Teams at the CrossFit Games consist of four athletes – two men and two women. But for CrossFit 1124, they competed as a team of five. One of CrossFit 1124’s team members, Brooklynn Lander, competed this past weekend while 22 weeks pregnant.
It all began when Lander found out she was pregnant in April, two weeks after Quarterfinals. “I was shocked. This obviously wasn’t our plan,” Lander said.
“My initial reaction was to proceed as normal. I have always been stubborn and hard-headed, so having Kate, our alternate take my place, wasn’t an option unless it ultimately came to that,” shared Lander. She added, “I remember having the conversation with Brayden, my husband, about competing and him telling me he had my back no matter what and replying with ‘yes, this baby is going to be strong just like I am.’”
As much as Brooklynn was set on continuing to compete with her team, she did have conversations with her doctor to make sure that the health and safety of her unborn child. “I was very open and vulnerable with my doctor about this situation. I ultimately wanted to compete, but the health and safety of my unborn child came first. I was told to listen to my body and proceed as normal unless told otherwise,” Lander shared.
But while Brooklynn and Brayden knew about the pregnancy, the team did not. Brooklynn and her team traveled to Knoxville, Tennessee, for the North America East Semifinal in late May. Lander and her team were able to perform at a high level throughout finishing in 3rd place overall, only behind Peak 360 CrossFit and CrossFit Mayhem.
Qualifying for the CrossFit Games meant it would be the first time any of Lander or her teammates would step foot onto the competition floor at the Games.
Even after qualifying for the Games, Lander did not immediately tell her teammates of her pregnancy. With three weeks until the CrossFit Games Landon finally told her team. Landon explained, “I know it sounds crazy, but we had all been working so hard for this. I didn’t want to let them down or be a burden, and at this point my performance hadn’t really changed.”
Landon’s teammates were fully supportive once they found out the news. “I was immensely grateful for their full support those last weeks leading to the Games,” said Landon. Her coach, Michael McElroy, was also on board to proceed with normal training as long as Landon was open with him and kept him up to speed on how she felt throughout.
CrossFit Games training is hard. CrossFit Games training while pregnant is even harder. “The two weeks leading up to the games were hard. The fatigue and weight gain really started to take a toll. I had to really prioritize recovery between training pieces,” explained Landon. “I am glad I didn’t give up on myself and made the decision to compete with my team.”
Landon and her team competed through the weekend and ended up placing 13th overall. Landon reflected back on the weekend, “This team is special and will always hold a special place in my heart. Despite the circumstances, we fought together and enjoyed our first CrossFit games experience… as a team of five.”
