Changes Continue for Brooke Wells; Leaves CompTrain

In an Instagram post on Friday, Ben Bergeron announced that six-time CrossFit Games athlete Brooke Wells will depart his CompTrain stable to pursue other training opportunities. Wells has not announced who her new coach will be or what programming she will follow. 

One big thing: Wells departure ends a successful relationship that lasted over four years and culminated last month with Wells finishing fifth at the 2020 Games, her best finish in her career. It also continues the theme of change this year for Wells who moved from Tulsa, Okla. to Nashville, Tenn. in July to continue her training for the Games.

Why it matters: Bergeron stated in his post that “Brooke has let me know that the time has come for her to explore new opportunities with a new coach.” His post and her subsequent reply show the mutual respect and friendship that the two share. The move for Wells was not based on anything negative or any strife between the two but rather it signals possibly bigger things are in store for her and that her partnership with Bergeron had run its course.

• Losing an athlete of Wells caliber would spell trouble for most coaches and training programs but there is a reason why Bergeron is considered one of the best coaches in the sport. He knows how to put together and develop a team of athletes who work cohesively towards the same goals. 
• Bergeron’s team still includes many of the top names in CrossFit including this year’s Games runner-ups in both the men and women’s division, two-time Games champion Katrin Davidsdottir and Samual Kwant. Perennial contenders Cole Sager and Amanda Barnhart also remain on the team.
• Wells’ manager Matt O’Keefe declined to speculate on who she might be coached by in the future, instead saying, “Right now Brooke is focusing on recovering from the Games and enjoying the off season. She will have more to say about her future plans at a later and more appropriate time.”

The bottomline: The departure of Wells appears to be just a natural evolution that is not uncommon for many top CrossFit athletes. Variation and a change of scenery is oftentimes good in a sport that calls for both to be successful. On Julie Foucher’s podcast, Pursuing Health, Wells discussed her desire to finish on the podium after coming close at this year’s Games. This change, along with all the others she has implemented this season, are part of her plan to ultimately podium.