CrossFit Affiliation?

Question: Where do we stand with CrossFit, and are we re-affiliating? 

We took decisive action, and that action paid off. 

Before June 6th of this year, many of you probably did not know who owned CrossFit—or even that it was owned solely by one individual. CrossFit was founded by Greg Glassman, who maintained 100% ownership and control over it until his behavior—both publicly and privately— led to an exodus of affiliates. We, along with countless others, made our intentions and reasons to de-affiliate clear. We would not continue to associate with or support CrossFit until Greg Glassman was out. 

Our original post can be found here. 

In it, we discuss CrossFit’s role in our lives, how quickly that role changed, and what it is our gym stands for, first and foremost. This bears repeating. 

“We have been, continue to be, and always will be a place where anyone who wants to improve their health is welcome. This does not come with an asterisk. Race, gender, age, profession... they do not enter into the equation of being a part of our community. All are welcome. We are here to support and celebrate your health, wellness, and fitness—regardless of background.”

All of this being said, we are happy to announce that “putting our money where our mouth is” has paid off. In late July, Greg Glassman sold the entirety of his ownership of CrossFit to Eric Roza. This means that Greg no longer has controlling interest in CrossFit, nor does he continue to benefit financially from it. This sale was actually announced at the end of June. So, why, then did we not address this sooner? Because we wanted to make sure that Eric wasn’t just another Greg. Now we can say confidently that he is not.

Eric is not just another “suit.” He is a 10 year affiliate owner who understands the challenges and weaknesses that CrossFit faces. He is taking his success as a tech company founder and CEO, and applying that skillset to running and improving CrossFit. He is bringing a level of professionalism, support, and change to the affiliates of CrossFit that has never been seen before. 

The one to highlight is DEI—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Eric is working hard and investing big to drastically improve CrossFit’s role in DEI. 

“This isn’t a bunch of white American dudes telling us they’re diverse. It’s got to be played differently.”~ Eric Roza

Under Eric’s direction, CrossFit will be working towards improving Role Modeling, Availability, and Accessibility. They are doing this via a few different avenues, the first of which is the CrossFit Foundation Endowment. The goal of this foundation is to further public health, with an emphasis in underserved communities. Eric says to think of it like a Boys and Girls type club where you can not only participate in CrossFit, but also learn about healthy lifestyle choices that fit within your means. We, Town Athletics, have already reached out to CrossFit as to how we can be a part of this mission. As someone who started their coaching career at the Y, I have seen firsthand what programs like “Late Night” can do for underserved communities. 

CrossFit will also offer a direct line of communication between them and the public for thoughts and concerns about inclusion via inclusion@crossfit.com. 

In addition, CrossFit has named Regional Representatives. These are long-time affiliate owners who will be the direct points of contact for local affiliates. Our region is represented by Jordan Holland (Facebook, LinkedIn) of Riot Athletics in Seattle. If that names sounds familiar, it’s because he is the brainchild of the Cascade Classic, the annual CrossFit competition we send teams to every year. 

If you want to hear Eric discuss some of these initiatives directly, click here for a recap of his first quarterly CrossFit Town Hall.

This level of transparency, commitment, and action is the exact change we hoped for. It is because of this—and CrossFit’s corporate reach and financial abilities to offer things we are not in a position to—that we have decided to re-affiliate. Tacoma CrossFit lives on under the Town Athletics umbrella. 

As always, reach out to us with any questions or concerns you may have. And keep an eye out for exciting gym updates in the near future.  

Stay Healthy and Stay Rooted.