To a CrossFitter, it isn’t strange to see people across the life-span throwing down in WODs or a seated athlete walking on their hands. That’s the beauty of the CrossFit community: fitness and health are for everyone. The CrossFit Level-1 manual is quoted as: “Through painstakingly thorough coaching and incremental load assignment, CrossFit has been able to teach everyone who can care for himself or herself to perform safely and with maximum efficacy the same movements typically utilized by professional coaches in elite and certainly exclusive environments.”
From the beginning, CrossFit has prided itself on being accessible to any population and has promised to deliver effective training with life-changing results. So why is it that we see adaptive athletes being punished for being able to “overcome and adapt too well”? As the outliers of the population (an estimated 0.0005% of people worldwide train CrossFit), shouldn’t it be on us, as the CrossFit community, to challenge these stereotypes which make false claims that only the elite able-body athletes are capable of feats of fitness?
One of many stories that highlights adaptive CrossFit fit-shaming athletes comes from Lauren Taylor, the former second Fittest Woman on Earth for the multi-extremity (ME) division in 2022.
The 2023 season, however, looks much different for Taylor, as she has been ruled ineligible for not meeting minimum impairment criteria (MIC). This comes as a shock as Taylor has been medically diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, acquired ataxia, and cervical and lumbar radiculopathy. The ruling was also shared late in the season, almost a full month after the Open competition had concluded. In fact, Taylor found herself tied for third, a Games qualifying spot, until 6 days before the leaderboard was finalized.
Importantly, CrossFit HQ did not provide Taylor the opportunity to appeal her case. “I was told without any context that my videos had gone to the [adaptive CrossFit] board for review. Once I was deemed ineligible, I was told I couldn’t appeal because the ruling had been made by the highest governing body.”
In response, Taylor submitted 74 pieces of evidence from her Open workouts that showed her visible and observable impairments. CrossFit continued to not allow for an appeal after providing extensive evidence, that was directly opposite of what was written in Taylor’s ineligibility form. Taylor shared that a CrossFit HQ member (not on the adaptive athlete review board) did review her videos and told her “I don’t understand either” as it related to her ineligibility.
Seemingly, CrossFit HQ members are not in agreement on the new adaptive athlete classification process, and clear objective measures are lacking in the process to further perpetuate confusion on who is eligible and why.
Taylor spoke on the ruling saying, “CrossFit noted they do not dispute that I have traumatic brain injury (TBI) and acquired ataxia, but I’ve been able to overcome and adapt too much due to my fitness level in workouts. Thus, they are ruling me ineligible.”
Taylor accredited her ability to adapt and overcome her TBI to her coach, Aimee Lyons (CrossFit Level-4 Trainer and owner of CrossFit King of Prussia). Taylor spoke on Aimee’s ability to adapt the CrossFit methodology to her describing cueing and timing methods implemented to help coach neurological skills (i.e., timing, accuracy, balance). Working with one of the highest-ranking coaches in the CrossFit sphere drastically improved Taylor’s abilities despite her condition being degenerative and progressively becoming more severe.
“I wish you could have seen me coming into [CrossFit King of Prussia’s] doors in 2022. I think that’s something that has helped both Aimee and I through this. We can say that we applied the CrossFit methodology and look where it brought us. I was two years post-accident and wasn’t getting anywhere, and then the CrossFit methodology changed all that.” CrossFit celebrated Taylor’s ability to adapt and overcome last year, but this year Taylor described CrossFit as punishing her for adapting.
“Instead of it being a testament for what CrossFit can do in your life, it feels more like a punishment. CrossFit told me in an email that I should be proud of how much I’ve adapted, and that it should be a motivation for other athletes. But they’re telling me I can’t compete because I have overcome and strategized too well.”
CrossFit isn’t the only body punishing Taylor for her fitness and adaptability. Taylor shared that she recently settled a lawsuit concerning the car accident where she acquired her TBI, acquired ataxia and radiculopathy. The lawsuit has been on-going for just under three years, with Taylor’s lifelong fitness level and involvement in athletics used as a key piece of evidence. Taylor’s Spartan racing days were put under the microscope along with her, history of athletic performance.
Taylor shared that CrossFit trainers from her gym had to speak at depositions to support that she did indeed suffer as a result of her TBI and decided to take control of her impairments, instead of them controlling her life. Even under these circumstances Taylor still enters the gym, well knowing she will never be able to perform or compete as an abled-bodied athlete.
Flash forward to this year, Taylor’s lawyers inform her that CrossFit deeming her as ineligible could drastically impact her case. “My lawyer was telling me that CrossFit’s ruling made it seem that I was too fit, and my symptoms weren’t severe. Even historical 2022 Semifinal videos of me lifting a barbell were discussed as making me look too strong. They said that the ten-pound bumper plates looked big and created the wrong perception about my function after my TBI.”
While Taylor has since settled her case, she shared that CrossFit’s new adaptive athlete policy could easily have negative implications for those in a lawsuit situation and opting to not settle as a result of their impairment.
While Taylor is devastated on her outcome for the 2023 CrossFit Games season, she did share that she was “beyond excited” for adaptive athletes getting their first chance to compete at the Games, and those returning to defend their titles. “It’s easy to be just as excited as I am disappointed. The Games are a magical place, and I’m so excited to watch and cheer on the adaptive athletes this year.”
Since the 2022 Games and the 2023 Open, Taylor has experienced progressive symptoms that are requiring further medical testing over the course of the next few weeks and hopes to decide on her competitive CrossFit career soon, with reference to pursuing outlets such as WheelWod and Wodcelona. Taylor is viewing her ineligibility as a silver lining to focus on herself and her medical priorities at this time.
Moving forward, adaptive CrossFit has the challenge of reassessing the adaptive athlete policy. A knowledgeable source has told The Barbell Spin that CrossFit HQ does not plan to change the current policy for the 2024 season. Many athletes have voiced their approval of CrossFit’s attempt to make the competition fairer, but CrossFit may need to address the suggested lack of objectivity and transparency revolving around the eligibility process.
Informing athletes that they have become too fit to compete at the CrossFit Games, or that training CrossFit has allowed them to adapt too well despite serious impairments, goes against the CrossFit methodology and core values. The methodology serves to allow anyone to reap immense health benefits and perform to their highest potential. It is to be expected that as athletes train longer in CrossFit they will increase their work capacity and be better able to adapt. That’s the point of CrossFit.
