Some CrossFit-branded gyms in Greater Victoria are cutting ties with the U.S. fitness brand after the company鈥檚 founder made insensitive comments about Black Lives Matter protests.
Kelsey Goodwin and Adam Davidson, who own CrossFit LoLo on Store Street downtown, said Thursday they will 鈥渄e-affiliate鈥� with the company immediately.
Several other affiliated gyms across the region are expected to follow the dozens who have quit the CrossFit brand in sa国际传媒, sa国际传媒 and the U.S. after founder Greg Glassman鈥檚 comments last weekend.
On Saturday, the research firm Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation tweeted: 鈥淩acism is a public health issue.鈥�
Glassman replied on his Twitter feed: 鈥淚t鈥檚 Floyd-19,鈥� a reference both to COVID-19 and George Floyd, who died two weeks ago after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck for several minutes. The incident, captured on video, sparked worldwide protests. Four Minneapolis officers were arrested in his death.
Glassman has apologized for his tweet, calling it a 鈥渕istake,鈥� but the fallout has been swift.
鈥淚t goes completely against what we stand for,鈥� said Goodwin. 鈥淥ur gym, LoLo, means Love on, Lift on and we don鈥檛 feel that aligns with how Glassman is representing CrossFit.鈥�
It鈥檚 especially painful for Davidson, 28, who won the International Brazil CrossFit championship in March and was one of only 30 men worldwide to qualify for the CrossFit Games to compete for the 鈥淔ittest on Earth鈥� title.
Davidson was the last athlete in the world to qualify to compete in the elite sporting event before sanctioned events worldwide were cancelled due to COVID-19. Upon winning the Brazil championship, he had to quarantine while his own gym was shut down for two and a half months.
鈥淭he high to low was like a candle flame being blown out 鈥� and now this situation with CrossFit as a whole 鈥� it鈥檚 just one thing after another.鈥�
But Davidson said it鈥檚 important to 鈥渟tand with people who want to make a change.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 a human first,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to value human rights. It鈥檚 sad to see a company get hit so hard for the comments of one man. [But] it was extremely inappropriate and insensitive.鈥�
Davidson was scheduled to take part in a video conference with fellow CrossFit champions on Thursday afternoon to determine the future of the competition, including discussions about competing under a new banner.
Greater Victoria has at least seven CrossFit-affiliated gyms. Calls to others were not immediately returned. One business had its phone line disconnected.
Goodwin said her gym received a message on Thursday from someone who wanted to join, 鈥渂ut only if we de-affiliate with the CrossFit brand.鈥�
She said several other local gyms are expected to follow, with some taking the CrossFit brand off social-media feeds. Many are preparing formal announcements to members.
CrossFit, an exercise brand that incorporates movements such as high-intensity interval training, Olympic weightlifting and power lifting, was founded by Glassman and Lauren Jenai in 2000 in Santa Cruz, California. There are 13,000 affiliated gyms worldwide.
CrossFit is not a franchise, and while gym coaches must be CrossFit certified, individual gyms are free to develop their own training programs.
Gyms pay an annual affiliate fee on a sliding scale depending on the year a gym signed up. The affiliation fee for Canadian gyms was $4,068 this year ($4,455 in Quebec).
Affiliation allows use of the CrossFit name and whatever advertising benefits that come from that, plus inclusion in the CrossFit Open, a competition for gyms worldwide that is the first qualifier for the global CrossFit Games.
Jason Darr, who owns Vancouver gym CrossFit 604 with his wife, Riley, said the affiliation fee virtually paid for itself in drop-in fees from out-of-town visitors. 鈥淲e鈥檝e built a very successful business using that name by having the freedom to run our own business the way we run it,鈥� Darr said.
What prompted the Darrs to de-affiliate, he said, was CrossFit鈥檚 鈥渁bsolutely horrid cringeworthy, public-facing identity.鈥�
Darr noted that one of the prizes for the 2016 CrossFit Games was a Glock handgun. The prize sparked outrage from participants and prompted title sponsor Reebok to say in a statement: 鈥淲e, unfortunately, do not have input regarding other partners or promotions.鈥�
In 2018, CrossFit chief knowledge officer Russell Berger was fired after he thanked an Indianapolis gym for 鈥渞efusing to celebrate sin鈥� when the gym cancelled a Pride Month workout.
On Monday, Reebok announced it was cutting ties with CrossFit after 10 years, saying in a statement it had been in negotiations for a new contract, but that 鈥渋n light of recent events, we have made the decision to end our partnership with CrossFit HQ. We will fulfil our remaining contractual obligations in 2020.鈥�
Glassman issued an apology, saying 鈥淚, CrossFit HQ, and the CrossFit community will not stand for racism. I made a mistake by the words I chose yesterday. My heart is deeply saddened by the pain it has caused. It was a mistake, not racist but a mistake.鈥�
The apology wasn鈥檛 enough for Katya Campbell, manager of Power by You in Nelson.
鈥淚n a time where we desperately need brave, soul-searching leadership, CrossFit has been silent 鈥� and worse, offensive,鈥� said Campbell. 鈥淪ilence is no longer acceptable.
鈥淲e are a worldwide community of people that come together to improve our health, strengthen our bodies and minds, and we do this together for a reason. Together we鈥檙e stronger. In this important time in history, we need to stand together and be brave enough to call out systemic racism, moral ambiguity, and to look at our own value systems and see how we can make an impact that supports those who are marginalized, discriminated against and undervalued.鈥�
