CrossFit HQ has announced the 10 members of its first-ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council — six women and four men. Applications for the DEI were accepted beginning in November 2020 for people inside the U.S. only. The creation of this council is one of the steps CrossFit HQ has taken to increase its focus on diversity and inclusion. We’ve listed the 10 inaugural members below.
In June of 2020, founder and then-CEO of CrossFit Greg Glassman tweeted what many consider to be an inflammatory statement about COVID-19 and the killing of Minnesota resident George Floyd. Glassman stepped down as CEO, was briefly replaced by CrossFit Games Director Dave Castro, and then Eric Roza purchased the company later that summer.
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Since buying the company from Glassman, Roza — who is the former CEO of Datalogix, which was sold to software giant Oracle — has implemented a number of changes focused on CrossFit’s culture. According to CrossFit’s website, major changes include:
- Appointing Trish Gerlitz, CrossFit’s Vice President of Culture and Inclusion.
- Creating the CrossFit Scholarship Program, which will “expand access by providing no-cost L1 training in underserved and underrepresented communities.” The program is led by CrossFit Games Head Judge and Level-1 Trainer Chuck Carswell.
- Launching the Affiliate Representative Program in an effort to improve CrossFit’s communication with its affiliates.
- Changing the 2021 CrossFit Open — including the introduction of an adaptive division — to promote inclusive competition.
- Hiring an eternal consultant to co-create a holistic plan to advance CrossFit’s DEI efforts.
CrossFit DEI Council Members
Here’s a list of the 10 CrossFit DEI members, who will, according to CrossFit, “work with the leadership team to help ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of CrossFit.
Casey Jordan
Jordan is a coach at UAVE CrossFit and a Change Management Consultant and educator. She has a Ph.D. from Eastern Michigan University with a focus on organizational change, transformation, and inclusion, diversity, and equity.
Jennifer Hunter-Marshall
Hunter-Marshall has an MFA in acting (with some off-Broadway experience to boot), is a member of the CrossFit Seminar Staff, and is the Co-Owner of CrossFit Garden City. She is also a Games athlete, competing in the Master’s Women division in 2014. She finished in 16th place.
Wylie Belasik
Belasik founded the nonprofit UliftU, which empowers both incarcerated and recently released citizens to be health and fitness coaches. He also owners Subversus Fitness, which houses CrossFit Center City.
Chandler Smith
A former Army officer, Chandler Smith is now one of the top Games athletes currently competing. In 2019, he placed 15th, which was followed by a sixth-place finish in 2020. Smith was also one of the first athletes during the Glassman era to announce he wouldn’t participate in the Games unless changes in leadership were made.
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Athena Perez
Perez is the owner of Scaled Nation CrossFit and the author of Lifting the Wait.
Dillon King
King, alongside his wife, owns and operates Flambeaux Fit, a gym focused on serving the LGTBQ+ community.
Shaun Ward
Ward is a member of Hornet’s Nest CrossFit, and is looking forward to “help create spaces where everyone can feel valued and respected.”
Erin Comollo
A former teacher, Comollo is a member of the New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative at The Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health (Rutgers University), which aims to bring health equity to children across the state. She is also a trainer at CrossFit Stealth.
Amy West
A Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Physician, West has been a part of CrossFit Health and the CrossFit Games Medical Team. She has a medical and education degree from Harvard University.
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Mason C. Alberts
Alberts is a Development Consultant, who focuses on building a culture of philanthropy that is antiracist. She has her BA and MBA from Columbia University and is a member of CrossFit NCR and has her CF-L1.
CrossFit’s Next Steps in 2021
On their website, CrossFit laid out their major DEI initiatives for 2021. They include:
- Developing a DEI education and awareness training plan for CrossFit employees and stakeholders.
- Being a part of the Corporate Equality Index, a report published by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation to rate American businesses on their treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees.
- Continuing to recruit and hire candidates from diverse backgrounds, genders, and ethnicities.
- Regularly updating members of the CrossFit community on the steps the company is taking.
Featured image: @blacksmiff on Instagram