Will CrossFit Survive After a Year of Disasters?
2020 was a hard year for a lot of businesses. Regulations made some operations impossible, but health and fitness establishments lived in a weird gray zone. While many retail stores ceased all operations, gyms were able to remain open at varied capacities while abiding by ever-changing protocols. Meanwhile, in the United States, there was civil unrest in response to the death of George Floyd.
Many businesses were showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement and demanding accountability for George Floyd’s death. Silence did not go unnoticed, so mockery certainly was not going to be tolerated. Perhaps Greg Glassman, the now-former CEO of CrossFit, didn’t get the memo. In response to a tweet calling racism a public health issue, he jokingly called it “Floyd-19.” Then, he criticized quarantines and their inability to control COVID-19.
In response, many CrossFit affiliates spoke out against Glassman’s comments. Some disassociated themselves with the CrossFit name while others vocally disagreed with the statements. Glassman resigned from CrossFit HQ, and the brand has tried to focus on inclusivity. Now, we’re over a year removed from the comments. Did the backlash really hurt CrossFit, or have they survived under new leadership?
