UPDATE: CrossFitters in China Getting Back On Their Feet

The city of Wuhan — where the Coronavirus outbreak began — has lifted its 76-day lockdown. No new cases have been reported — according to China’s National Health Commission — since April 8 and affiliates on the ground say now they’ve been able to reopen, the community is “tighter than ever.”

Following up after our recent check-in with Max Ma of the Asia CrossFit Championship, we also caught up with Eric Zhu of CrossFit Tianfu in the province of Chengdu — home of the Pandaland CrossFit Challenge.

Eric Zhu said domestic travel restrictions have been lifted and “affiliates [there] are all back to business with an even tighter community.”

• But life isn’t completely unchanged, Eric explains. Chinese citizens are required to carry around a health report card through a smartphone app called Health Code and are subject to temperature checks anywhere, anytime.
• “The public attention on health and fitness has definitely raised a lot,” he added “We have started getting new business inquiries already,” as a result.

That should be music to the ears of affiliates worldwide, who are struggling amid mandated closures.

• Authorities in most provinces globally are yet to give a definite timeline as to when restrictions will ease and gyms will reopen.
• “It was hard at first indeed, then people stayed together, fought together,” Eric Zhu said.

His advice to both members and fellow affiliate owners alike? “Eat well, sleep well, stay strong, stay healthy stay positive…We will win this battle together.”