In just over a month, 30 men and 30 women will walk into the MVP Arena in Albany, NY, for the season’s final test: the 2025 CrossFit Games.
- Of those 60 individuals, 17 will compete on the biggest stage in the sport for the first time.
With 10 fewer roster spots than last year, this has been one of the toughest seasons to qualify. However, with some top-level athletes injured, retired, or sitting out the season, the many qualifying events have opened doors for new faces.
- Still, the percentage of rookies remains consistent with previous years. Of the 60 athletes on the 2025 Individual roster, 28.33% are first-timers, compared to 28.75% last year.
Let’s get to know them.
Meet the 17 CrossFit Games Rookies for 2025
The Men
Henrique Moreira
Since 2021, Henrique Moreira has dabbled in both the Team and Individual Divisions. In 2023, he and his team, Templo SA CrossFit, won the South American Semifinal and advanced to compete in Madison, WI, finishing in 33rd place. He also took first place at this year’s Copa Sur over Kalyan Souza.
Colin Bosshard
Two-time International Functional Fitness World Champion (2023 and 2024), Colin Bosshard, has come very close to qualifying in the past two years but has just missed out. The Swiss athlete is preparing for an extremely busy 2025 season, having participated in the World Fitness Project Tour 1 in the Pro Division.
Toby Buckland
The UK’s Toby Buckland has competed at the Dubai Fitness Championship for the past two years, finishing second to Luka Ðukić in 2024. Buckland qualified for this year’s Games through the Rebel Renegade Games in South Africa, as he currently lives in the UAE.
Isaac Newman
Finishing fifth at the Torian Pro was enough for Isaac Newman to secure a Games berth, as both Ricky Garard and Jay Crouch had already qualified through the In-Affiliate Semifinals, and Gui Malheiros was ineligible since he didn’t finish in the top 1% of the CrossFit Open. A consistent Semifinals competitor, Newman placed in the top 10 in both 2023 and 2024, but it wasn’t until this year that he finally broke through.
Morteza Sedaghat
This is not the first year Morteza Sedaghat qualified for the CrossFit Games. In 2023, he finished second at the Asia Semifinal but was unable to arrange for a visa to travel to the United States. His spot was backfilled by Ant Haynes. This year, Sedaghat won the Far East Throwdown; however, due to recent travel restrictions, the Iranian athlete may be unable to make the trip again.
Ty Jenkins
A three-time Teenage CrossFit Games champion, Ty Jenkins quickly closed the gap between the Teen and Indy divisions. With only a one-year break between the two, Jenkins qualified this year by winning the Syndicate Crown. He has been training in Florida alongside Brute athletes Fee Saghafi and fellow former teen champion Dallin Pepper.
Bill Leahy
The “Comeback King,” Bill Leahy spent a significant part of last season recovering from a torn Achilles tendon and working his way back into contention for a Games spot. With his sights on qualifying, Leahy won the Northern California Classic.
Leahy develops his own training program, the IV Method, and does not train with a coach. Instead, he depends on his own expertise and instincts, something that has paid off for him considerably this season.
Jorge Fernandez
No stranger to the big stage, former baseball player Jorge Fernandez is a three-time competitor in the Team Division, and in 2023, won the Affiliate Cup on Team CrossFit Invictus.
He has since moved to Cookeville, TN, to train with Mayhem and has found his place alongside fellow Games athletes like Haley Adams, Roman Khrennikov, and Austin Hatfield.
Women
Luiza Marques
Having competed in two divisions in previous years (Teen and Team), this is Luiza Marques’ first time as an Indy. A five-time Semifinals athlete, she placed second at this year’s Copa Sur.
Lucy McGonigle
A two-time Teenage CrossFit Games champion and four-time podium finisher, Ireland’s Lucy McGonigle has made a smooth transition from the Teen to the Individual Division, having competed just last year in the 16-17 Age Group.
McGonigle not only qualified through the French Throwdown, but the 18-year-old also finished 11th in the In-Affiliate Semifinals.
Siria Meha
Until recently, Siria Meha wasn’t a well-known name in broader circles. But she made a significant impact when she took first place in the In-Affiliate Semifinals, surpassing veterans Alexis Raptis and Arielle Loewen.
Anikha Greer
An underdog for years, Anikha Greer is an athlete many hoped would finally earn her first spot at the CrossFit Games. Having just missed out in the past few years, Greer has now secured the qualification she’s been chasing season after season.
Mirjam von Rohr
An International Functional Fitness World Championship victory, a HYROX World Championship silver medal, and a Games qualification – all in one year. Alongside fellow rookie Colin Bosshard, Mirjam von Rohr is part of the Capra Collective, a nonprofit training camp that supports Swiss athletes in functional fitness.
Jennifer Muir
Jennifer Muir had a wildly successful May, starting with her competition at Wodland Fest, where she completed Heavy Isabel by performing 30 split snatches. She then competed in the In-Affiliate Semifinals where she snagged the last qualifying spot, and won the Challenger Division of the World Fitness Project Tour Event 1.
Muir has become the first Scottish woman to qualify in the Individual division for the CrossFit Games.
Christina Livaditakis
On two different continents – Australia and Africa – Christina Livaditakis has been competing in Semifinals since 2021 and has finished in the top five the last three years. The Zimbabwe resident has become a regular at the Down Under Championship, taking third place in 2024.
Mariana Meza
Mariana Meza made a trip to South Korea this year to compete in the Far East Throwdown. A familiar face at TYR Wodapalooza, Meza is a two-time champion of the TYR Wodapalooza LATAM Cup.
Lydia Fish
Lydia Fish made a splash at last year’s Syndicate Crown, where she hit her lifetime PR twice on a snatch ladder. Missing out at Syndicate again this year pushed Fish to compete in the Last Chance Qualifier, where she finally earned her first Games spot.
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Featured Image: Marc Costa
