Adaptive Athletes: An Open Letter To CrossFit HQ

Author’s Note:  Derick Carver, the co-founder of Team Some Assembly Required and owner of Chagrin Falls Crossfit, penned this moving open letter to the CrossFit Headquarters at the end of July, in light of allowing an adaptive athlete division at the Crossfit Games 2016.  This article was first published in The Havok Journal on 13 August, 2015.  Since then, Derick Carver has gone on to become “the world’s strongest adaptive athlete.”

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Dear CrossFit,

Look, help me out!  All I want to do is be the “fittest adaptive athlete in the world,” you know?  Like Rich Froning, but missing a leg and stuff. There are more than enough athletes to cover a qualifier through the open/regionals and games.  These are amazing people, with amazing stories, that would do nothing but open the sport to a larger audience.

I personally started CrossFit in 2006 and integrated it into training my soldiers and self for combat.  I know for a fact CrossFit helped keep me in good enough shape to take a (read: gosh darn) rocket to the side of my body, but I digress.  I also incorporated CrossFit training throughout the recovery process which included 50 plus surgeries and transfusions, programming my own workouts, and then other types of workouts from other disabled vets at Walter Reed in the same situation.  This all started back in 2010, just as the CrossFit “craze” caught on.

I’ve seen what the CrossFit methodology can do first hand in the spirit of competitiveness and inclusiveness.  If we can do Crossfit, anyone can!  We show the public that CrossFit is for anyone regardless of age, skill, gender or any other potentially limiting factors people THINK exist.  Let us prove it and show it in action with the top adaptive athletes pushing through WODs in a legitimate competition with a level playing field, just like the rest of the Games athletes.

Everyone is posting these articles about how hard the games were and I’m over here willing to give a leg to go.  I get it; It’s not easy to program, there are conflicting views of what’s fair, believe me, no one in our camp expects perfection and we are aware it will be a work in progress!  We need to start somewhere!  There are multiple ways to approach this and I know more than a few people willing to shoulder the load to make this happen.  I, for one, volunteer.  We just want a shot. No more exhibitions!  Let’s move pass that and make it official.
Why not allow an official Adaptive Athlete Division at The CrossFit Games 2016? Let’s at least open dialogue.

Team Some Assembly Required is ready, able and willing to help in any way you need.
Sincerely,
Derick Carver
Executive Director, Team Some Assembly Required
http://teamsomeassemblyrequired.com/
“Get comfortable being uncomfortable”

Comment below if you support this new division at the Crossfit Games 2016!