On this week’s livestream, we’re unpacking why and how CrossFit’s community is different — to the point that some even call us a cult. 

Guest host Matt Souza is joined by Nicole Carroll and Jenn Pishko. 

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MEMBER SPOTLIGHT – Yann Martel, Author of “Life of Pi”

Yann Martel is best known as the author of the modern classic “Life of Pi.” But he also happens to be a longtime member at CrossFit Brio in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In this conversation with host Jocelyn Rylee, Yann shares how CrossFit became part of his life more than 14 years ago, and why he still shows up to class five days a week.

The two also discuss his writing process, the symbolism behind “Life of Pi,” and how fiction and fitness both shape how we understand ourselves and the world. Surprise guest Dave Castro crashes the conversation midway through to meet the author and share why “Life of Pi” is one of his favorite books of all time.

EPISODE TOPICS

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Community Highlight

Shannon Schleifer has been bringing CrossFit to public schools in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the past decade. At Fremont Academy, she built a CrossFit elective where students learn to move with intention, and understand how it connects to what they’re studying in science class.

The setup is simple: folding rigs, barbells, dumbbells. But the impact is huge. Her classes stay full, and kids are gaining confidence in what their bodies can do.

Shannon retires this year, but she’s not done. Her goal is to expand CrossFit in public schools because for many kids, this is their only shot.

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Age-group athletes are the purest expression of what CrossFit stands for: proof that elite health has no age limit. From teenagers stepping onto the competition floor for the first time to 70+ athletes rewriting what aging looks like, age-group athletes are the tip of the spear — living examples that you can take ownership of your health at any stage of life and never hand it back to the system.

Join host James Hobart with Adrian Conway, Chase Ingraham, and Scott Panchik as we celebrate the monsters in every division — the ones who prove, year after year, that the cure works in every decade.

Surprise guest Carolyne Prevost jumps in part way through the conversation from the airport on her way to compete at the 2025 Age-Group CrossFit Games.

Watch the 2025 Age-Group CrossFit Games. 

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CrossFit’s new ad pulls no punches — but it’s only the starting point.

In this livestream, Jocelyn Rylee sits down with Matt Souza, Jenn Pishko, and James Hobart to respond to the ad together, unpacking what it means in the context of CrossFit’s mission to make the world a healthier place.

Whether someone is seeking to dominate their sport or improve their quality of life, CrossFit works. Our program can be scaled for anyone. But even in meeting people where they are, CrossFit requires hard work.

“CrossFit is for anyone, but not for everyone.” We own this adage because it is in the challenge of CrossFit that people come to understand what they are capable of, where true potential is unlocked, not just in terms of belief in ourselves, but in terms of our health and fitness — our degree of capacity and vitality for life.

“Tens of thousands of coaches around the world teach functional movement, nutrition, recovery, and resilience … They build relationships, and they track results.

This is what real public health looks like.” [CrossFit Is the Cure]

Let’s talk about what it all means. Buckle up. We’re Forging Elite Fitness.

Community Highlight

Elina Villemure was born in Bulgaria, adopted at 5, and grew up in Michigan chasing her brothers — on one leg above the knee, and one below.

She found CrossFit through Forging Youth Resilience, and after surgery left her in a wheelchair, she assumed training was off the table — until her school counselor said otherwise.

Her first Open? She did it from a wheelchair.

Now, at 20, Elina runs the Adaptive Athlete Experience — a traveling seminar that helps gyms better serve athletes of all abilities. She’s already hosted more than a dozen events.

“Whether or not I lose a leg or break a leg, I still have to adapt in the gym. The only difference is one is three months and the other is the rest of your life.”

Follow her story. And if you own a gym, consider bringing her in.

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Catch up on this livestream from August 8th, 2025.

The 2025 CrossFit Games delivered big moments — but more than that, they offered perspective.

In this conversation, Denise Thomas, James Hobart, and Adrian Conway reflect on what stood out and what it means moving forward. The discussion goes beyond the leaderboard to focus on the connection between the Games and the larger CrossFit community — what we saw this year, how it resonated inside and outside the arena, and how we can build on it.

This conversation explores what the Games can and should mean for CrossFit’s future — not just for elite sport, but for the everyday affiliate, the larger mission, and the community that makes it all work.

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EC Synkowski joins Denise Thomas to talk about CrossFit, food, and how to cut through the confusion. EC is the founder of OptimizeMe Nutrition and the creator of the 800g Challenge, but her insights go way beyond a single method. They cover why some of us slide into food neurosis, how to know when your diet is actually “done,” and the biggest mistakes people make when chasing health. 

EC also discusses the role of processed foods, challenges common rhetoric about carbs and seed oils, and breaks down her 10 principles of nutrition, which serve as the backbone of her Three Pillars Method. This is an episode about simplifying nutrition, ditching dogma, and learning to trust what works.

Episode Topics

Resources Mentioned

Community Highlight

Aaron Hoff is using CrossFit to change more than lives — he’s changing an entire island.

Born and raised on Kauaʻi, Aaron knows the grip of addiction firsthand. By his early 20s, he was in active addiction and suicidal. But one Christmas Eve, he hit a turning point. He’s now 27 years sober.

In 2013, he opened his first CrossFit gym. Today, through the Keala Foundation, he runs two affiliates focused on keeping kids out of the cycle he escaped.

The gyms are free for youth. Each class starts and ends with a “word of the day” — like honesty or integrity — and a coach-led reflection. “Words are the tools that help you process trauma,” Aaron says. “If you don’t understand the language, you’re lost.”

