Changing the Games: Sean Woodland Reflects on More Than a Decade of CrossFit Broadcasts
On his Instagram account earlier this week, Sean Woodland, the “Voice of the CrossFit Games,” shared that after 12 years, he was informed that he would not be calling the CrossFit Games this coming August.
- “To say that I am disappointed would be a major understatement. I was far from ready to give up a role that has meant more to me in my career than any other I have had,” Woodland shared on Instagram.
Woodland went on to say that, as of his post, he had not been informed of the reason for the decision or who specifically made the call to exclude him from the broadcast.
Woodland thanked all the fans and athletes who have supported him through the years, allowing him to realize his dream of calling play-by-play on national television.
Woodland then graciously wished Chase Ingraham the best in his opportunity to call the Games in his home state of Texas this year.
- “He has more than earned this chance, and I cannot wait to hear him on the mic,” Woodland concluded.
Ingraham responded in kind on Instagram, showing the respect the two have for each other:
- “You are and always will be (I believe again, it has to) be the Voice of the CrossFit Games. You have mentored me and supported me since the very beginning, and I am very thankful for you. I would not be here if it weren’t for you.”
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Some History
After graduating from San Francisco State University, Woodland got his “first real TV job” in 1997 in Kalispell, MT.
- “Technically, I was the sports director there, but I was the only sports guy at the station,” Woodland tells Morning Chalk Up.
After a year, Woodland took his talents to Tallahassee, FL.
Woodland was the sports director at WTXL, the ABC affiliate, where he covered Florida State athletics. In 2000, he moved to Jacksonville, where he settled for nine years, honing his skills and learning the business.
Following the Great Recession of 2008, Sean got into PR and Marketing and moved back to California to be close to his parents. He continued working in broadcasting, picking up freelance work to cover mostly football and basketball.
The Early Days in CrossFit
Woodland started CrossFit the same year the Games started in Aromas, CA, at Dave Castro’s family ranch.
- “I started CrossFit in 2007 and I was fully drinking the Kool-Aid before I got the chance to work with them,” Woodland says.
He was looking for a change to his boring workout routine, so he went to a gym in Jacksonville to try it out. His first workout was 10 rounds of Cindy.
“It almost killed me. And I thought, ‘Yeah, this is what I should be doing,’” Woodland said.
Woodland’s first time at the Games was in 2011 when he went as a fan. He recalls seeing CrossFit Media personality Rory McKernan and Miranda Oldroyd (Alcaraz) holding microphones with the ESPN logo in the tennis stadium.
- “I was like, wait? They’re doing TV for this? How do I get involved?”
Immediately upon arriving home, Woodland emailed a generic CrossFit media address and waited.
And waited.
Woodland did not receive a response.
In February 2012, Woodland decided to get his CrossFit Level 1 Certification. This was be the catalyst that launched his career at the Games.
Pat Sherwood, another CrossFit Media personality, happened to be one of his instructors. During one of the breaks, Woodland “built up the courage to go talk to him” about CrossFit Media.
Sherwood told Woodland to send the email to him directly, and he would get it to the right people.
- “A lot of the time, that’s just someone blowing you off, but he actually did it. I will never forget that,” Woodland said.
A couple of months later, Woodland received an email from Rory McKernan about helping them with a broadcast for ESPN+. CrossFit brought in a slew of people to “try out” for the media team; the vast majority were seminar staff and athletes. Sean’s previous experience helped him solidify his spot on the team.
His first call was with Tanya Wagner at the Women’s Individual competition at the 2012 Central East Regional. (That will be the answer to a trivia question someday.)
His foot was in the door, and he was on his way to calling his first CrossFit Games that same year, in 2012.
Some of Sean’s Favorite Moments
In a conversation with Morning Chalk Up, Woodland reminisced about his time spent with CrossFit and some of his most significant memories.
At the 2016 Games, Mat Fraser had two silver medals to his name, having barely missed the top of the podium in 2015 to Ben Smith. Woodland looks back to calling the Suicide Sprint event.
- “I can remember a conversation with Bill Grundler earlier that day,” Woodland tells Morning Chalk Up. “We said Mat just needs to be in the middle here. He doesn’t need to win anything. He had done poorly the prior year in the sprint, so no one expected him to win.”
Fraser won, surprising many, and started the narrative that he was there to dominate.
- “That moment was when we all knew that this person is something special. I’ve never seen anything like that,” Woodland says.
He goes on to share other special moments, which would be “anything under the lights in the tennis stadium,” noting the spectacle of certain events like “Legless” and “Push Pull.”
Additionally, an event that stands out is the Marathon Row in 2018,
- “We were trying to figure out how we were going to cover it,” Woodland says of the four-hour event.
The plan was to pop in occasionally on the live feed for updates.
But as soon as it started and the storylines developed, he thought, “We can do this.” He laughed about the genuine excitement of two virtual boats changing places on a giant screen.
He vividly remembers Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr winning for the first time in 2017. The epic finish between her and Kara Webb (Saunders), in his opinion, is one of the most memorable moments in Games history.
- “That was the loudest I ever heard that coliseum. I was sitting right next to Tanya Wagner and we could barely hear each other through the headsets,” Woodland says.
His first time at the Games in 2012 will always stand out.
- “That was such a cool moment for me, just to be part of it with those guys, and laughing and chopping it up,” Woodland says. “The whole crew was like a family. Pat (Sherwood) always had a well-timed one-liner that would lighten the mood.”
During the 2012 Camp Pendleton swim event, a jet ski was provided for the athletes to hold onto if they felt unsafe in the ocean.
- “I was back in the green room watching the event and heard Pat say, ‘Brian Diaz, the jet ski touch winner.’ I was cracking up for about 20 minutes,” he remembers.
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The Bottom Line
It’s surreal to imagine a CrossFit Games without Sean Woodland.
On his Instagram post, an outpouring of support, disappointment, and sadness filled the comment section. Hundreds and hundreds of comments were posted from Games athletes, veterans of the sport, fellow media personalities, and community members.
Friend of Woodland and Talking Elite Fitness co-host Tommy Marquez shared this: “Your legacy in this sport and community is undeniable as a voice that has brought excitement, passion, and the utmost professionalism at every turn.”
Rory McKernan added: “As a leader on the media team, his fingerprints are everywhere you hear people talk about our sport. He professionalized the live call in a way that changed the game and is emulated by anyone who came after him.”
In a note to the Morning Chalk Up, the third member of the Talking Elite Fitness team, Lauren Kalil, shared her thoughts:
- “There is no better professional, mentor, and incredible human being than Sean Woodland. Working with Sean is such a privilege because not only is he the best at what he does, but he’s humble about it. CrossFit the sport has evolved to what it is today because he’s elevated it through his exceptional commentary.”
Woodland is one of those people who makes you feel like you’ve been friends for a decade, even though he just met you.
His is the voice we hear when we watch the CrossFit Games.
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Featured image: @swoodland53 / Instagram