Name: Chad Flanick
Age: 23
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 180
Started CrossFit: 07/24/2013
Isabel: 2:39
Fran: 3:40
Helen: 8:48
Deadlift: 425
Back Squat: 335
Snatch: 220
CNJ: 265
Favorite WOD: “Nasty Girls” or “Amanda”
What was your experience like in 2014?
My first Open was an exciting, competitive, but most importantly fun way of finding areas of fitness I excelled at and areas I needed to improve at.
What are your expectations for this year’s open?
This year I want to see progress. I want to show myself that a year later I am stronger, faster and fitter than the year before. The Open was designed to track fitness progression worldwide, and I want to contribute to that.
Name: Ellen Wisner
Age: 30
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 135
Started CrossFit: November 2011
Annie: 7:00
Fran: I’ve been actively avoiding fran since 2012
Helen: 11:08
Deadlift: 285
Back Squat: 195
Snatch: 110
CNJ: 135
Favorite WOD:
I like deadlifts, pullups, overhead squats… and I tend to like long grueling WODs.
What was your experience like in 2014?
Even though I have been crossfitting for a while, last year was the first year I actually signed up for the open. This is mainly because Heather Bostwick talked me into it. My favorite part of the open last year was having a judge/cheerleader/friend watching and rooting for you during the WOD, and then turning around and being a judge/cheerleader/friend for them.
What are your expectations for this year’s open?
Most of all, I expect to have fun. I love competition, and I enjoy pushing myself and watching others push themselves.
On top of having fun, I have one personal goal for the open this year. Last year in most of the events I placed in the top 10 women in our gym. However, I was really hoping to break into the top 3 in at least one event. I got close (really really close in the deadlift/box jump WOD), but didn’t succeed. This year that is my goal. The good news is that I have gotten better in the past year, the bad news is so has my competition.