James Hobart, Adrian Conway, and Craig Howard discuss competition within the fitness world. They share their perspectives on the role of rivals and how it impacts their community. The conversation explores both external competition and healthy rivalry among affiliates.
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This marks the sixth episode of a special CrossFit Podcast collaboration with the CrossFit Medical Society.
CrossFit affiliates are the force transforming how the healthcare system operates.
Zia Rohrbaugh of CrossFit Counter Culture and Josh Plosker of Invictus Boston have turned their gyms into full-service “health homes,” offering blood panels, IV therapy, and access to Community Care health plans — all built around CrossFit’s foundational principles.
In this conversation, Jocelyn Rylee explores how affiliates bring these systems to life, how members save money through HSA and FSA programs, and what it means for the future of CrossFit and community-based healthcare.
TOPICS INCLUDED
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Community Highlight
In 2011, Jaeho Woo discovered CrossFit as a college athlete in Seoul. What started as training for basketball became a lifelong passion — one that eventually took him to the most remote place on Earth.
After serving in the Korean military and coaching CrossFit, Jaeho opened an affiliate in Seoul — then shipped 500 lb of equipment to Antarctica to found the first CrossFit affiliate on the continent.
For 10 months, he’s coached his 18-person crew in a tiny gym surrounded by glaciers. When the endless dark set in and isolation hit hard, Jaeho kept showing up — knocking on doors, reminding his teammates: When you train together, you feel better, and you’re never alone.
As he prepares to leave Antarctica, Jaeho’s message is simple: Isolation is real. Resilience comes from connection. Wherever you are, don’t go it alone.
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Are the CrossFit Games CrossFit?
How does the test for the Fittest on Earth fit into the grand scheme of CrossFit as a brand?
Where are the pain points and synergies between the tip of the spear and the rest of the community?
The sport expression of CrossFit is a vital one, but how is it best incorporated into the brand so it serves the entire CrossFit ecosystem?
James Hobart, Dave Castro, and special guest Seth Page discuss this relationship and where they see the Games contributing to or detracting from the CrossFit brand.
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This marks the fifth episode of a special CrossFit Podcast collaboration with the CrossFit Medical Society.
Calley Means is a former food and pharma lobbyist turned healthcare reform advocate. He co-authored “Good Energy” with his sister, Dr. Casey Means, and co-founded TrueMed, a company working to make root-cause health solutions like exercise and nutrition eligible for HSA/FSA dollars.
In this conversation, Calley explains why our healthcare model is built to manage disease instead of preventing it, how CrossFit and lifestyle interventions are effective, and what policies and cultural shifts could finally turn the tide against chronic illness.
Topics Covered
Resources Mentioned
Community Highlight
Nick Johnson founded CrossFit Liminal, a nonprofit affiliate outside Atlanta serving one of the most diverse refugee communities in the U.S. What started in his garage with five members from Syria and Nepal, has grown into programs for Afghan women, refugee youth training for free, and community events like “Ruck for Refugees.”
As Nick puts it: “Trauma gets you out of your body. CrossFit gets you back in it.”
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What does the ideal CrossFit experience look like?
In this livestream, hosts James Hobart and Denise Thomas break down the non-negotiables of a great affiliate, as well as stylistic touches that make each gym unique. From the 60-minute class to the full journey, the conversation explores what members should expect, what owners and coaches must deliver, and how the best affiliates create environments where people thrive. Whether you’re a coach, owner, or member, this episode will leave you with a clear picture of what the “ideal member experience” really means in CrossFit.
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This marks the fourth episode of a special CrossFit Podcast collaboration with the CrossFit Medical Society.
Redemption Road CrossFit started inside Colorado’s prison system, where a small group of men turned CrossFit workouts into the first affiliate behind bars. Today, it’s a nonprofit changing prison culture through mentorship, accountability, and community — cutting recidivism to just 1.6% compared to the national average of 80%.
This week, we welcome Redemption Road CrossFit’s founder Nick Wells and founding member Gino Aviles to the show. Nick and Gino share their journey, from addiction and life sentences to freedom, sobriety, and leadership, and show how CrossFit’s methodology can transform not just fitness, but lives.
Topics Covered
Resources Mentioned
Community Highlight
Troy Peterson founded ValorFit to connect veterans with CrossFit affiliates across the U.S.
For him, it’s personal. After serving in Iraq and earning a Purple Heart, Troy came home battling addiction, depression, and suicidal thoughts. At 300+ pounds and dependent on pills and alcohol, his wife gave him an ultimatum. That’s when he walked into a CrossFit gym and asked for help.
“I didn’t want to take the substances anymore because I wanted to go work out.” That shift changed everything.
Today, ValorFit covers six months of affiliate memberships for veterans — over 4,000 so far. The only requirement? Show up three days a week.
