,
my sister will have to help.
She's a counter with me.
And so,
And some of our other coaches will be here,
but yeah,
definitely like drop-ins and
running classes and,
and you know what I mean?
Just, and then, so it's,
it's a lot going on this way.
This week will be very busy.
And it's great that you have
all that support and you
have a partner in your
sister that runs the gym with you.
yeah totally uh yeah
everybody like we're so
like a good balance for
each other because she does
all like the business side
and finance she comes from
finance background and I'm
like oh yay and I love the
people and coaching and you
know uh so we're a good
balance for each other and
it's been um 11 years this
year so yeah this is our
gym we got the basketball
hoop over there that was
very important for me have
a really nice one
Yeah.
So you mentioned your shirt.
I'm going to pull it up.
One, it speaks to me.
I'm so bummed I didn't see this earlier.
I would have ordered one
because I love the saying on the back.
I just love it.
Yeah.
I mean,
I think it's like so on par with me.
Like I, you know, I, I, like,
I obviously love to work out.
I love to like, you know,
be in the grind of things,
but I also like,
there's such a balance and like,
having fun and enjoying it
is like so important to me
and like laughter and like, you know,
I'm making fun of myself.
Like I don't, I'm a thick girl.
I am 39 years old.
I'm a tire girl.
And it all, you know,
and it's just like a fun.
Everyone was like, Oh,
that's so you Jamie.
And I was like, okay, cool.
Yeah, totally.
Let's go with that.
So love it.
Love it so much.
Um,
so Corey Leonard says Jamie has a whole
vibe digging her outlook.
Oh, thanks.
Yeah.
Uh,
If we can real quick,
just speak on perspective, you know,
I it's, it's weird.
I've always gone into semis
or these regionals, you know,
with the mindset of making
it like that has always
been the only focus of mine
is to make the CrossFit games.
You know what I mean?
And so.
to be one surprise to be going at all.
And, and then just in this situation,
I'm like, you know what?
And like,
I can't put that pressure on myself.
Like when I don't like,
I'm not really at that
level yet right now, you know?
Um,
and so I have to go with like where I'm
at and what I have and,
and just make the most of it.
I think the most important
thing for me is like to
walk away knowing I gave it
my best on every single
event and enjoy it,
like really be present for
like it being in Carson at
the tennis stadium.
Yeah.
And that,
that was actually my next question.
It's fun.
You're in media now.
So like you,
I don't even have to lead you.
You just go there.
And so it is just going to
be a soak in moment, right?
Like,
are you going to have to tell
yourself like, as you're out on the floor,
like just be present and just enjoy this.
and that's where it's so
hard this like balance of
like being so hard on
myself and expectations and
not wanting to let people
down and like and being a
competitor like no that's
not good enough to lose to
get no that's not great you
know what I mean but then
it's like was I ready for like
You know, that's why I had this,
I literally had a breakdown.
I was like, I feel so unprepared,
you know?
And it's just like, take a step back.
Like it's CrossFit, it should be fun,
you know?
And I get it,
like the pressure and like of all these,
you know,
young guys and girls that have
it of making the CrossFit games.
And so, yeah, I think for me,
it's going to be like,
enjoy this, like, whatever happens, like,
if I walk off, you know,
this out of that stadium,
knowing I gave it the best
effort I had for that day.
Great.
That's all I can ask of myself, you know,
so that's kind of my
mindset going into things.
And I told my coach, I was like,
maybe we don't even look at
the leaderboard.
Maybe I just go out there
and do the best I can take
it event by event.
And like, that's what it is, you know?
So my next question is for, for Jamie,
the media member.
Yeah.
Right.
Over the, over the last few years,
there have been people who
have de-emphasized what the
CrossFit season is to them.
Like IE Ariel Lowen,
just want to get a sign for my garage.
Right.
And then now she's the third
fittest woman in the world.
Is there something to like
taking all that pressure
off of your shoulders that
leads to better performance?
I will let you know after next weekend.
Um, no, I do.
I do agree.
I think, um,
when you feel the stress and the pressure,
like some people thrive in
it and some people crumble from it,
you know?
And, um, and I mean the best of the best,
like they love it and they
thrive off of it, you know?
And, and for me,
it's just been such a long time.
I've been out of the game.
I took a six year retirement and I'm like,
that's why part of this
journey was just like,
I want to see what I'm still made of,
like what I still have left in me.
And, um,
and like some of the proudest
moments of just in training is just like,
it's hard.
It sucks.
It's hard.
And, and just the mental of like,
you can do this, you can do this.
