When I found Crossfit in 2011 I fell in love. I just had elbow surgery following the last fight of my MMA career and I was looking for something that would allow me to be competitive while my elbow recovered. As the months went by I started to do Crossfit more and MMA less. Crossfit was like a fight against yourself. Just you, the clock, and that little voice in your head telling you to stop. Although that wasn’t what really made me fall in love with Crossfit. What I really fell in love with was the community.

Crossfit had created something you could do with your spouse, neighbor, or coworker that brought you closer together. I had never felt that in a gym atmosphere before, an all-inclusive tribe of like-minded individuals with the same long term goals. This made Crossfit special. So special in fact that I hitched my wagon to its star, and opened my own gym using the Crossfit brand of constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement.

Since 2013 I have gladly been affiliated with Crossfit as it grew into the largest fitness organization in the world, but as of yesterday that all changed. You see yesterday in response to a tweet from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation that read: “Racism and discrimination are critical public health issues that demand an urgent response. #BlackLivesMatter.” Crossfit CEO Glassman replied ‘It’s FLOYD-19’. This statement spoke volumes about how Glassman and Crossfit feel towards the discrimination of African American people in our country highlighted by the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers on May 25th.

As an affiliate of Crossfit, I was deeply troubled by the level of callousness Glassman showed with his dismissive words for the plight of black people in America. These words showed us that in a time where we need to pull together and support our black brothers and sisters, Crossfit only looked to divide us further.

It is clear that Crossfit only cares about one thing, Crossfit. That is why we can no longer associate ourselves with Crossfit. The values of inclusivity, compassion, support, and respect that Live Free was built on are no longer reflected in the actions of the Crossfit brand or its leader, Glassman. As of today we have decided to no longer be a Crossfit Affiliate. We have realized that we can maintain the best parts of community fitness without the divisive rhetoric of Glassman and the Crossfit brand.

At Live Free we believe in equal rights to all races, genders, and religions. We believe in supporting each other during times of uncertainty and helping those less fortunate than ourselves. We believe that it’s not about being the best in the world, it’s about what’s doing what’s best for the world. Our country has been divided long enough, and it’s time we stand together for what’s right, speaking out against our corrupt institutions while working together to make our world a better place.