“Free breakfast on Veterans Day has never changed anyone’s life,” Troy said. “But showing up to the gym three days a week can.”
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Programming is one of the most debated topics in CrossFit. On this livestream, James Hobart and Denise Thomas sit down with the guys behind both mainsite and CrossFit Affiliate Programming (CAP), Joe Alexander and Spencer Hendel. Together, they’ll dig into the philosophy and practice behind effective programming.
They’ll cover the charter of CrossFit.com, how CAP supports affiliates, what makes programming successful (and what doesn’t), and how intensity, volume, and movement selection come into play.
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This marks the third episode of a special CrossFit Podcast collaboration with the CrossFit Medical Society.
In this episode, Jason Fernandez, longtime coach, Seminar Staff member, and co-founder of Best Hour of Their Day, and Matt Souza, 12-year affiliate owner of CrossFit Livermore, join host Jocelyn Rylee to dig into the overlooked fundamentals of hospitality, first impressions, and soft skills in CrossFit gyms.
They share hard-earned lessons on onboarding, reducing friction, building community, and why trust is the ultimate currency. Understand the type of service top CrossFit affiliates provide and how that’s the road to reducing the intimidation factor.
Topics Covered
4. Resources Mentioned
Community Highlight
David Needham seems to do it all: full-time firefighter, owner of two CrossFit affiliates, contributor to WheelWOD and the Adaptive CrossFit Games, and mentor to other affiliate owners on business growth.
One of his biggest passions is serving on the Adaptive Athlete Foundation of Maryland, where he helps athletes secure life-changing prosthetics through insurance. Watching someone regain the ability to move and train is what drives him most.
And when asked what CrossFit means to him, David’s answer is simple … and very firefighter:
“Because of CrossFit, I can save people from burning buildings.”
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This marks the second episode of a special CrossFit Podcast collaboration with the CrossFit Medical Society.
This week, we welcome Daniel Chaffey, a longtime leader in the CrossFit space. He owns CrossFit Louvre in Paris, one of Europe’s most established affiliates with over 3,100 members across three locations.
He also founded the major European competition, The French Throwdown, and Operating With Excellence, a workshop platform dedicated to helping affiliate owners build thriving businesses.
In this conversation, host Jocelyn Rylee dives into the essentials of CrossFit affiliates with Daniel: leadership, hospitality, and community. Chaffey, known for never mincing words, shares point-blank perspectives on everything from the future of CrossFit to the responsibility of affiliates in shaping that future.
Topics Covered
Resources Mentioned
Community Highlight
Saxon Panchik is having a full-circle moment.
With six CrossFit Games appearances, he’s now putting more energy into giving back to the community that built him.
His message:
“It is life-changing. We all have things we wish we knew when starting our fitness journey. Take a minute to share that with someone just beginning.”
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Over the next few weeks, we’re rolling out something different: a special CrossFit Podcast collaboration with the CrossFit Medical Society. Why? Because the CFMS isn’t sitting quietly on the sidelines. They are in the fight to cure chronic disease and put affiliates in the driver’s seat as the true health homes of their communities. This is a grassroots health revolution, and everyone should be paying attention. The mission is simple: empower affiliates, coaches, and members with real tools to reclaim their health and step out of the sickness economy. No quick fixes. Just CrossFit.
In this episode, Dr. Tom McCoy and Jenn Pishko, founders of the CrossFit Medical Society, join host Jocelyn Rylee to break down how affiliates can become the front line of community-based health care.
Recorded live at the 2025 CrossFit Owners and Coaches Conference and the 2025 CrossFit Games, the conversation digs into physician burnout, the launch of CommunityCare, and why the affiliate model is poised to be the future of preventative health.
Topics Covered
Resources Mentioned
Community Highlight
Bobby Peters is the assistant superintendent of a rural California school district. He’s also an L2 trainer, a garage gym guy, and the founder of CrossFit Sierra Pacific, a nonprofit affiliate based in a public high school.⠀
It started small. A few local P.E. teachers got their L1s. Then came a weight-room renovation, a CrossFit course for students, and a 5 a.m. class open to any staff who wanted to move before the school day.
But Bobby didn’t stop there.
He helped launch a CrossFit program inside a juvenile incarceration facility. The setup is simple — bikes, sandbags, bodyweight movements — but the impact is massive.
“These kids didn’t talk to each other at first,” Bobby says. “Now they cheer each other on. They fist bump. They give feedback. It’s completely different.
”Bobby’s building confidence, leadership, and the possibility of a different path. His vision is clear: help these kids earn their L1s and reenter the world with something real.
He’s also pushing to get CrossFit recognized as a state-approved high school fitness curriculum — and he’s laying the groundwork to make it happen.
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