Seher Kaya had plenty of standout performances during the 2024 CrossFit season.
She placed first in her region in the Open and eighth worldwide. Then, she placed first in both the Quarterfinals and Asia Semifinal in Korea.
- Kaya qualified for her third CrossFit Games and secured her best placing yet by finishing in 21st. (She placed 23rd in 2023 and 29th in 2022.)
However, like many of the 2024 Games athletes, pain and insecurity hung over Kaya’s that weekend in Fort Worth, TX. And as she competed at the Games, heartbroken, she knew there was another competition just a month later: the TYR Cup.
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Memories of Lazar
One of the early athletes announced on Team World, Kaya was looking forward to competing alongside Lazar Ðukić. In an Instagram post, days after Ðukić died, she reflected on one of their last interactions in Forth Worth.
Prior to Event 1 on August 8, she was approached by Ðukić while they were all at the lake running through the event, and she helped show him where the swim began and ended.
- “While I was explaining this, he goes, ‘We are going to win the TYR Cup, right?’ With his signature goofy smile of his, so I went, ‘Of course, we are going to win! They got no chance!’ And he goes, ‘Thank you! Exactly what I wanted to hear,’ and we started laughing,” Kaya wrote.
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The TYR Cup
Like so many of the TYR Cup athletes who ultimately competed in Huntington Beach, Kaya approached this inaugural contest with a heavy heart that began to heal during the three-day event.
- “Actually, you know, after the Games, I didn’t know if I wanted to compete; I was so unsure. I really needed this weekend; I really did. I found [out] why I do this. My joy [is] to compete, I guess,” Kaya told Morning Chalk Up in an interview.
She shined on Team World with an incredible performance during the clean ladder event. This workout began with the athletes performing bar muscle-ups before moving through five barbells, each progressively heavier.
- “Obviously, the clean ladder was the biggest highlight because I know I’m not the fastest with the barbell, but I was feeling so calm,” she said. “I had my head in the game, and it went the way I did not expect. But I was so happy about it.”
Normally calm and collected, Kaya was jumping up and down, thrilled with her performance. It was clear to everyone in attendance that she was in her element.
- “I promise you, I never celebrate, but then I got to the finish line, and I was like, ‘What just happened,’” Kaya said. “It was so great, and I felt the energy. I gave it to the team, and I set the standard for that event. It was great.”
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What’s Next for Seher Kaya?
When asked if the event lived up to her expectations, she shared that it surpassed them.
- “It was way better than what I expected,” Kaya said. “I went into this weekend, I knew I was kind of the underdog. I was scared that I would be the weak link because we have some big names on my team, and we’re going against some big names, so I was super nervous. But I also told myself I didn’t want to let the team down. And I know how I am when I get to the competition floor — I put my head down, and I just work.”
The work paid off — and, like other competitors, she found herself reenergized once the dust had settled on the TYR Cup.
- “I think many people feel this way, not just the competitors, but the people all around. We were so unsure: is this right to do? But I’m so happy I came and did this,” Kaya said.
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Later this season, Seher Kaya hopes to compete at the Dubai Fitness Championship and some small community competitions in Turkey.
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Featured image: @seherkaaya / Instagram
