MADISON, Wisc. — It’s uncommon for athletes to ascend their craft as they age. For a sport like Crossfit, which involves strenuous exercise competition with all parts of the body, improving as one gets older seems almost impossible.
But for Waimea native and 14-year Crossfit veteran Cheryl Brost, the impossible is nothing but another challenge to conquer. The third-ranked competitor in the world (heading into the games) in the women’s 50-54 division won her third age-group title at the 2023 NOBULL Crossfit Games from July 31-August 3 in Madison, Wisconsin, accumulating 640 points.
The veteran athlete’s 2023 title crowned Brost the “Fittest Woman in the World” in her age division. She also earned this recognition in 2016 and 2017 in the 45-49 division.
“It was such an amazing week,” Brost told West Hawaii Today. “I had a great start, and then there were a couple of events that were a little more challenging to me — presented a lot of adversity to put (other competitors in her division in a position to win).”
Brost, 52, placed first in four of her eight competitions across the games — winning the Olympic Total (335 pounds), Helen (8:32.19), Gymnastics Chipper (9:42.36) and the Final Positions event. (4:10.00)
The 10-time Crossfit Games competitor was sitting in third place going into the final event. In the last leg of competition, she was able to complete 20 bar muscle-ups and 30 alternating dumbbell squat snatches in increments of 10 in just over four minutes — catapulting the Crossfit star to first overall in the standings and securing the title.
“I didn’t feel worn down or beat up,” Brost admitted. “I had a great formula for success this year.”
Brost’s biggest challenge of this year’s games came on Day 2 in the Pulling Power workout. Under extreme heat circumstances, she elected to wear a different shoe than her go-to selection due to the traction of the field while pushing a heavy sled at the end of the event.
Brost struggled with the new shoes in the rope climbing interval, noting that the ropes were much different than the ones she routinely trains with. She ended up being time-capped for the event and placed ninth — opening the door for her competition to climb back into the top rankings.
“You just can’t sit there and dwell on it,” Brost said. “I knew there were other opportunities for me to climb back in the race. And fortunately for me, it worked out.”
Brost’s strong finish in the games included a personal record in the bar muscle-ups during the finale — recording 18 reps unbroken to her previous best of 15.
“When you’re 52 and still able to set personal records, that’s a testament to what this functional fitness of Crossfit does to a person,” she said.
While Brost remains a dominant force in the Crossfit world into her 50s, she admits the road to get to this point hasn’t been easy. Since starting to train in 2009, Brost has suffered a number of various injuries — including a 2013 achilles injury at North West Regional, a 2018 post-qualifier shoulder injury and hip surgery in 2021, which kept her out of competing altogether.
Despite the setbacks along the way, Brost claims each recovery made her stronger mentally.
“It’s always been a hill to climb,” Brost said of her injury recoveries. “But the ability to come back and compete at a high level just gives you more and more confidence.”
Not only does Brost physically feel better than ever at her age — even after a multitude of surgeries — she has no plans to stop competing in Crossfit anytime soon, and acknowledges the positive impact the sport has had on her life.
“I’ve always been an active athlete — playing collegiate sports, then adult league soccer until I found Crossfit. It’s been a fun way to stay fit.
“I kind of see myself always having Crossfit as part of my daily regimen,” she said. “As long as it’s still fun competing, I will continue to do it. Even right now, it’s pretty fun.”
