Aimee Cringle won the 2026 CrossFit Games and is the Fittest Woman on Earth. She wrote an article for the Telegraph on how she won the CrossFit Gamees.
Let’s see what she had to say…
I am not from a sporty family, which may seem surprising given I was recently named the “Fittest Woman on Earth”.
Ok, so she probably didn’t grow up playing sports and then found CrossFit. That’s cool.
Growing up on the Isle of Man, I did gymnastics when I was little and then at five I joined an athletics club. I did that for 15 years, focusing on the long jump and 100 metres, 200m and 400m as I got older; I even won two gold medals at the 2019 Island Games. I also dabbled in cross country and cycling, but it was when I was 14 that I first stepped into a CrossFit gym.
Hold up. She grew up doing gymnastics, track and field, cross country and cycling…in a household that wasn’t…sporty?
I think all the other sports I had done helped me when it came to CrossFit and I loved it. It is the sport of fitness; it tests everything: endurance, strength, agility, gymnastics, conditioning, weight lifting… it is everything in one.
This is likely very true. Women with a gymnastics background have spectacular spatial awareness and can pick up on the movement patterns quickly. We’ve seen this many times.
What I like is that every session is different and there is always something to work on. If you lift a certain number one day, you go 5kg heavier next time. It challenges you so much and I also love feeling humbled! If you fail, you keep trying. The community is great, too; I’ve made some of my best friends doing CrossFit and moved location, moved country through it.
This is what makes CrossFit great and frustrating at the same time. There’s always something to get better at and to really improve you have to spend time doing stuff you suck at.
I originally trained as a nurse but I went full-time with CrossFit at 22 when I finished my course, so I’ve never actually done a shift as a nurse. I had a couple of sponsors when I was qualifying as a nurse and once I transitioned to CrossFit full-time I got a few more. Then I got an agent, moved to the UK and now I’m able to earn a living from my sponsors and prize money – there are competitions all over the world.
I’m sure those sponsorships are gonna be even more lucrative going forward…
I train two times a day, five days a week, once on Thursdays and then have one full rest day on Sundays. Each session is two to three hours but that time in the gym is not constant training, it’s warming up, stretching, mobilising… the workout time is probably only 20 minutes. Every day is different so there is variety, but it is also structured and every six weeks I work on a new block of training with my coach, Fraser McKenzie. It is a complex training programme and every day has its own purpose; there is a reason behind everything.
Hold up. Zero chance. Sure, a workout is 20 minutes. I can guarantee Aimee works out more than just 40 minutes per day. The problem is that sub-heading of the article says this…
CrossFit Games athletes used to train like this. Then Rich Froning changed the game. More volume, more workouts. The level it takes to qualify for Semifinals is getting harder and harder each year. To say that she only does two 20-minute workouts is insane.
It is also about finding a balance so you’re doing enough training to be prepared for competitions, but not so much that you get injured. It is the same with weight: you do not want to be too light because you will be crushed by the heavy weights, but you do not want to be too heavy because you need to throw yourself around doing gymnastics.
This is true. We’ve seen athletes get too “skinny” and do poorly. We’ve seen athletes show up to the Games looking heavier than normal. They also do poorly. There’s definitely a sweet spot to maximize performance.
I don’t have to worry about getting enough food in. I eat three meals a day, but I also do a lot of snacking in between. I love food and I try to follow the 70:30 rule, so 70 per cent of the time I do eat well, then 30 per cent… I will not say no to a croissant or pastry. I also eat a lot of yogurt and granola, so much so that I’m launching a granola brand in October: Cringle Crunch. Big clusters are key.
Launching her own granola brand might be the best decision of her career. The timing is perfect. The official launch is coming soon. You can sign up to get updates on the Cringle Crunch website…and follow Cringle Crunch on Instagram.
When it comes to competitions, you take part in 20 different events but you do not know which ones will feature until you get there. You could train all year for something and it just does not come up. Having said that, with the level I’m at now, I don’t want to hope a particular event comes up because I should be able to do everything competitively.
Only the 2026 CrossFit Games has 20 events. Most are 6-7.
The CrossFit Games is the biggest competition in the sport and going to the event in California in July, I didn’t think I would win but I thought I had a chance of the top five, having finished eighth and 13th in the two previous years. Things went better than I expected.
I remember when Tia-Clair Toomey was humble and unsure she could win back in the day. Then Tia won…and won…and won…
It was a five-day event, although that included a rest day, and there were events throughout that I like. I’m best at longer, endurance-style events and those with gymnastics movements in them. One of the events was 20 laps on a mountain bike and I love riding a bike. Other events included burpees, a handstand walk, rope climbs, squat cleans, timed sessions on the rower and ski erg. It was only on the Saturday night that I thought I might actually win because the Sunday events were ones I liked. To do it and become the fittest on Earth was amazing, but there were no crazy celebrations. I went back to my room, ate my leftover granola and yogurt, and had a Five Guys [burger].
The programming definitely benefitted Aimee this year. In fact, Lucy Campbell did better than Aimee in the multi-modality “CrossFit” events.
It still feels a bit surreal. It’s something I’ve worked towards for such a long time, so actually being able to say I’m the “fittest on Earth” is pretty crazy. It’s made me more motivated because I know there are still so many things I can improve on.
Remember what I said about Tia a minute ago?
I’m trying to make sure I actually appreciate it and enjoy what I’ve achieved, because I’m definitely guilty of always thinking about what’s next, rather than taking in what I’ve just done.
Back in the day there was a true off-season when you could relax and enjoy your time as a champ before ramping up for the next season. Mat Fraser was the last champ to enjoy that kind of true break. He also chose to focus solely on the CrossFit Games.
A few weeks after that I did the World Fitness Project in Indianapolis and came third, but I was probably competing at only 50 per cent. I’ve had a short holiday in Mexico, but I’ll be back competing in October at the Rogue Invitational in Aberdeen. I’m definitely more aware that there’s probably more of a target on my back now, but I try not to think about it too much. At the end of the day, having the title doesn’t really change how I approach competing. I still get nervous, I still have weaknesses and I still have things I want to get better at.
Read that first sentence again. Aimee took 3rd a month after the Games and only feeling 50%. She basically took time off, did enough to compete and still finished on the podium.
I can’t wait to see how she does at the Rogue Invitational. It’s a different style test than she faced at this year’s CrossFit Games. The field will be tougher than the WFP and basically the same top 20 field as this year’s Games (plus Laura Horvath). If she can figure out how to win at Rogue, watch out.
If I started feeling like I had to prove that I’m the fittest on Earth every single time I compete, I’d put way too much pressure on myself. So I try to focus on doing my best on the day and enjoying competing. The title is something I’m incredibly proud of, but I don’t want it to become something that weighs me down.
The pressure to back up what you just achieved has to be one of the hardest things to overcome in the sport of CrossFit.
What advice would I give to someone interested in doing CrossFit? Be patient – I wasn’t very good at the start and it takes years to learn. Be consistent, and make use of the coaches and the community to help you.
Odd way to end an article about how you became the Fittest Woman on Earth, but it’s actually good advice. Everyone has to start somewhere. Find a CrossFit affiliate and you will get more fit.
