Poised and Grateful, Guilherme Malheiros Returns to the CrossFit Games
At the 2017 CrossFit Games, anyone looking for the next “up-and-comer” would’ve immediately been drawn to a young man standing out amongst the crowd in the 16-17 Age Group Division.
- That 17-year-old — snatching 291 pounds — was Brazilian athlete Guilherme Malheiros.
This weight happened to be the same that Mat Fraser lifted, as the individuals were also challenged with a 1-rep-max snatch that year.
Let’s just say it got a lot of people talking.
At the time, Malheiros was competing against others who have since made their way to the Games in the Men’s Division, Cole Greashaber and Bayley Martin.
- That year, he finished in second place, and as he aged out of the Teen Division, he had his eyes on the next step: to compete as an individual.
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The Brazilian’s Background
While we have seen many teens-turned-individual athletes over the last handful of years, the transition is not usually a smooth or quick one on the men’s side.
- It takes time for male teen athletes to earn their spot at the Games, competing shoulder-to-shoulder with the big boys.
We have yet to see a male qualify as an individual in the season immediately following their last year as a teen.
- Malheiros, so far at least, is the only one who has made that jump in just two years.
On an episode of the Mayhem Athlete Podcast, Malheiros said that while he sustained an injury after the 2018 Open, ultimately, he didn’t qualify because he underestimated his competition.
- “[Not qualifying] was one of the most important things that happened to me in my career,” Malheiros said. “It wasn’t because [I was] a teenager… it was probably a God thing, to humble me. I learned a lot that year. I went to the competition and watched it. It got me fired up.”
He then became the Brazilian national champion in the CrossFit Open in 2019 and competed in the Men’s Individual Division at the CrossFit Games.
After another year of missing out on the Games in the COVID-affected 2020 season, Malheiros showed up in Madison and made a name for himself, finishing in 7th place in 2021.
- He joined the Mayhem crew that fall, qualified again in 2022, and finished in 10th place.
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A Moment of Gratitude
As the 2022 season came to a close, and over a period of time afterward, Malheiros began struggling mentally. He said that while he maintained his charismatic positivity on the outside, privately, he was suffering.
- “People.. talk about what they see. But they don’t know anything that’s happening in anyone’s life. No one knows what everyone is going through. Social media was a big part of it,” Malheiros said on the Mayhem podcast.
He found himself in “a very bad place” and explained that he could not find any happiness throughout his days, which in turn affected his training.
This private battle persisted through the 2023 CrossFit Open.
- In the midst of this, Malheiros found solace in his faith and prayer, and he was able to reflect on decisions that he had made years prior, prioritizing himself and CrossFit over God. This was not the person he had hoped to become.
He was able to take a step back, realign himself, and subsequently win the Quarterfinals for the South America region.
- As the 2023 Semifinals approached, Malheiros made a rookie mistake by detoxing off caffeine leading up to the weekend and then having a new pre-workout right before the first event.
It made him ill and led to a 15th-place finish in the first event. In a Semifinal that was allotted only two Games tickets for men, one low placement could seal an athlete’s fate.
In the end, Malheiros took third place at Copa Sur, one spot out of qualifying.
- “When I didn’t qualify, I knew that, I just laid down, and thought, ‘thank God.’ I felt so much peace,” Malheiros said. “It’s crazy, I don’t know how to describe it. There was so much peace in that moment. The relief that I wouldn’t have to go through all the stress that I was already passing through in Games training… I was already exhausted.. I didn’t have anything more to give.”
Attending the 2023 CrossFit Games as a spectator further solidified his gratitude for the sport, the competition, and his newfound perspective:
- CrossFit is what he does, it is not who he is.
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The 2024 CrossFit Games Season
While it broke many hearts to see Malheiros fall out of a qualifying spot last year, fans worldwide were thrilled to see his comeback this season, as he dominated the South America Semifinal.
With only days left to go before the kick-off of the 2024 CrossFit Games, we’re itching to see Malheiros toe the line and throw down once again.
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Featured image: Fabio Prado