Progress not perfection. Our decision to Re-Affiliate with CrossFit.
Progress gives us direction and accommodates our mistakes. It is the “why” that punctuates the sweat and effort performed daily at Subversus. It’s always been my hope that our gym fosters this principle above all else.
In June, with the murder of George Floyd, America’s history of violence towards the Black community elicited an awakening. We were shocked and disappointed to learn that a part of our identity, being a CrossFit affiliate, meant supporting a company owned and led by a man anathema to our values. We weren’t alone in our decision to drop our affiliation and close to 2,000 other CrossFit affiliates made the same decision. The actions of the community forced the sale of Crossfit to a new owner and CEO, Eric Roza. Since then, I watched to try to understand the impact this new leadership would have on the direction and culture of Crossfit.
Recently, after having spoken with Eric, a friend reached out and said I should do the same. Last week, I spent time with Eric via zoom to discuss his priorities and goals for CrossFit, our UliftU program and what we’re doing as a gym. I left that conversation optimistic and excited about Eric’s vision for the future of CrossFit and the impact of his leadership. That conversation also reinforced my belief that while CrossFit’s previous owner did not share our values, actions and decisions at the affiliate level have contributed to some of CrossFit’s challenges like a lack of inclusive practices.
Eric has a compelling vision for the future of CrossFit and one thing I’ve learned this year is that we all share the responsibility to create the future, which is why I have made the decision to re-affiliate. The potential of CrossFit lies in improvement from both CrossFit HQ and the affiliates. With three months of new leadership, is CrossFit now perfect? Of course not. Am I a perfect gym owner, running a totally inclusive gym and nonprofit? Also, no. I am, however, committed to the principle of progress and I believe CrossFit is as well.
The challenges of our time require that we hold our communities and leaders accountable while resisting the temptation of self-righteousness. Like so many other affiliates, by leaving CrossFit, we repudiated the former owner and advocated for real change. Re-affiliating with CrossFit now evidences my belief that this needed change is underway including building a future that empowers programs and people who need that platform – perhaps for the first time. The BIPOC community, the LGBTQ+ community, anyone who woke up today having been made to feel shame of their body – they need support from privileged allies, because they already struggle with an unjust world. We are here to create the strength to prevail and we need partners moving in the same direction to do so. Here’s to the future.