Sometimes it doesn’t go according to the plan. Roman Khrennikov came to CrossFit Games 2023 with one goal in mind…to win at all costs. He led the field in nearly every event for three days opening a commanding lead. Until he scaled a log on the first event of the final day…

In this precursor episode from day two of the games, Fran Racioppi and Jessie Graff sit down with Roman from the US Army Fitness Truck in Madison, WI to dive deep into his journey of drive, dedication, determination, resilience and pursuit of excellence. Roman shares how he overcame visa challenges to even compete in the games, forcing him to leave his wife and unborn son in Russia. He shares his decision to change coaches in the lead up to the games, his training mindset, his focus on competing in the moment instead of comparing himself to the past, and how dancing helped him become a better athlete. Roman also explains his thoughts on injury and how to deal with the adversity of not achieving your goals.  

Roman earned the bronze medal and is the recipient of the coveted Spirit of the Games award after a historic performance demonstrating his mindset to compete to win no matter the challenge; which for Roman in these games included competing in the final two events with a broken foot and torn ligament. He’s a true champion on and off the competition floor inspiring others through his incredible story of triumph and perseverance in the world of elite fitness.

Read the full episode transcription here and learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video version on YouTube.

Highlights:

• 0:00 Welcome to CrossFit Games 2023 Opening Ceremonies
• 1:48 Roman’s mindset coming into the games as a favorite
• 3:26 From dancing to CrossFit
• 6:52 Roman can’t get his visa to come to America
• 9:51 Why Roman left Russia and his family to train in the US
• 13:14 Roman’s training mindset to prepare for the games
• 16:27 Managing training to avoid injury
• 18:10 Roman’s plan to win the games

Quotes: 

• “Be kind. Help Others.It really, really makes my soul happy.” (9:34) 
• “Don’t cheat yourself. Work really hard. Put 100% in.” (15:54) 
• “Sometimes you can win. Sometimes you can lose. Sometimes you can get injured. It’s a part of the sport.” (16:13) 
• “When I go to competitions I’m going to win.” (19:36) 
• “I think about the competition as of today. I don’t compare myself to the past.” (20:03)

This episode is brought to you by US Army, Wodify, Hero Coffee, GORUCK, Yeti &  Compass Workforce Solutions.