Minutes before the start of the 23.1 CrossFit Open live announcement, Haley Adams shared on Instagram that she will not compete during the 2023 CrossFit Games season. The news comes a day after she posted a story on Instagram leaving many wondering what was going on.
Now, we have a little more insight.
According to her post on Instagram, Haley has dealt with an eating disorder and struggled with her mental health. But now she is stepping away for a year to “find who Haley is again.”
Here is the caption wrote in her Instagram post this afternoon:
I started CrossFit when I was 14 years old. It’s been my everything for a very long time.
Along that road of chasing a dream so hard, I slowly began to lose myself. With the immense pressure I felt, it started to affect me in negative ways—I no longer enjoyed the process. I became so hard on myself, what I looked like, and began placing all of my self worth into what placement I got on the leaderboard.
I’ve battled with an eating disorder, and have struggled with my mental health ever since. I’ve suffered in silence, and because of the pressure to make everything seem “okay”, I kept a smile on my face. It’s been a hard few years, when every single day is a battle.
But now, it’s time to put me first. I will be stepping away from competing this season, and as sad and difficult as it is to make this decision, I’m equally excited to find who Haley is again. I will be using this time to work on myself, as much mentally as physically, so that I’m no longer holding myself back. This isn’t just a new chapter, it’s a new book. The 2024 comeback is going to be big.
Thank you to everyone who has been by my side every step of the way, and for those of you who continue to support me.
If you are struggling, know that the most courageous thing you can ever do is ask for help ❤️
Adams, 22, has been been to the CrossFit Games every year since 2016 when she competed in the Teenage Girls 14-15 division where she finished 2nd overall. She followed that up with a 2nd and 1st place finish in the Teenage Girls 16-17 division the next two years, respectively.
Then, once we aged into the elite individual division in 2019, Adams has finished inside the top 10 every year since with her best finish coming in 2020 where she took 4th overall.
But this offseason, Adams has been quiet on social media, rarely sharing anything on Instagram. However, Adams did occasionally share that she was working on her top-end strength in preparation for the 2023 CrossFit Games season. She also did not compete in any off-season competitions, including not accepting her invitation to the Rogue Invitational.
Adams was slated to compete out of the North America East region this season.
