On Sunday, June 8, Alex Gazan celebrated her fourth CrossFit Games qualification following her win at the Northern California Classic In-Person Qualifying Event in Sacramento, CA.
Two days later, she felt lucky to be alive and wondered whether she could compete at the August Games.
What Happened?
On June 10, Gazan and her husband were involved in a serious car accident during a road trip in California. Gazan sustained a small fracture in her fibula and wrote on Instagram that she is experiencing swelling in her leg and had “glass where glass should never be.”
- “Hoping for a speedy recovery and getting back to doing what I love soon,” she wrote.
According to Gazan’s coach, Justin Cotler, it’s uncertain if she will recover in time to compete at the CrossFit Games (August 1-3) or the World Fitness Project Tour Event II (August 29-31).
- “Everything is in wait-and-see mode,” Cotler told the Morning Chalk Up. While he said Gazan would do everything she could to heal in time, he doesn’t want her to compete until she is 100%.
“She’s 23 and superhuman…but we’re not going to rush her or jeopardize anything,” he said. “Seven weeks [until the Games] might be pushing it.”
Gazan is still in California recovering, Cotler said. She’s had pieces of glass removed from her arms, legs, and face, along with treatment for numerous open wounds. A GoFundMe has been set up for her and her husband.
The Big Picture
The accident’s timing couldn’t have been worse, as Gazan was having an incredible season.
She forewent the In-Affiliate Semifinals because she was sure she could win the Northern California Classic IPQE, which she did. She won the WFP Tour Event I in Indianapolis in May. Her goals for the season didn’t end there.
- “Our goal is to win the WFP and the Games,” Cotler told us in May.
But now, Cotler’s top goal is to get his athlete healthy again.
Despite the disappointment, Gazan and Cotler are keeping things in perspective and choosing to see this as just a minor setback.
- “The way I look at it is that she is 23 years old,” Cotler said. “Thank God she is still alive. It’s just a bump in the road, and the truth of the matter is if the Games aren’t in the picture this year, then we’ll try to look to get healthy for WFP or the Rogue Invitational.”
He added: “This is life, man. This is literally a case of what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
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Featured Image: @alexgazan_ / Instagram
