An Ode to 18.1
CrossFit 515’s Justice Braunschweig came out swinging during the first workout of the 2018 CrossFit Games Open
Since I’m not physically competing in the 2018 CrossFit Games Open this year, I decided (with the help of my frenemy) to celebrate the Open in a completely different manner. Yes, I will certainly miss Superman vs. Lex Luthor (we will be back next year — mark my word — and there will even be T-shirts), but this season I have the opportunity to shine the light on others. Just like “Frederick,” by Leo Lionni, I am a poet and I know it. The plan is to write a poem for each week of the Open showcasing a particular athlete and their valiant efforts. Please enjoy this poem about 18.1…
“An Ode to 18.1” by Eddie Mrowka
It seems like just yesterday we were in Madison, Wisconsin, but it’s 2018 and the CrossFit Games Open is here,
Which meant it was time to start guessing what The Dave Castro would throw at us this year;
For Justice Braunschweig, she was excited for the Open to begin, no matter the workout we got from him,
Because at CrossFit 515 in Grimes, Iowa, she greatly looks forward to the energy in our gym.
She loves how we do the workouts on Saturday mornings where we’re all together, and the place is so loud because everyone cheers,
Plus what could possibly be better than working out with all of your peers;
Thursday evening came quickly and everyone was anxious to see what TDC had in mind,
As her family watched the announcement, they wondered: would he be mean or would he be kind?
With mic in hand, Castro took center stage dressed in all black,
They stood tall in the background, but would athletes actually make use of the rack;
The answer was yes as they’d hang for toes-to-bar while using the dumbbell for a hang clean and jerk,
Add calorie rows into the mix and this was shaping up to be quite an arduous 20 minutes of work.
Justice knew this being a long workout would require mental strength and heart,
She’s worked really hard on efficiency with toes-to-bar and can string them together without falling apart;
She’s also pretty good with dumbbell movements and even though she doesn’t like rowing, she’s not bad at it,
Her parents felt this was really in her wheelhouse because she has a tremendous engine and won’t quit.
The plan was to do the first two movements unbroken and keep a steady pace on the row,
But she knew a lot of this workout would require one’s willingness to just go, go, go;
The night before she practiced with a perfume bottle on how to transition the dumbbell to her other hand,
And you can’t waste time getting no-repped, so be certain to reach full lockout while you stand.
When asked by her mom to be her daughter’s judge,
Let’s call him Steve and say he didn’t require even a single little nudge;
He happily accepted the invitation because Justice routinely impresses him,
With all the amazing things this 13-year-old does inside our gym.
Her judge had a pretty good idea of how the workout would go and how well she’d do,
But for the way in which she’d end it, he wasn’t prepared and had absolutely no clue;
The weight never looked too heavy and her hang clean and jerks really were topnotch,
And to truly capture the lightning speed of her toes-to-bar, Steve should have brought his stopwatch.
Honestly, during the workout, both of her parents were in a little bit of shock,
What passed through their minds is how Justice had already beaten their scores with quite a bit of time left on the clock;
They witnessed the focus and determination she put on display despite 18.1’s pain and strife,
And they love to see how their daughter’s confidence has grown ever since CrossFit became such a huge part of her life.
For the first 18 minutes, she methodically rowed at about 700–900 calories per hour,
Just keep a good pace until it’s all over and then you collapse, go home, and shower;
With about four or five minutes remaining, her judge could see the fatigue setting in,
But he remained optimistic, hoping Justice would show everyone her fighter’s chin.
She started to take a little break between movements and missed a couple toes-to-bar,
The cheering section encircling her wanted her to dig down deep and pull out everything she had left in the jar;
With a little over a minute remaining, she moved to the Concept 2 where her judge just hoped she could finish the row,
But with fatigue really setting in now, was Steve expecting her to finish — the answer was no.
What happened in those final 90 seconds is one extraordinary feat,
Something really hard to convey in a single Facebook post or tweet;
For starters, given her age, she’s not even technically in the Open yet,
So next year’s Teen Girls Division better watch out for this triple threat.
Justice did the complete opposite of what her judge was expecting her to do,
Yes, it was long and yes, she was tired but she hopped on the rower and just flew;
Within three or four pulls, she got it up to about 1200 calories per hour,
And on that final row, she never dropped below 1000, proving she has Sam Briggs-like power.
As soon as she hit 1200, Steve’s jaw literally dropped open and he shook his head swearing a lot,
Justice timed it perfectly to rev it up at just the right spot;
Steve got chills watching this little engine throw it into a whole nother gear,
As she found a way to push herself past and out of the state of fatigue with no fear.
But that’s not all this teenager did before collapsing on the ground,
She not only finished the row but then immediately slammed out all eight of the toes-to-bar in her tenth round;
After the call of time, Steve stood there staring at Justice still getting chills up his spine,
And her parents got choked up having just witnessed their incredible daughter shine.
“One of the most impressive athletic things I’ve ever witnessed,” accompanied Steve’s fist bump,
And even now as he recalls 18.1, those chills still find a way to thump;
Justice was totally impressive and totally inspiring, and one of the coolest things about her,
As her judge is completely in awe and expressing that awe, she bows her head, blushes, and quietly says, “Thank you sir.”
Modesty, humility, athletic ability, stamina, and the wherewithal to reserve the last few drops of her tank and patiently wait,
Steve thought witnessing this in the gym he calls home on an icy Saturday morning in February was pretty great;
Going all out during that final stretch and realizing your full potential is a wonderful thing to know,
And Justice’s closing words were: I kind of liked the workout and was happy about my score, but I don’t ever want to do it again, though.
