The Faces of CrossFit

SI Staff | Jul 22, 2014

The Faces of CrossFit /

The Faces of CrossFit

Jason Khalipa

The 28-year-old Khalipa began doing CrossFit in 2006, won the Games in 2008 and won this year's Northern California regionals. He typically rests fewer than four days per month and eats quality foods, but doesn't count calories or measure portions.

Annie Thorisdottir

Thorisdottir hails from Iceland where she participated in gymnastics, dance and pole-vaulting growing up, and has done CrossFit for about two to four years. She is the only female to win the CrossFit Games twice, with titles in 2011 and 2012.

Rich Froning

Froning is the only man to win the Games three times, with first place finishes in the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Games. He played college baseball and is looking to defend his title this year.

Alexandra LaChance

LaChance began CrossFit in January 2013 and won the North Central regionals this year. She was an All-American gymnast for the University of Arkansas for four years and does multiple workouts a day three or more days a week.

Albert-Dominic Larouche

The 24-year-old Larouche won the Canada regional competition and is looking to place top five at this year's Games. In 2012, he was 12th worldwide in the Open; in 2013, he was 37th; and this year, he’s 92nd. He finished 25th at the 2012 Games, and last year ended in 12th.

Emily Bridgers

Bridgers is a co-owner of a CrossFit gym in Atlanta and a former collegiate gymnast at the University of Georgia. After three years of top-10 finishes at the South East Regional, Emily Bridgers finally qualified for the CrossFit Games this year and is looking to get on the podium.

Kyle Kasperbauer

Kasperbauer weighs and measures his food, which he makes sure is strictly following the Paleo diet guidelines. In 2012 he finished in third place at the Games and finished first in this year's North Central regionals.

Emily Abbott

Abbott played basketball at the University of Windsor and played volleyball and ran track and field in high school. The 25-year-old started Crossfit in 2012 but committed to training in July 2013, with hopes of making it to the Games in 2014.

Noah Ohlsen

Ohlsen is only 23-years-old and a student at the University of Miami. He played lacrosse until high school and picked up wrestling after his freshman year, and then played water polo at the collegiate level at both Clemson and the University of Miami.

Jonne Koski

Jonne Koski was introduced to CrossFit by top European athlete Tuomas Vainio and now trains with 2009 CrossFit Games champion, Mikko Salo. The 19-year-old lives in Pori, Finland, and trains at CrossFit Varasto, the new box in his hometown, run and owned by Salo.

Wanda Brenton

Brenton won the Latin American regionals and is known for doing some CrossFit Moms WOD's when she was pregnant in 2010 and 2011. The 39-year-old owns her own CrossFit affiliate and is from the Cayman Islands.

Lucas Parker

Parker started CrossFit in 2005 and is known for his beard. He has been at the top of the leaderboard since 2011 and won this year's Canada West regionals.

Julie Foucher

The 25-year-old Foucher did not compete last year because she was attending medical school, but in 2012, she placed second at the Games. She participated in high school gymnastics and track and field and will be training to be a doctor full-time after 2015.

Emmanuel Maldonado

Maldonado qualified for the CrossFit Games out of the Latin America Region. This year's Games will be the 24-year-old's first.

Emily Carothers

Carothers trains at Tiger Mountain CrossFit in Issaquah, Washington, and finished fourth in the region in this year’s Open, and 23rd at last year’s Games.

Cole Sager

Sager played football for the University of Washington for four years as a running back and special teams player. He started CrossFit in January 2013 and chose to compete at the 2014 North West Regional instead of entering the NFL Draft.

Gretchen Kittelberger

Kittelberger is a former Maryland gymnast and has been doing CrossFit for the past five years. This will be Kittelberger's fourth appearance in the competition.

Rob Forte

Three-time CrossFit Games competitor and reigning Australia Regional champion, Forte finished 33rd overall at last year’s Games. The 27-year-old has changed his training regimen this year in hopes of making it to the podium.

Denae Brown

Little over a year after giving birth to her daughter, Brown is returning to CrossFit competition this year. She played basketball, softball, gymnastics, track & field and curling growing up.

Camille Leblanc-Bazinet

Leblanc-Bazinet has is a four-time Games veteran and has focused on improving her weightlifting going into this year's Games. She has her sights set on the 2016 Olympics with a qualification for the world championships in weightlifting just two weeks after the Games.

Published Jul 22, 2014

SI STAFF