Ep. 074: How to Make the CrossFit Open Fun

“It’s just what we do. We do things that make us uncomfortable, we do things that challenge us because we know they make us better. And that is the Open. That is CrossFit.” — Adam NeifferNicole Christensen, owner of CrossFit Roots and CF-L4 trainer, and Adam Neiffer, owner of CrossFit Fort Vancouver and coach to two-time Fittest Man on Earth Justin Medeiros, pop in on the podcast to share their insights on the CrossFit Open, why they encourage others to participate, and how they create an exciting atmosphere for their members.The 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games Open is quickly approaching and as longtime affiliate owners, Christensen and Neiffer have a bank of ways to make the competition fun and memorable.After sharing what gets them excited about the Open, the pair gives a plethora of examples of activities and competitions they’ve run alongside the Open — such as an intramural competition, talent shows, and trivia games — that make the experience more enjoyable and fosters a supportive, encouraging, and unified culture inside their gyms.With a diverse level of athletes training at their affiliates, Christensen and Neiffer also provide insight on how they balance the competition for everyday athletes and competitive athletes, agreeing that it’s “easy.”“I think the Open does such a good job — and especially the last few years — of making it accessible for not just adaptive athletes, but foundations athletes, scaled, Rx’d,” Neiffer says. “Everybody gets to play and finding the right version is easy because it’s already done for us. It’s just a matter of supporting each person at the gym as an individual, and that’s no different from what we do every day in the gym.”Throughout the podcast, the group also touches on how the Open can be a motivator and catalyst for strengthening relationships among their members, explains how the Open offers athletes an opportunity to set up goals for the new year, and gives advice on how to coach and guide athletes who are hesitant to participate in the competition.Sign up for the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games today at games.crossfit.com. Presented by O2 Hydration.