Men: Alex Caro (1), Ryan Rohal (2), Craig Jones (3)
Women: Amanda Ardinger (1), Stephanie Kello (2) Claire Mokry (3)
This past Saturday saw the Pittsburgh area’s largest competition exclusively geared toward rookie CrossFitters—The Rookie Ruckus. The event was appropriately titled “Proving Ground” because these athletes had something to prove: they were anything but rookies.
The sport of CrossFit has grown by leaps and bounds, yet the opportunities for beginner level CrossFitters to compete in events geared toward their fitness level is minimal. The Ruckus gave those athletes new to the sport of CrossFit the opportunity to showcase their abilities while celebrating their efforts and accomplishments.
It can be argued that the Ruckus was unlike any other competition because the emphasis wasn’t placed squarely upon the winners. The day goes to each athlete who showed up (even though many were admittedly nervous as hell to compete for the first time), gave everything they had, and had a blast suffering and sweating along side their peers.
The most memorable parts of the day belong to those who broke personal records and achieved feats they never thought were possible. The community came together in a big way to celebrate the success of ALL rookies. The crowd participation was off the charts—the decibel level was deafening; the energy level was explosive, and the room was rocking.
So here’s to the Rookies. Congratulations! We’re extremely proud of you.
And for all your rookies who wanted to, but didn’t get a chance to compete, you’ll get your chance to show your stuff when we host the 3rd Annual Rookie Ruckus next year.