With the CrossFit season underway, some adaptive athletes are still searching for clarity concerning their eligibility status. Among these athletes are Emily Fisher, Leila Ives, and Krista Davidson, three formerly eligible neuromuscular athletes. In speaking with all three athletes the common thread is that all want more transparency around the new requirements this year.
Fisher reported that she completed the eligibility paperwork as quickly as she could once CrossFit announced the new process in December of 2022. “There was a lot of pressure to get the forms done before the Open so I would know if I was eligible for competition”, Fisher shared. In contrast, Ives went into the classification process knowing she would not be deemed eligible.
Ives shared that during the 2022 season she was informed by CrossFit leadership that she would not be eligible for the 2023 season, saying: “[CrossFit] told me ‘I’ll let you into the Games this year, but you likely won’t be eligible next year,’ and that was after I provided MRIs and other medical documentation.”
This year, CrossFit leadership told Ives she failed to meet the minimum impairment criteria for ataxia (Appendix, 1.1.1). Ives shared that she emailed CrossFit numerous times asking for clarification but has yet to receive a response. Fisher noted her own struggles saying “[The eligibility process] is a lot to go through, and then to be told if you’re eligible or not when you know you have a disability makes it so much harder.” Ives echoed this sentiment saying, “I’m not going to beg [CrossFit] to say that my illness is [severe] enough.”
CrossFit has previously stated that athletes must meet the minimum impairment criteria beyond reasonable doubt (Adaptive Athlete Policy, 2022). This year, the updated policy cites the minimum impairment criteria for ataxia as (Appendix, 1.1.1):
- The ataxia must affect motor functions that impact the ability to perform CrossFit competition events; and
- The ataxia must be observed or detected during all eligibility assessments and in the performance of movements used in CrossFit competitions; and
- The ataxia must be present in at least two extremities.
Point two seemingly appears to be where two of the athletes, Fisher and Ives, are experiencing frustration. The extent to which these impairments must be observable is unclear, and while CrossFit may have objective measures and experts determining eligibility, that information has not be transparent.
Both athletes have received a medical diagnosis of ataxia and completed the required medical exams prescribed by CrossFit (Fisher and Ives reported medical professionals citing impairments due to ataxia during these exams). However, both athletes have been deemed ineligible. This has caused the athletes to cite the movement analysis during the workout portion of the eligibility process as the source of their ineligibility. All athletes indicated that they believed their impairments were visible on at least one movement during the workout. The workout used by CrossFit for the assessment was:
2:00 row
1:00 single-sided db thrusters
1:00 burpees over db
1:00 single-sided db thrusters
1:00 of single-under jump rope
While athletes agreed it was a good test, they also shared some concerns for the weighting of the video in the overall assessment. Athletes cited disappointment that a workout analysis with no transparent objective measures appeared to be more important in gauging eligibility than medical documentation. Ives shared that she was concerned with athletes potentially taking advantage of the video process saying, “I guess I didn’t fall enough times in my video to be considered disabled enough, but I wasn’t about to cheat my way in.”
Fisher spoke on her concern for safety saying, “I chose to step over the dumbbell for my own safety and feel like if I would have risked getting hurt [due to] my balance impairment [by jumping over the dumbbell], I might have been eligible.” Davidson shared, “This year medical diagnoses weren’t used at all so someone could have easily faked their workout assessment.”
In contrast, Krista Davidson believes she was deemed ineligible due to her medical assessment. Davidson reported that she was previously eligible for the neuromuscular division because of impaired muscle power (due to muscular dystrophy), and this year was told she did not meet the minimum impairment requirements. Davidson reported that she reached out to CrossFit leadership five times before finally receiving an answer on CrossFit’s ruling. CrossFit’s adaptive policy (1.4.1) states that to meet minimum muscle power requirements:
Minimum impairment criteria scoring for impaired muscle power testing is based on the Daniels and Worthingham Scale [4] which uses the following grading system:
- Grade 1: The medical professional can detect visually or by palpation some contractive activity, however there is no movement of the muscle as a result of the contractile activity.
- Grade 2: The muscle can complete the full range of motion in a position that minimizes gravity.
- Grade 3: The muscle can complete a full range of motion against only the resistance of gravity. Any additional resistance, however mild, causes the motion to break.
- Grade 4: Muscle is able to complete a full range of motion against gravity, but is not able to hold the test position against maximum resistance.
- Grade 5: Muscle is able to complete a full range of motion against gravity and the medical professional cannot break the athlete’s hold position when applying maximum resistance.
It is not official whether Davidson’s physio examination or workout analysis was the cause of her ineligibility. However, Davidson indicated that she believed her impairment was visible through the majority workout assessment, and that she scored “twos and threes on the impaired muscle power tests during the physio examination.” She expanded on this saying, “You can watch all of my videos from Wodapalooza and last year’s Open. You can clearly see my impairment while I’m working out.”
Davidson stands out from the other athletes, as she may be the only one to be ruled ineligible due to her physio examination, rather than the workout portion of the eligibility assessment. She reported that she did not receive any further information from CrossFit concerning her ineligibility although she has inquired further.
One major point that Davidson was seeking clarification on was why the minimum requirement was a grade 1-2. “CrossFit told me that I needed to be a grade 1 or 2 to meet minimum requirement for impaired muscle power. I did meet a grade 2 on some tests, but I guess that wasn’t enough. I’m confused why someone would have to be a grade 2 or lower…a grade 1 essentially means you’re in a wheelchair. So, a seated athlete can be in the [multi-extremity] division? Isn’t that what the [seated] division is for? A [grade 3] can’t add weight to a movement without [deterioration] of form or ability [to perform it].”
Davidson expanded on this indicating that more transparency on how the minimum requirements were determined would be helpful. “I just want to know the [credentials of] who was in charge of setting these requirements and what their knowledge was founded on.”
While athletes have shared their frustration on the 2023 season, they also highlighted their understanding of the changes made. “I do have empathy for [CrossFit’s] side, and I understand the changes made. I don’t think it negates that people have been hurt by the changes and [CrossFit] hasn’t addressed athletes [who were eligible last year]. It feels like an over-correction was made,” Fisher explained.
Ives spoke on this topic discussing that she understood why CrossFit had made these major changes but was disappointed with the lack of transparency of who was reviewing the movement videos. “We don’t know who is watching our videos, what their credentials are, what they’re looking for, or the specific reason we were deemed ineligible by them,” Ives said. Other athletes echoed this idea and suggested having more transparent objective measures for the workout portion of the assessment, or transparency of the credentials for those reviewing the submissions.
A medical diagnosis is no longer enough for the multi-extremity division (previously called the neuromuscular division), and this is intended to be a positive for fairness in the sport. However, athletes are finding themselves as no longer being viewed as adaptive by CrossFit despite sufficient medical proof. “It’s really hard being told to compete with able-body athletes, when you’ve lived with an invisible disability your entire life. How much my impairment is visible on a particular day [now determines] my competitive season,” Fisher said.
“CrossFit repeatedly told people to not judge the neuromuscular athletes by their physical appearance last year, and now, we’re being judged by how disabled we look [while working out],” Ives echoed.
Davidson added, “When [I’ve spoken with] CrossFit leadership I’ve been talked down to. I would describe it as passive aggressive. I don’t think they understand how much we adaptive athletes take it to heart to be kicked out of competition without answers.”
CrossFit, Inc. was asked to comment on this topic but did not respond.
