Tricia Haven/Apology Photo
Summit County business owner John George left the 2023 CrossFit Games wanting to achieve more.
After going through the qualifying process and competing nationally, George – who owns Mountain View and Blue River Sports – fell short of his ultimate goal of winning a Masters-level competition.
Rather than throw in the towel and focus on other active pursuits in Summit County, George returned to CrossFit Breckenridge, where he has trained for well over a decade, and began working with trainer Dean Messenger. To achieve his dream of being named “the fittest on earth”.
CrossFit is a popular fitness regimen that involves constantly varying functional movements performed at a high intensity. Common exercises include rowing, weighted farmer’s carts, running, push-ups, burpees, dumbbell squats, and box jumps.
Each year, the CrossFit Games are hosted to find the “fittest” CrossFit athletes on earth, with competitors competing as individuals or teams.
Built with great fitness from biking around Summit County, George was invited to his first CrossFit workout in 2009 by a close friend. George was a little hesitant to join what then seemed like a fitness fad, but he soon discovered that it was the perfect exercise regimen for him as he grew older.
“It worked out really well for me,” George said. “Because as you age, you fade away. I feel like that’s what people my age need – to lift weights.
George gradually fell in love with CrossFit and began competing in CrossFit competitions in 2018. Despite this being his first season on the CrossFit competition circuit, George was able to place 26th in the Southwest Region, 294th in the United States and 352nd in the world.
George took several seasons out of competition over the next few years before returning in 2022. It was during the 2023 season, however, that George’s hard work paid off, finally qualifying for his first CrossFit Games in 2023.
“I actually had technical problems in 2022,” George said. “I didn’t have proper Wi-Fi where I needed it. There was a deadline. I just couldn’t get my workout in during the semifinals. Last year, my coach Dan Messinger took care of the technical stuff.
George qualified for the 2023 CrossFit Games by actually competing in an open competition where the Summit County resident was able to place in the top 10% of those who submitted videos of their CrossFit workouts.
George then went on to compete in the quarterfinals and semifinals where he was able to place highly to earn a spot at the CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin. Against other 65-plus-year-old CrossFit athletes from around the world, George racked up points in designated workouts.
George placed first in the cross-country 5K run, third in the “Endure the Coliseum” run, fourth in the “Helen” run, sixth in the pull-up competition and seventh in the gymnastics-chopper competition.
George earned a total of 520 points for his CrossFit workout series to tie with American Tom Mahlebeer for third place. With the same amount of points, the tiebreaker came down to the final where Muhbeer finished higher than George. Mahlbir was eventually awarded the final spot on the podium while George finished a close fourth.
“It was so disappointing to be so close and not get there,” George said of narrowly missing out on the podium in 2023. “That was the motivation to shoot it again.”
George returned to CrossFit Breckenridge where Messenger and Dr. Josh Jones Apollo’s performance helped George achieve his goal of atop the podium at the 2024 CrossFit Games.
In the months leading up to the 2024 CrossFit Games, George said he’s trying to channel the hard-working mentality that many athletes in Summit County have when pursuing their athletic endeavors.
“It’s like anything,” George said. “Summit County has a lot of athletes, and everyone trains for something. Everyone works hard to a certain point and has a little mentality behind them. That’s mostly what I did.”
By participating in scheduled workouts at CrossFit Breckenridge and running on his own, George established himself as an athlete who could finish on the podium at the 2024 event.
For the second year in a row, George qualified for the CrossFit Games, this time traveling to Birmingham, Alabama for the Masters level competition from August 29th to September 1st.
George, 68, scored a total of 734 points in the four-day event and won the “Fittest on Earth” award in the 65-year-old category. After falling short in 2023, the achievement was a testament to not only George’s perseverance, but the unwavering support from the Summit County community.
“It was kind of a big deal,” George said. “When you get to my age, the natural thought process tells you what you should do. It’s too fun not to do it. It’s kind of exciting. I can still go. … There it is. Having the support (Messenger and Josh) was amazing, I can’t say enough good things about it.
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