Ogar Strong

I originally planned to do a Snatch session on Friday, more about but I’ve switched Snatching to Saturday, approved and we’ll have a fun Clean and Jerk WOD.
I made the switch because we’ll be Snatching on Saturday in a WOD to create awareness for Kevin Ogar.  The WOD will include is a 12 minute AMRAP of 3 Touch and Go Snatches, 1 Muscle up (Subs will be worked out) and 12 wall ball shots.
Kevin Ogar is a CrossFit athlete and coach from Colorado who was severely injured when he dropped a heavy barbell on his back at the OC Throwdown competition.  By all accounts Kevin is a great athlete and person and his injury, which severed his spinal cord, was a terrible accident.  Kevin is uninsured and will incur monumental financial bills.  Kevin’s friends have created Ogar Strong to create a fund in which all money donated will go directly to Kevin.  We will be collecting donations at CFO or you can provide donations on your own.
I do believe Kevin’s injury was a horrible accident, but it raises many questions that I hope will be answered.  First, it should be an eye opener to the many young athletes and coaches that you need to be insured.  I’m sure Kevin was making a decent living for a young man coaching and training – doing what he loved.  Like many young men and ladies in the profession, I would guess they are doing this uninsured.
Second, CrossFit competitions have gotten more difficult over the years.  This is a fact.  Early CrossFit and CrossFit style events started out as fun events to challenge yourself.  This has given way to certain events that appear to top each other with challenges and weight, duration and how hard they can smash your central nervous system.  I’ve personally spoken on the need to be aware of the competitions and what you are getting yourself into.  I avoid large scale competitions for this reason.  I trust CrossFit HQ and it’s ability to program excellent tests of fitness that are fan and community friendly.  All others I have to research.  I have personally competed in the OC Throwdown and I have my opinions on the event.  I will discuss the OC Throwdown in person if you ask me.
I was paying attention to the event this year and it seemed extremely challenging – to the point that athletes may have been extremely fatigued and were just trying to survive the event.  That’s how I felt when I competed there in 2012 – just survive the brutal workouts.  I have not been back since.  I hope that some entity looks into what happened in Orange County and Kevin Ogar so it never happens again.
In my professional job, I look at facts and evidence.  Many times, horrible situations are an accumulation of events and circumstances, many of which were seemingly unconnected, which led to a culminating event.  What happened to Kevin Ogar demands an investigation.
As an athlete going to the gym, I don’t think we are at risk for this type of injury.  I spoke to Coach Schmitz today and in his 60  years of weightlifting, he has heard of it happening 1 other time.  As coaches, we remain vigilant anyway.  If we see someone doing something sketchy, we stop you.  But CrossFit athletes need to to understand the risk they are undertaking and protect themselves accordingly, whether through insurance or knowing when enough is enough.  Event organizers must take a hard look at how they are testing their athletes and how the cumulative effect of the tests.  Finally, as with all things, safety is paramount.  In training, no injury is worth it.

FIrst WOD of last year’s Open…remember the burpees?