CrossFit athlete Mat Fraser is one of the biggest names in the short history of the sport. He’s won the CrossFit Games four years in a row, earning him the title of the Fittest Man on Earth. Fraser’s perspective is important for the sport’s large, famously loyal community more than ever now, with the controversy embroiling CrossFit HQ in the wake of now former CEO Greg Glassman’s racist remarks about George Floyd.
Fraser initially re-shared Instagram posts from NCFIT, a now-former CrossFit affiliate gym, and Rogue, a former sponsor, in the immediate aftermath of Glassman’s tweet. Fraser has shared his own thoughts in an Instagram post, seemingly before Glassman stepped down from his post.
“I felt like it went without saying but I want it to be clear, I do not support Greg Glassman and I’m frustrated he’s at the helm of CrossFit,” he wrote in the post’s caption.
He went on to distance himself from the CrossFit brand itself, while emphasizing his appreciation for the sport’s community.
“I’ve dedicated my life to this sport. I’ve become the person I am today through the lessons I’ve learned in training and competition. I do not attribute my successes (or failures) to the organization,” he wrote. Instead, Fraser credited the gyms and people who have supported him through the years for his career.
He ended his post with a powerful statement about the future:
“The community we have will survive this and it is not defined by one man’s opinion. I’m looking for change and my support will be given to those leading the way. #HWPO,” he wrote.
Other athletes have spoken out about the controversy, too. Fellow CrossFit Games four-time champion Rich Froning also denounced Glassman’s comments, while other CrossFit pros Chandler Smith and Noah Ohlsen have also released their own statements about not participating in the 2020 CrossFit Games.
Many sponsors, including Reebok and FitAid, have publicly cut ties with the brand as well, while Rogue Fitness will remove the CrossFit logo from its upcoming invitational.
For its part, CrossFit HQ released a statement apologizing for its silence and pledging to “do what we can to be better with the hope of building a better world on the other side of this.”
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