Building a Bulletproof Athlete: A Conversation With Alex Gazan and Justin Cotler
Before the 2024 West Coast Classic, Alex Gazan and her coach, Justin Cotler, had a strong sense that she was not only going to win Event 3 but also set the worldwide record.
- “It was an event that was mine to lose,” Gazan told Morning Chalk Up.
In training, Cotler had her run similar versions of the workout but never the exact version that she executed in Carson.
Gazan finished the workout in 10:27, beating out fellow Event 3 winners Emma Tall and Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr from the other semifinals.
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Ending the weekend in second place overall, 2023’s Most Improved at the CrossFit Games secured her third consecutive invitation to throw down with the best in Fort Worth this season.
Some Background…
Gazan qualified for her first CrossFit Games by taking fourth place at the 2022 Granite Games. It was then that Cotler knew he had an athlete with some tremendous talent on his hands.
Taking 24th place at the Games that year, the then 20-year-old needed experience and fine-tuning. When Cotler worked with Gazan that first season leading up to the Granite Games, the only goal was to qualify for Madison.
- “When we first met, we were just trying to make it to Semis. But her maturation has been so fast. It was at the Granite Games that I realized, ‘Oh, she’s good. She’s going to be good,’” Cotler told Morning Chalk Up.
Gazan’s fitness and skill level improved dramatically as she trained from the 2022 Games to the 2023 Games. She won the North America West Semifinal in Pasadena and went on to take fifth overall at the CrossFit Games, collecting six top-ten event finishes along the way.
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In the lead-up to the 2023 Games, Cotler came to a new realization.
- “Last season, I saw that she had the potential to be bulletproof. You know, there haven’t been many athletes like that. Mat, Tia, but that’s about it. And that’s going to be Alex. So we know that, and we just have to be patient. She’s so young, she has time. We’re building a bulletproof athlete,” Cotler says.
When asked if she was on board with this line of thinking, Gazan took a moment to answer.
- “I’m beginning to believe it,” she says. “Sometimes your brain has to catch up to your body and your abilities.”
- “It’s hard to accept who you are and who you were,” Cotler adds.
He went on to explain that we all have faced limitations as athletes as we grow and mature, and it’s easy to find ourselves caught up in what stopped us in the past and what held us back.
Gazan is on a journey of realizing her bulletproof strength and stamina with the help and encouragement of her team.
Remaining Patient
At 22 years old, Gazan admits that while she sees herself improving quickly, it’s hard to remain patient, and she needs frequent reminders of the long-term game plan.
Though she admits there are still areas that need improvement, she also sees those weaknesses disappearing.
- While laughing together, Cotler explains they’re actively working on Gazan’s “killer instinct.”
Gazan admits it’s not her natural tendency to swap out her typical kindness for “beast mode” once she steps onto the competition floor.
- “She needs to trust how good she is,” Cotler explains. Her “natural tendency is to be cautious, and she needs to learn when to bring out the killer.”
They hope fellow Underdogs athlete and fierce competitor Ricky Garard can help with these skills when he heads to Las Vegas to train this summer.
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The Bottom Line
Gazan’s trajectory is skyrocketing.
In a short amount of time, her resume has become more impressive and she is in a spot where she’s challenging the greats for event wins and a potential podium finish.
- “When you come across an athlete like Alex,” Cotler explains, “it’s exciting and scary at the same time.”
In multiple interviews and conversations over the last year, Cotler has maintained that with Gazan, it’s not a matter of “if,” it’s a matter of “when” she’s standing on top of the CrossFit Games podium.
But is that “when” going to be some time in 2024?
Gazan admits that while that question creates a bit of pressure, she also adds that “pressure is a privilege,” and it’s one for which she’s grateful.
Featured Image: @alexgazan_ / Instagram