And I will be saying that
over and over and over again,
all next weekend, um, when I'm in, in,
in it and that red line, um,
right at that capacity.
But yeah, I do feel like, um,
taking the pressure off
that's what's so weird I
have no pressure on me like
if I do better than last
place like whoo like
everyone will be so excited
you know but I do have this
because I've been there
before like this like
pressure on myself which I
need to like let go of and
and that's my main goal
like comp like I want to
compete with complete
freedom would be amazing
Yeah.
I think what was interesting
last year is China makes it right.
We had what Jen Ryan, Chelsea, China,
like a lot of athletes from
the master's division made
it to semis and like China was top 20.
She's incredible.
It really,
some of that came like there was
no pressure on her this year.
Totally.
Yeah.
Yeah.
When you take it,
I think that does like when
you take it all off of yourself,
like you get to go out
there and you earned it.
Like you've earned all these
years that you've like,
that's why everyone's like
trust the process, trust,
like your body trusts,
like the competitor in you, you know?
And that's,
what'll be interesting this time around.
I've always tested out the workouts,
you know,
before going and to be a week out,
not there's still some that
I haven't even done because
my body can't handle it.
You know,
Alethea Boone's another great example of,
Um,
she was saying this kind of the same
thing about my body can't
handle this and I only do
it in competition and I'm like, same girl,
same.
So like it definitely, um,
taking the pressure off and
like knowing yourself and
your body as we age up and
get a little older, like, um, yeah,
maybe there's some like benefits to,
to doing that and having a
little bit more of a
relaxed attitude going in.
Uh, Jeffrey Birchfield, thick and tired.
I feel that today.
He's a school teacher that is retiring.
And he said in another week and a half,
I'll be thick and retired.
Yay.
Oh, congratulations.
That's a huge, huge,
huge accomplishment all those years.
Thank you for doing that.
Rod Zombie, if you don't know who he is,
the meme guy on.
Yes.
We're rooting for you.
Oh, thank you.
Jamie is a local hero.
Oh, my gosh.
You guys are too, too kind.
I don't think that of myself at all,
but I appreciate it.
Jamie's first games
appearance was 2016 in Carson.
It was.
So the workouts are out.
You mentioned 2016.
One of these events actually was an event.
You went back in time.
Crazy, crazy.
snatch ladder you get to do
it again I do excited for
another opportunity yeah I
i vividly remember this one
um alessandra patchelli and
I were at the very final
barbell at the same time I
missed the lift I think she
missed one but she ended up
like squeaking ahead of me
because I went I went too
soon so it's like you know
um I did miss one at the
end um obviously like this year
That was eight years ago.
And you know, I, my time and whoa, gosh,
like,
I don't know if I can get anywhere
close to that,
but I'm like finishing
would be great staying.
Like you really have to
focus for every single rep
because it gets very breathy,
even though I love a heavy barbell.
Um, so yeah,
I'm excited to give it another
shot at it.
Did you watch Europe at all?
I did.
Yeah.
Elisa Fuliano.
She crushed it.
Amazing.
Amazing.
Amazing.
Smaller athlete.
And it was just,
it was about being smooth.
Totally.
Like so composed and really
making every single rep count.
And like, you know, in weightlifting,
positioning is everything
and timing and everything,
having it all dialed in and perfectly,
like perfectly while your
heart rate is up and while
you're very tired.
So it's super,
super impressive for her to do that.
You know, because I do the Heat One app.
I don't know if you've heard of that.
But, like,
she was not – every time I talk to her,
she talks how much she
loves Olympic lifting.
And I didn't want to pick with my heart,
so I went with, like,
the traditional strong girls, right?
And I was wrong.
Yeah, super cool.
I mean,
I think that's what everyone was
thinking.
Like, oh, cool, this is, like,
a big strong girl, you know, thing.
But, yeah, great technique and great, like,
speed and fitness.
Like,
then put it all together and end up
winning.
Yeah.
So you haven't been able to test,
but you have got to watch
what Europe did with all of these events.
You've watched the sport as
a media person.
And so can you take what they did,
analyze it, and fit it to your game?
That's so funny.
I was totally doing that.
I was like, even,
even little things you're
picking up from the media
and the broadcast and like
the analysts that they have, you know, um,
like little tips of here,
like from one heat to the next and, and,
you know,
what are some of these like
advantages or things that
are going to help the
athletes and things you
have to think about.
So totally, but yeah.
But again, at the end of the day,
it's like three, two, one go.
Like you kind of have to like,
just shut it off and go with, you know,
your gut instinct of how it feels.
Everyone has a plan.
Yeah, everyone has a plan.
