Haley Adams Returns to CrossFit Competition, Wins Community’s Heart in Knoxville
The air was tense as the camera panned down the line of women in the second heat of Event 1 at the North America East Semifinal.
Each athlete’s hand touched the pylon. Their eyes focused ahead on their run path, and their faces all wore the same serious expression required by a CrossFit competition.
Then the camera came to Haley Adams, who was beaming with joy as she took to the competition floor for the first time after a season away from the sport.
Adams flashed a radiant smile as she took off for her first run.
Adams and Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr battled for the entirety of the event, with Adams ultimately taking second.
Think about that: It wasn’t long ago when Adams wasn’t sure she would ever compete again.
A New Hope
Event 2 was a bit of a speed bump for Adams, as she had some issues with her jump rope and the heavier front squats, giving her a 35th-place finish.
- But her focus and her cheering squad helped her recover quickly.
In one corner of the Knoxville arena sat the Adams contingent from her affiliate — tons of fans were wearing Haley Adams pink shirts and waving pink light sabers. (Adams is a new Star Wars fan, with Revenge of the Sith being her favorite, as she revealed in her post-Event 4 interview.)
That’s why all of her supporters — from the fans in the arena to her coaches, Hayley and Josh Murillo, down on the floor — sported pink lightsabers during the competition.
With her baby Rouge strapped to her, Hayley Murillo screamed and shook her saber wildly. She and Josh looked on like proud parents as Adams bounced back after Event 2.
- Adams finished Saturday with a second-place finish in Event 3 and came in on Sunday ready to attack.
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Return of the Jedi
Event 4 was rowing and handstand walking, two historically great movements for Adams.
- She has eight top-five finishes in handstand walking events and eight top-five finishes in rowing events in the CrossFit Games season, and it was clear why when she took to the floor.
Adams won the event with a time of 8:31.90.
She also finished in the top 10 in Event 5, a strength event that has typically been one of her weaker points. What looked to be a damage control event turned out to be a solid performance.
- In one of her post-event interviews, Adams got emotional: “Hearing everyone cheer for me, it’s so overwhelming because, again, I didn’t think I would be back here ever again. And here I am enjoying it.”
When the dust settled in Knoxville, Adams finished in sixth and qualified for the CrossFit Games.
And as Anakin Skywalker said in Revenge of the Sith: “This is where the fun begins.”
The Force truly is with Adams as she heads to Texas for her fifth Individual CrossFit Games.
Learn more about Haley Adams, her year away, and her comeback in this two-part interview. Part 1 | Part 2
Featured image: Carlos Fleury