You don’t need to WOD on the regular to enjoy the annual Reebok CrossFit Games. Athletes show up from all around the world for a chance at becoming the Fittest Man or Woman on Earth, putting on a show that’s impressive even to those who’ve never set foot in a box. (One year, there was even a CrossFit Games wedding.)
The 2020 CrossFit Games were no exception. Australian athlete Tia-Clair Toomey just claimed her place as the Fittest Woman on Earth for the fourth year in a row (!!!), setting a record as the first woman to win four titles — and consecutively, at that. That means she’s now on par with the “Fittest Man In History,” Rich Froning, who won four back-to-back individual CrossFit Games championships from 2011 to 2014.
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There’s no questioning that she could do it again. Toomey’s resumé is crazy impressive: Even before she snagged the top spots four years in a row, she finished as runner-up in 2016 and 2015, both years behind Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir of Iceland. She also made her Olympic debut in 2016, representing Australia at the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, taking fifth in her group for the sport of Olympic weightlifting (a staple in CrossFit workouts, ICYDK — these benefits of Olympic weightlifting might convince you to give it a try yourself.) That made her the first-ever athlete to compete at both the Games and the Olympics in the same year.
But just because Toomey consistently puts on a show doesn’t mean this year was any less remarkable: She demolished the competition during the Bike Repeater (10 rounds of a 440-meter bike sprint followed by a 15-foot legless rope climb), the Happy Star (four rounds of a 200- to 300-meter hill run followed by burpees and thrusters), and the Swim ‘N’ Stuff (four rounds of the Air Bike, a 50-meter swim, 10 GHD sit-ups, and 10 ball slams), nabbing first place for each workout.
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That’s not all. She was also the first finisher of the Sprint Sled Sprint, a workout that combines a 100-yard sprint, 100-yard sled push, and another 100-yard sprint. Her weightlifting skills came in handy when the athletes were tasked with performing heavy one-rep barbell snatches, which involve flinging weight from the ground all the way overhead in one fluid motion. Female athletes began the Snatch Speed Triple event at 145 lbs and worked all the way up to 185 lbs — where Toomey, again, snagged first place. (Here’s how to work toward your one-rep max if you’re new to lifting heavy.)
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Every year, Toomey widens the gap between her and her opponents: In 2017, she edged out second-place finisher, Kara Webb, by just two points, but in 2018, she beat Laura Horvath by 64 points. In 2019, there were a whopping 195 points between her and second-place Kristin Holte. This year after taking first in nine of her 12 events, Toomey earned an impressive 360 points more than runner-up Davíðsdóttir. (Pssst: You’ll never guess what Toomey eats for breakfast on a competition day.)
Inspired? You’re not the only one. Even if you’re nowhere near doing a barbell snatch (let alone three consecutive snatches at your one-rep max), you can start with this beginner CrossFit workout that only requires a kettlebell or this other at-home CrossFit workout you can anywhere.
