After 9 CrossFit Games appearances, three podium finishes, and 6 top-fives, one of many sport’s most embellished athletes, Brent Fikowski, will take the competitors ground for the ultimate time on the 2024 Rogue Invitational subsequent weekend in Aberdeen, Scotland.
In an unique interview with the Morning Chalk Up, Fikowski defined that, at 33 years outdated and after a decade on the high of the game, “it simply looks like the suitable time to retire,” he mentioned.
This turned clear to Fikowski after the latest TYR Cup exhibition in Huntington Seaside, CA, at TYR WZA SoCal when he had the prospect to fulfill one in every of his idols, Joshua Medcalf, the writer of Chop Wooden Carry Water: Find out how to Fall in Love with the Technique of Changing into Nice.
- Medcalf informed Fikowski: “Be relentless within the pursuit of what units your soul on fireplace.”
Fikowski took Medcalf’s phrases to coronary heart and realized what is basically thrilling him lately is his work with the Professional Fitness Athletes’ Association (PFAA).
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Finally, Fikowski’s dedication to professionalizing the game has reached some extent the place it’s “overpowering my stage of pleasure to proceed simply specializing in competing,” he defined.
- “For months, I’ve been splitting my time between being an athlete and PFAA initiatives, and I’ve determined to make the PFAA into the success I do know it may be for the subsequent group of athletes that come after me. That is how I have to spend all of my efforts,” Fikowski added.
Although Fikowski will now not be capable to serve on the PFAA’s board of administrators, as it’s made up solely of competing athletes, he intends to embrace his function because the PFAA President, a place he was elected to by the PFAA board.
The last word objective, because it has all the time been for Fikowski, is to assist CrossFit athletes turn into true skilled athletes.
- “That must be a full-time focus for me,” he mentioned.
What Retirement Means for Brent Fikowski
Not like different sports activities, the phrase retirement is a murky one in CrossFit.
- When an athlete retires from soccer or rugby, they often cease taking part in soccer or rugby (except their final identify is “Favre” or “Brady.”)
However when a CrossFit Video games athlete retires from CrossFit, they proceed to do CrossFit, and sometimes, they’re nonetheless aggressive regardless of their finest efforts to scale it again.
Bear in mind the supposedly retired Scott Panchik in 2022?
- The nine-time CrossFit Video games vet introduced his retirement after the 2021 CrossFit Video games. But, there he was on the 2022 Semifinals competing as a result of he was nonetheless match sufficient to compete with one of the best on this planet, regardless that he dialed again his coaching significantly.
Fikowski, although, is adamant you’ll not see him unintentionally qualify for the 2025 CrossFit Video games.
- “I don’t plan on doing the Open,” he mentioned. “Once I do one thing, I attempt to be all in on that factor…[so] shifting ahead, I will probably be coaching lots much less. My imaginative and prescient for that’s getting within the health club and setting an alarm for 60 to 90 minutes and getting out, and that’s my train for the day.”
That being mentioned, Fikowski admits the phrase retired is nuanced, because it suggests he’s going to take a seat again and calm down.
- “Clearly, the phrase retire, I suppose, implies that I’m now not going to work, which is actually not the case. However so far as being a aggressive athlete, that facet of my profession is over. I’m switching careers, is the higher strategy to put it,” he mentioned. “I need to spend that very same stage of focus [I did as an athlete] on new issues.”
A Look Again at Fikowski’s Profession
Fikowski first made a reputation for himself in 2013 when, at 22 years outdated, he completed sixth on the Australia Regionals behind big-name Australians on the time, Rob Forte, Chad Mackay, and Brandon Swan.
He was stoked.
- “I’d say I most likely overachieved…I used to be very proud and excited,” he mentioned of his first Regionals expertise.
However then his expectations grew.
The next 12 months, Fikowski, who moved dwelling to Canada within the interim, missed qualifying for the Video games by one spot on the Canada West Regionals.
A 12 months later, an identical story: Fikowski positioned seventh on the West Regionals, two spots away from the minimize line. He began to query whether or not, at 6-foot-2, he was too tall for the game.
- “After the 2015 regionals, I used to be considering, possibly I ought to simply do rowing. Perhaps this isn’t for me. Am I constructed for this? Is that this trending in a route the place I simply can’t sustain?” he mentioned of his ideas on the time.
Fikowski was heartbroken to have come shut but once more. However wanting again a decade later, he thinks these early disappointments had been a blessing.
- “Had I made it in 2014, or had I made it in 2015, I don’t assume that I’d have had the identical success or longevity in my athletic profession [as I did],” he mentioned.
In 2016, Fikowski lastly punched his ticket to the Video games when he received the West Regional and went on to complete fourth on the Video games in his rookie season.
After that, Fikowski turned a mainstay within the sport, qualifying for the subsequent eight CrossFit Video games, logging three podium finishes alongside the way in which, together with a third-place end at the newest Video games in Fort Price, TX.