Until you get punched in the face.
Way too many times in my
life have I had a plan and
been punched in the face
about two reps in.
Yep, yep, yep.
I think we've all been there.
I think that's why we all
feel the same feeling around the world.
Wadzomi wants to know,
did you receive any
requests to do commentary
prior to qualifying?
Um, not this year.
Like this year it was like such a, there's,
there's so few of them.
And so, um,
so actually it ended up working
out this year that, um, yeah,
this year that I didn't get
asked to do semifinals this year.
Otherwise it would have been
a tough decision.
Um, but, but of course, like my team and,
um, all the guys that, um,
like producers and everyone
who runs it was like, Jamie,
we are so excited.
They're like,
we get to see you on the field anyways,
you know?
So maybe it was all like in
the works or I don't, I don't know,
but excited to be out there either way.
So the media thing,
did it just come naturally?
Is it something you've
always wanted to do?
How did that come to be?
I was a comm major at USC.
Never used it until CrossFit.
I tore my Achilles in 2014.
And do you know Rothy?
roth uh he he runs like a
lot of the okay yeah he's
like the head guy and he
runs it and he was like hey
if you're ever interested
in doing this like you know
I think you'd be really
great or give it a shot and
so kind of like over the
years like little things
turned into like you know
the sideline reporter or
like a a field reporter it
turned into this and that
and and um I was an analyst
last year for the crossing
games teams division and so
yeah just different
opportunities of different
trying different things in
the media field and
Yeah, I loved it.
It's really a fun gig.
That's why you're in it, huh?
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, my story,
like I wanted to be a
sports broadcaster since the age of 12,
right?
Yeah.
I gave up on that dream for
no reason other than I
didn't think it was safe.
And then, and then at the age of 49,
I said, why am I doing this?
Like anybody can start a podcast.
Let's just see where this goes.
That's amazing.
And now I'm doing the thing I love at the,
from I'm 54 now.
And I love this.
Like, you don't look like it at all.
And that's amazing.
I think that's such a cool story.
Exactly.
Like you love it.
You know, you're,
you're passionate about it.
And like, you know,
and so your advice you
would have gave your younger self,
what would you have?
ignore everybody around you
and do what you love.
Yeah.
And I tell every, so my daughter is a,
she was a photography major
and people tried to talk her out of it.
And I'm like, if that's what you love,
do it.
She got a month after
graduating with the United
steel workers doing their social media.
That's amazing.
There's so much.
Yeah.
There's, there's a place for everybody.
And that's why I really believe, you know,
I'm like,
whatever your goals and dreams are,
put it out there in the world.
Like people want to help you out, you know,
but like keep on going.
Like you literally can
achieve anything you set your mind to.
Like,
and you're a perfect example of that.
And if it's what you love,
you're going to put way
more into it than if it's
just something to pay the, pay the bills.
Right.
Right.
Right.
The reward is going to be so much more.
Right.
So that's so cool.
So you've done the sideline
reporter thing.
Do you have aspirations to
maybe do some color commentary,
play by play,
like get into it a little more?
Or is the gym ownership,
does it take up a lot of your time?
I would love,
like I'm very open to things.
You know,
I always said like when I tried
out for the WNBA and when I
didn't make the team,
that's when one door shut,
I knew another one would
open and that door was CrossFit.
And so I'm always just open
to any and all
opportunities that come my
way because you never know.
Right.
And so I would definitely be
open to more media.
Like I did love like being
an analyst and kind of like, you know,
explain that side of things.
I know what it's like to be
out there and just like
some of their feelings and just, you know,
what they're going through.
And that was really fun.
Sideline is when you get to
talk to all the athletes.
But yeah,
I feel like any capacity of media
is always a great way to still,
I think that filled my cup of,
being away from competition,
but still in it with everybody there.
The first time I ever saw
you was Wadapalooza.
Oh, yeah.
And you're just so easy to listen to.
You have such a great voice.
And you're truly my favorite
sideline person.
Oh, thank you.
Yeah.
And you know, it's funny.
It's like, you know,
they say like getting
thrown into the fire.
Cause I was like, I had no idea.
Like, I think someone,
someone got sick or had
COVID or something.
And they're like, Jamie, can you fill in?
I was like, yeah, sure.
You know?
And then they just, and it,
great teams and great
production and great
everybody producers edit
everybody and so they make
you look really good you
know um but yeah it's
definitely like just being
like adaptable I think
coming from sports like in
a team it's like you do
whatever like whatever we
need you to do you do that
you know and and so yeah it
was really really such a
fun experience like being
out there and you learn
tricks of the trade while
you're out there like oh
cool like listening to the
broadcast cool that's what
you're you know what I mean
and like little things like
that so so back to what you said before
When you were sideline reporting,
it was listening to the broadcast,
giving you the tips.
