On the weekend of May 31, 2013, the 270 best athletes of the North Central Region gathered at Chicago’s Navy Pier to compete for a spot at the 2013 Reebok CrossFit Games.
Jon Colborn was among them.
In his first year as an individual qualifying athlete, Jon showed strength, grit, and determination as he competed in 7 events over the course of the weekend. Day one started off with the benchmark workout “Jackie”. Fueled by adrenaline and the crowd, Jon achieved a PR on the workout, completing the 50 thrusters and 30 pull-ups of the workout unbroken. He continued on to complete a 245# overhead squat, and then demolished most of the field during event 3, completing 30 burpee muscle-ups in just 6 minutes and 10 seconds. Despite battling tendonitis in his knee, Jon powered through day two, which included wall balls, chest to bar pull-ups, pistol squats, 70# dumbbell snatches, and 315# deadlifts. By Day 3, the field of athletes was feeling beat-up. To accommodate his knee, Jon completed 90′ of 160# lunges on one leg before finishing event 7 (rope climbs and 225# squat cleans). Jon finished the weekend in 28th place overall, solidifying his spot as one of the best North Central athletes and displaying mental strength in the face of injury.
Jon’s performance at Regionals is a testament to physical and mental preparation. CrossFitting at The Foundry prepares all of us to complete physical challenges in the face of exhaustion & soreness, and learn to overcome our fears and mental roadblocks. It’s easy to throw in the towel when things get difficult, but the ability to keep going is a greater victory. Jon represented all of us at The Foundry during competition, and represented us well.
Jon’s performance is also symbolic of what is to come at The Foundry. We have some of the best programming and coaching in the region at The Foundry, and in the year ahead we look forward to many others coming up to reach this level. Jon just happens to be the first of what will become a long line of Foundry athletes that will impress and inspire us in the upcoming years. Preparation for the 2014 CrossFit Games season begins now! Next stop: qualifying for the 2014 CrossFit Games North Central Region team competition! July 1, we will begin our competitive athlete training cycle that will continue through next year’s season. In the upcoming months, we will be sending several athletes to local regional competitions to prepare for the 2014 Open. If you are interested in the competitive side of CrossFit, speak with Brad or Jon about how to join the team!
Tell us in the comment section – what was your favorite moment of the 2013 CrossFit Games season and what goals are you going to achieve this year?
Select photos from the weekend: