This morning CrossFit announced it has hired Wendy Guthrie as its first-ever Head of Safety. The new role was created as part of CrossFit’s safety and procedural changes coming out of the third-party investigation into Lazar Đukić’s drowning at the 2024 CrossFit Games.
In her role, Guthrie will lead the development and execution of safety protocols across CrossFit Sport, with an emphasis on the CrossFit Games. She will lead real-time safety response operations during competitive events and will liaise with the newly formed CrossFit Safety Advisory Board to improve safety standards.
Guthrie joins CrossFit with more than two decades of experience in risk management, organizational strategy and athlete advocacy. Prior to leading her our consulting practice, Guthrie served as Vice President of Athlete Safety at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
Guthrie also spent six years with the FBI where she worked in human resources, and over 15 years as an intercollegiate athletic administrator.
“We are thrilled to introduce Wendy Guthrie as CrossFit’s new Head of Safety. Wendy brings an ideal blend of safety expertise and CrossFit knowledge, having led athlete safety efforts at the very highest level in sport while also being a longtime dedicated member of the CrossFit community,” shared Don Faul, CEO, CrossFit.
“Wendy’s experience and leadership will be instrumental as we continue our investment in elevating our approach to athlete safety. I am confident that Wendy will help us build smarter systems with our athletes’ needs in mind to ensure CrossFit is delivering a competitive environment where safety and performance go hand in hand.”
Guthrie is also a CrossFit athlete herself. Since 2015, she has participated in every CrossFit Open except for 2017. She is an affiliate member at Driven to Conquer CrossFit in Greenwood Village, Colorado, just outside of Denver.
Guthrie finished 1,127th in the Women’s 55-59 Masters Age Group division in this year’s CrossFit Open.
“I am excited to welcome a seasoned CrossFit member, Wendy Guthrie, as the new Head of
Safety,” added Dave Castro, Head of Sport, CrossFit. “With just a few months away from the 2025 Games, we remain dedicated to enhancing our safety protocols for athletes. Collaborating closely with our Safety Advisory Board, Wendy will be critical over the next few months as we support our athletes at the height of our season. We have no doubt that her sports leadership experience will be invaluable to our community.”
“CrossFit has one of the most passionate, engaged and supportive communities in sport,” shared Wendy, “I’m excited to join the team and further advance an athlete-first approach to safety–one that listens, adapts, and puts the well-being of our athletes at the center of everything we do.”
For more information about CrossFit and our Safety Advisory Board please visit:
https://www.crossfit.com/crossfit-safety-board.