Fikowski earned the nickname “The Professor” throughout his time within the sport due to his methodical and tactical method, his consideration to element, and his fixed fine-tuning of his recreation.
Price Noting: Fikowski has completed within the high 4 on the final eight main occasions he has competed in:
- 2024 CrossFit Video games — third
- 2024 North America West Semifinals — 2nd
- 2024 TYR Wodapalooza — 2nd
- 2023 Rogue Invitational — 4th
- 2023 CrossFit Video games — 4th
- 2023 North America West Semifinals — 2nd
- 2023 TYR Wodapalooza — 4th
- 2022 Dubai Health Championship — third
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Finally, Fikowski mentioned he looks like he’s “the fittest I’ve ever been.”
- “I’m nonetheless enhancing. And my coach and I’ve positively cracked the code these final two years on what it takes for me to be extremely aggressive and profitable, which is a extremely good feeling,” he added.
Contemplating this, we needed to ask: Why retire if you’re clearly nonetheless on the high of your recreation?
Fikowski admits the choice hasn’t been straightforward, however he can’t ignore what’s setting his soul on fireplace.
- “It’s somewhat bittersweet to depart a few of that progress [I have been making], however I’m simply actually enthusiastic about new challenges. I feel that’s the large factor. Yeah, you possibly can all the time do another. There’s all the time another occasion everytime you select to maneuver on from one thing. I’m not being pushed away or pressured away. I’m being pulled to a different calling,” Fikowski mentioned.
He added: “I’m happy with what I’ve performed. However I feel I can do extra for the game and extra for the athletes, my buddies, and my friends not competing than I can whereas competing.”
What Fikowski Will Bear in mind Most
When Fikowksi seems again on the whole thing of his profession and thinks about what he’s most happy with, he’s adamant that there isn’t one efficiency or end result that stands out.
- “It’s not a lot the singular moments which can be the issues I’m probably the most happy with, like a particular exercise or a particular trophy,” he mentioned.
As an alternative, the teachings he realized alongside the way in which, the progress he made, and the hurdles he overcame at sure occasions in his profession make him probably the most proud.
Fikowski pointed to the 2019 and 2020 seasons — when he had two of his lowest back-to-back finishes on the Video games (twenty third and fifteenth) — and his rebound in 2021 to complete third on this planet as a notable instance.
- “The comeback in 2021 was very, very candy,” he mentioned.
Performances apart, most of the moments he mentioned he holds closest to his coronary heart don’t have anything to do with the performances in any respect.
- “It’s little moments that I actually cherish with different athletes…like having amusing with Jayson Hopper in between the heavy sandbags on the 2022 Video games,” he mentioned.
Or that point in 2018 when Ben Smith rallied a bunch of athletes through the bike occasion on the Video games to catch the group forward of them.
- “And we had been like, ‘Sure, Ben,’ and all of us sprinted to then catch them,” he mentioned.
It’s these little moments “that possibly the digital camera doesn’t seize…that possibly aren’t these spotlight reel, sluggish movement moments,” that Fikowski mentioned he would cherish probably the most as he steps away from competitors.
- “Positive, the recollections of occasions are good, however the relationships are what really final,” he added.
One Final Hoorah
Followers may have one final probability to see Fikowski on the ground subsequent weekend in Aberdeen, Scotland, on the 2024 Rogue Invitational, the place he mentioned he’s planning on taking a “Bob Barker method.”
- “He retired from The Worth is Proper, and he handled his final present identical to every other present. He ended it the identical method,” Fikowski mentioned.
In that vein, Fikowski intends to point out up, as he all the time does, and compete as laborious as he can.
- “I’m not going to be blowing kisses mid-workout or one thing like that. You’re going to see Brent’s ache face,” he mentioned. “I’m nonetheless going to deal with it the identical method [I always do]. I’m nonetheless going to make notes. I’m nonetheless going to study from every occasion…and I’m simply going to compete actually, actually laborious.”
And after that, he’ll transfer on to the subsequent chapter, the place he’ll give it all the things he has, identical to he all the time has as an athlete.
- “I’ve by no means outlined myself as an athlete. I’m an individual, and competing on this sport has been my outlet for top efficiency…However I’ve by no means actually outlined myself as an athlete,” he mentioned.
“I’m simply Brent.”
As for a way he hopes the CrossFit neighborhood will keep in mind him, Fikowski shrugged and mentioned that’s not for him to determine.
- “For me, sports activities is unscripted storytelling, the place the viewers will get to make up their thoughts on the that means of what they’re watching,” Fikowski mentioned.
The Professor concluded: “I’ve all the time simply tried to do my finest, however I’m glad for individuals to make up their very own minds on how they view what I’ve performed. However hopefully, I’ve placed on a little bit of a present.”
Sure, you will have, Brent. Thanks.
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Featured Picture: Scott Freymond