He reaches over 500 kids a year. Some stay for years. Some become coaches.

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James Hobart has been part of CrossFit since the early days. He’s competed at the Games, demoed for CrossFit’s movement videos, worked on Seminar Staff, and spent nearly two decades watching the culture evolve. In this episode, he sits down with Denise Thomas to talk candidly about the state of CrossFit — and whether it’s lost its soul.

From what it felt like to walk away from competition, to the mindset shift required to keep training into middle age, James opens up about what keeps him coming back to the gym and why he still believes in the methodology. They discuss the difference between nostalgia and stagnation, why CrossFit’s messiness is part of the magic, and what it really means to “teach yourself out of a job.

TOPICS COVERED

RESOURCES MENTIONED

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHT

Mark and Dana Harris are the founders of Equip Products — a company based in rural Illinois that’s making CrossFit more accessible for adaptive and neuro athletes around the world. 

It started with a conversation at the CrossFit Games. Kevin Ogar mentioned the need for better gear to train from his wheelchair, and that led to their first product: the lap mat.
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Today, Equip offers nearly 150 tools that help athletes train safely and independently, regardless of ability. 

For Mark and Dana, this isn’t just business — it’s a way to make sure no one hears, “That’s it. You’re done.” Their message is simple: You’re not done. You’re just getting started.

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Adrian Conway has competed at the highest level of CrossFit, coaches athletes of all levels, is a Seminar Staff member, and a CrossFit Games commentator. In this conversation with Denise Thomas, he explains the symbiotic relationship between the CrossFit Games and CrossFit affiliates.

Adrian offers a perspective on how the sport has evolved and how the professionalism of the sport depends on the very athletes who participate in it. This episode is about the future of CrossFit, the spirit of the community, and bridging the gap between the sport and the affiliate.

Topics Included

Resources Mentioned

Community Highlight

Carolyne Prevost is a three-time CrossFit Games athlete (four times after this year), a former pro hockey player, an 11-time national champion across four sports, and a full-time high school teacher in Sarnia, Canada. But what sets her apart isn’t just the accolades. It’s the impact.

In 2018, Carolyne launched CrossFit GAGE — an affiliate inside her school — to teach students how to move well, take care of themselves, and build real confidence. She’s proof that being elite doesn’t mean being out of reach. It means showing up, coaching, and leading by example.

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Episode Description Angie Manson is the CEO of Elevate Addiction Services, a residential rehab program that integrates CrossFit into daily life. In this conversation with Denise Thomas, Angie opens up about her own recovery, what CrossFit gave her, and why every coach needs to understand addiction.

Angie explains how EAS operates — from an on-site CrossFit affiliate to community classes to post-rehab support — and what she’s learned after helping thousands of people rebuild their lives. This episode is about fitness, but it’s also about humanity, hope, and second chances.

Topics Included

Resources Mentioned

RESOURCES FOR ADDICTION

Elevate Addiction Services – https://elevaterehab.org/

Immediate Help

Treatment & Recovery Resources

Peer Support Communities

Community Highlight

Tammi Saunders is the head coach at The Barbell Saves Project — a nonprofit CrossFit affiliate in Phoenix, Arizona, offering free classes to anyone in recovery.

The only requirements: 48 hours sober and a commitment to keep showing up.⠀Every coach on staff, including Tammi, is in recovery. They run five community classes a day, plus sessions for sober-living homes and treatment centers. But fitness is just the beginning.

What they’re building is trust, discipline, and integrity – under stress, in community.Tammi has helped develop seven Level 1 trainers through the program, many straight out of prison or early sobriety. She’s built a trauma-informed culture rooted in empathy and consent.

She still remembers walking into a gym for the first time: smoking two packs a day, struggling with disordered eating, unsure what came next. Now she’s a Certified CrossFit Level 3 Trainer, trauma-informed, and a Masters Games athlete.“If I can become this version of myself,” she says, “anyone can.”

This is what it looks like to hold the door open for the next person.Know someone you think deserves to be highlighted? Nominate them here.

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Dr. Stacy Sims is an exercise physiologist, nutrition scientist, TEDx speaker, and the bestselling author behind the viral phrase “Women are not small men.” In this episode, she joins Denise Thomas to unpack what we really need to know about women’s physiology — and how most training and nutrition advice completely ignores it.

They get into the menstrual cycle, perimenopause, postmenopause, and how to train through it all. Stacy explains why women lose power during certain phases, how training affects the brain, and what female athletes should do differently when it comes to strength, conditioning, recovery, and stress. They also break down cold plunges, sauna use, and why CrossFit coaches and gym owners have an opportunity to lead the way in changing the narrative.

Topics Included

Resources Mentioned

Community Highlight

Arielle Loewen is a household name in CrossFit — fierce on the floor, kind in every interaction. But behind the scenes, she’s also quietly mentoring the next generation.⠀Last year, she supported eight teenage CrossFit Games athletes, checking in weekly to discuss the mental aspects of elite competition. One even flew out to train with her in person.

Arielle’s leadership comes from lived experience. In 2013, she couldn’t afford her first competition — someone else covered the entry fee. Now, she pays it forward. She designs and sells “Strong Mom” shirts to help other moms cover local competition costs.

Her message is simple: “When you think you’re done, you’re not done.”Arielle’s a bright spot in the CrossFit community — and we’ll be cheering her on at the 2025 CrossFit Games.

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Let us know what you think about the podcast and how we can improve here