What do you ask for?
The other thing,
like when I'm there and I'm
looking at athletes,
like what is the story on the floor?
Like focusing on what is the story?
Totally.
When you watch it now as an athlete,
the same things run through your head?
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
I mean,
I think that's what gets people
invested is the these people,
their stories, like what they came from,
or you know what I mean?
Like different things like
that trials and
tribulations they've been
through to get there, you know, or like,
you know, like,
it's a lot the pressure of like,
can these women or men like
keep on making it year after year,
you know, and you have fan favorites and
So, yeah,
I think it definitely is like
following and you probably know this,
like whatever story you had in mind,
things might pop up over the weekend.
They'll always present themselves,
you know, and like always like, oh,
this just happened or that.
And so it's always just like
being like adaptable to that.
To me, that's when it becomes cool.
Oh, yeah.
Into the heat going, okay,
I'm looking at this for this story.
And then it flips on its
head and you're like,
that is so freaking cool.
Cool, yeah.
But you have that nugget
that then you can talk to the person,
like, why did this happen?
right yeah yeah and I think
it's very interesting like
getting their perspective
like fresh when they're off
the field you know what I
mean like and their
emotions are raw and
they're you know it's just
such a cool I think that's
what touches everybody is
like the emotions and the
vulnerability and the realness
Yeah,
like you take the final event in
Europe today and the
dumbbells on the men's side
were so heavy.
So many drops.
So many drops right at the line.
The stories kept flipping on
its head like every five seconds.
Right, right, right.
And you have to be in tune
and like know everybody that's like,
and be watching everything
that's going on.
Like,
especially if you're on the sideline.
Who jumped back in, who then fell.
Yeah.
Yes.
And you're the eyes on the
field when like from production,
like they see one thing on the camera,
you see live things going on,
like cut to this lane, you know?
So yeah, things like that.
Well,
I want to finish up with a little bit
of age group because we,
we love our masters on this channel and,
uh, and we're going to be in Birmingham.
So is it,
is it your goal if once this
weekend's over and either way,
if you make the games or
you don't make the games, are you,
is your plan to be in Birmingham?
Um, I, again, like all this stuff,
I'm like literally taking
it one thing at a time.
You know, I think, um, doing the qualifier,
like set me up to a
position to be able to say like, oh,
cool.
I do have the option to go or not.
Um,
I think I will definitely try to get
through next weekend and
then just see where we're at.
And if I,
if I feel good and want to do it and like,
you know, push like, yeah,
I will definitely be there.
but I do, I'm an advocate.
I think it's so amazing.
All the masters athletes are
like my favorite.
I like to like,
of course the best of the
best are so impressive, but you know,
we have a guy here who's 74 years old.
He, you know,
has battled cancer and he's
here doing like
quarterfinals and like amazing,
amazing things.
Like, and that's so cool.
You know, like talk about stories.
So the masters divisions are littered,
littered with amazing stories.
Yeah, totally.
Totally.
Sorry.
I just, I just saw her too.
She's amazing.
Yeah.
So I, and not that I'm putting this on you,
but the more bigger named
athletes that go to these things,
the more eyes they get.
And then the more we can
grow that element of the sport.
And so it's always my hope
that some of the bigger
named athletes go.
yeah my coach said the same
thing matt was like you
would be such a like you
know the very beginning of
the season he was like you
are just such a encouraging
like positive person that
would be so great to be out
there advocating for like
the masters athletes you
know and and so um yeah
definitely my body feels
good and I like you know
like the mental part of it too like
You know, and, and I, yeah, I,
I most more than likely will.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But I understand like if you
make the games like that
has to be priority number
one and I'm not putting
that on you either.
These are all just hypotheticals that can,
that I have no right to throw on you,
but.
No, you're good.
I love it.
I love it.
But you have to think about,
there's a lot of what ifs
in your life right now.
Totally.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, this has been awesome.
We have definitely got to stay in touch.
Yes.
I will let you go for today.
Good luck this weekend.
We'll be rooting for you.
Thank you guys so much.
And can't wait to see you
out there on the tennis
stadium floor one more time.
Oh, man.
Okay.
Thick and tired.
Let's go, baby.
Thank you so much.
Thank you to everybody in
the chat for being here.
You guys were awesome.
Thank you to Jamie for
taking some time out with us.
And we'll see everybody next
time on the Clydesdale Media Podcast.
Bye, guys.