KAILUA-KONA — CrossFit likes to bill itself as more than a workout.
It’s not just running, jumping, sweating; it’s a philosophy that teaches the mind and body about its own limits using high-intensity interval training — mixing different styles of workouts such as Olympic weightlifting, plyometrics, powerlifting, gymnastics, kettlebell lifting, calisthenics and strongman.
For two Big Islanders, Cheryl Brost and Albert Police, CrossFit has not only become a way of life, but it’s also taking them places they never expected to go.
Both Brost and Police, who train out of CrossFit AllStar in Waimea, recently qualified for the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games.
The competition has been growing in popularity over the years. ESPN began broadcasting it a couple of years ago and recently a NetFlix documentary took viewers behind the scenes at the ultra-competitive event. The six-day competition is designed to find the “Fittest on Earth,” according to the event’s website, and kicks off Tuesday in Carson, California.
The fact that two athletes are from one box — what CrossFitters call their gyms — is a feat all to itself.
“Out of the 2,000 CrossFit gyms in America, only a small fraction have one competitor, so to have two is extremely rare,” CrossFit Allstar owner KC Stallsmith said. “To have these two athletes, as humble as they are, training alongside our other members, has been an incredibly important opportunity for our club. They set a good example in the gym and are very special people.”
Brost is no stranger to The Games, which hosted its first competition in 2007. Brost started her CrossFit training late in 2009 while living in Eugene, Oregon. At the time she said she was just looking for a “fun way to stay fit and did not know there was a competitive side to it.”
It wasn’t long before Brost found herself training for the CrossFit Games. In 2010, while competing in the Open division, she made her way through qualifying while facing some of the strongest and quickest athletes on the planet. She made the The Games on her first try and placed 13th.
While competing in the top division, Brost finished as high as seventh, which came the following year. At 40-years old, Brost managed the achievement while competing against athletes with an average age closer to 25 or 26, she said.
“I felt great about that and it was a fun time,” she said.
After placing 15th in 2012, Brost had a setback, blowing out her Achilles tendon during a qualifying round the following year. She tried to make a comeback but missed out on reaching The Games in 2013 by one spot.
“I fought hard to come back and compete at regionals,” Brost said. “I came close, finishing fourth, but at the time you had to finish in the top three.”
Brost made the games in 2014 and 2015, finishing second and fourth respectively in the Masters division (ages 40-44).
Now at the age of 45, Brost finds herself in a spot where she is now one of the younger competitors in the 45-49 age group. The difference has been noticeable. Brost was first first in her age group in the Open qualifying and first in the Masters qualifier.
“This was a better, smarter rout for me,” Brost said about making the change from Open to Masters. “It allows me to narrow my focus and set my training to peak at the CrossFit Games instead of having to ramp up for the regionals or subregionals.”
So what are some of these workouts like?
Take, for example, what they call Murph. CrossFit likes to name famous workouts after people, kind of like storms, or in honor of someone. Murph is dedicated to a fallen serviceman and the workout is a mile run, followed by 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 air squats and then another mile run, for time, which means you’re racing a clock. And all the while wearing a 20-pound weighted vest.
As an older competitor, Brost says one of the biggest differences in competing is recovery time.
“The sport has gotten so good and so many athletes are out there,” Brost said. “It is a little harder when you are in your 40s to be able to recover as quickly as they do, but I feel great and I just love the daily grind of training.”
While Brost is a veteran of the sport, Police is a relative newcomer. Police started CrossFit training in 2012 by making a makeshift gym in his garage. For a year, Police trained himself before joining Brost at CrossFit Allstar.
Police made his first CrossFit Games last year, qualifying 13th overall in the 45-49 Masters division. At The Games, he managed to improve on his standing, placing 11th.
This year, Police has been battling injuries and the fact that he is competing in the upper tier of his age group at 49 years old. Still, he managed to grab the final spot, 20th, in the final qualifying round to reach the CrossFit Games for the second time.
“I followed the same program as last year and got stronger and a little more fit,” Police said. “It has been harder this year, with a stronger field, and I was the last man in. I was lucky… but I feel ready.”
The fact that Police made it into the games at 20th and Brost leads her age group has created some friendly ribbing among the two during training sessions at CrossFit Allstar.
“Al squeeking in at 20th has earned him the nickname of desperado around the gym,” Stallsmith said with a laugh. “Cheryl is No. 1 right now but Al likes to act like he’s the bigger bear. They are able to laugh and train together.”
Police took a more humble approach when asked about his expectations for The Games, saying he will be happy to finish 19th, which would improve on his qualifying performance, but his ultimate goal is to get into the top 10.
“I don’t have the fear of the unknown anymore. I know what to expect,” Police said. “Last year, I was really nervous through the first couple of events. It is a very big deal to get there, but this year I have been training my mind to only focus on what I will be doing. I just want to go out there, have fun and do my best.”
