Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
Many athletes and fans may not know this, but the Latin America 2018 CrossFit Games Regional being held in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil almost didn’t happen. If you’re tuning in live today and through the weekend, then it may appear like the competition is running without a hitch, yet a few days ago, there was uncertainty if this Regional would even take place.
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Truck Strike Background
Monday morning, the Brazilian Association of Truck Drivers went on strike due to a recent tax spike on diesel fuel that they deemed was unsustainable for their companies. Now, nearly one million independent drivers are in limbo, as the association’s President José da Fonseca Lopes has since urged multiple companies to remain on strike until their demands are met.
This strike has now led to multiple businesses lacking vital supplies they need on a daily basis to stay afloat and make ends meet. In addition to the local businesses taking a hit, the trucks driving the equipment for the Latin America Regional also couldn’t make it to the venue on time.
So what did athletes, local boxes, and fans do to make this Regional happen?
The CrossFit Brazil community banded together and mapped out exactly what equipment was needed for the full competition, and everyone contributed accordingly. Some gyms provided everything they had. Was it the brand new(er) equipment that’s often used in Regional competitions? No, but does that matter? At the end of the day what’s most important is that the right equipment is there, and the athletes were still able to put their hard work and effort to the test.
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This was yet another amazing story about the CrossFit community banning together for the greater cause.
As of right now, the truck strike is still taking place and there have been some agreements made, but there’s still a little back and forth between major players in the trucker’s union. Hopefully, this strike passes soon and the businesses impacted in Brazil won’t suffer too much.
Feature image from @crossfitgames Instagram page and photo taken by @joy_image.
