Hayley Murillo knows all about heartbreak, at least in CrossFit.
A CrossFitter since 2012, she competed at Regionals for the first time in 2014 and made five more appearances there overall, including Semifinals trips in 2021 and 2022.
Despite her success, Murillo had never qualified for the CrossFit Games as an individual. The closest she came was in 2021 when she finished 15th at the West Coast Coast Classic. That year, only the top five women advanced.
- Murillo did not take the last couple of years off completely, per se, but she will be the first to admit that her athletic identity had changed since giving birth to her daughter Rogue 21 months ago.
This year, after focusing previously on supporting Bethany Flores’ journey to the Games and coaching Haley Adams with her husband, Josh, Hayley decided to make a run at Masters.
She finished 42nd in the online 2024 Semifinal and failed to qualify for the Games — the cutline stopped at the top 40 in the 35-39 age group. Her story seemed to have yet another familiar ending…at least at first.
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The Waiting Game
In the Masters divisions, the Semifinal stage is fully online. When the 2024 Semifinals workouts were released, Murillo saw them and thought, “these were not [in the] wheelhouse for me in probably the worst way possible,” she told Morning Chalk Up in an interview, laughing.
She tried to stay positive and keep her head down going into the competition weekend.
- “Going into those tests, I knew they weren’t ideal, but I will do them anyway. I will repeat them and give my best effort because that’s what I do,” she said.
When the leaderboard was released, her husband Josh asked her where she thought she finished.
- Hayley guessed she was 10 or so spots outside of qualifying, but she was, in fact, much closer.
Sitting in 42nd, she was only two spots outside the cut line. It was tough to accept.
- “I feel like I’ve never had the luck you need in this sport because sometimes you just need a tiny bit,” Murillo said. “Obviously, you need to be prepared, work hard, and do everything, but sometimes it’s that extra little 1% to get you there.”
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Everyone told her she would get backfilled — there was no way all 40 women would accept their invitation.
The waiting game began.
Murillo monitored the website and saw when invitations were accepted, up to the point when just two spots remained. Alison Stall was the woman ahead of Murillo, and the two stayed in contact, sharing updates on the backfill possibilities.
Stall received her invite, and Murillo knew she was next up.
Murillo eventually received the final invite for her age group and began training. It was a surreal experience for the longtime CrossFitter.
- “I’m going to the Games, I’m going to do the thing, I’m going to check the box,” she said. “It’s funny how it all worked out because I feel that a lot of my career has been climbing this mountain to do this thing, and now I’m finally doing it.”
Hayley Murillo at the 2024 Masters CrossFit Games
Going in as a backfill relieved so much pressure, and she could truly take in the entire experience, enjoying the weekend with Josh and baby Rogue cheering from the sidelines. “There was no expectation from me,” she said.
That doesn’t mean Murillo phoned it in — instead, she made a statement.
She finished the weekend in ninth place, with only one finish outside the top 20 and four finishes in the top 10. It solidified what she knew about herself all along.
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- “I love to compete because the pressure is such a privilege, and you do all this stuff when nobody’s watching, and then, when the clock starts and you’re on the floor, it’s a totally different world,” she said. “I knew I belonged there; it was just a matter of actually getting there.”
The vibe at Masters was understandably different from the Individual CrossFit Games, and it was a difference Murillo adored.
She described the feeling as highlighting the importance of valuing fitness and wellness as we age.
- “A lot of us have been doing this for so long, and now we’re aging up into the Master’s divisions,” she said. “I think if we can make this something that people love and are excited to do, it will keep growing. People need to embrace getting older and staying fit.”
Taking Stock of It All
Murillo hopes that CrossFit builds upon the success of the Masters Games this year, getting bigger and better. The Masters divisions give the everyday CrossFit athlete something to truly chase — the ability to excel in competition while also having a career, a family, or both.
- “I hope it continues to be this thing that people are excited to do,” Murillo said, “and they realize that maybe you don’t have to dedicate every hour of your day to training to qualify.”
She paused.
- “I think if I could advise anybody in this space right now, like young people, I would say, don’t miss out on the things that matter — the big things, little things, whatever matters the most,” Murillo reflected. “Because CrossFit will always be there. So, to skip out on a bunch of really important things or just live life…make sure you get a dose of that in there along the way.”
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Featured image: @_hayleyamber / Jonathan Ortega
