ABOVE: Photo via Out in the Open’s website.
NEW YORK | OUTAthletics (formerly OUTWOD) is encouraging LGBTQ+ athletes and allies to join CrossFit legends Sam Briggs, Alec Smith, Meg Reardon, Meredith Root, Tom Miazga, and hundreds of others to be OUT in the OPEN during the 2021 CrossFit Games Open.
Beginning March 11, athletes from all over the world will be competing to qualify for the CrossFit Games. The OUT in the OPEN LGBTQ+ Leaderboard will aggregate scores from the CrossFit Games Open and provide an avenue for LGBTQ+ athletes and allies to directly compete to win weekly prizes and raise money to support The OUT Foundation.
This year’s OUT in the OPEN LGBTQ+ Leaderboard is Powered by PUMA, and will promote friendly competition between LGBTQ+ athletes and allies. OUT in the OPEN allows all gender identities to participate in a sport they love, and raises funds for programs supporting the community. All LGBTQ+ athletes and allies are encouraged to register to be OUT in the OPEN at IAmOut.org/Open.
“We launched our leaderboard in 2018 as the first and only all-inclusive CrossFit Games leaderboard for the LGBTQ+ community,” said Will Lanier, Founder and Chief Mission Officer of The OUT Foundation.
“While the CrossFit Games system forces a gender selection when registering (something we are working to address with HQ), our verbiage uses ‘CrossFit Men’s Standards’ and ‘CrossFit Women’s Standards’ so participants in our leaderboard can choose the movement standards they wish to compete under, even if they do not identify on the binary. We know this isn’t the perfect solution, but we hope it is a step in the direction of forging a path to full inclusion.”
Last year’s OUT in the OPEN included 400 athletes ages 13-66 representing 20 countries, 47 US states, and 9 Canadian provinces. It raised nearly $25,000 to benefit The OUT Foundation’s programs that advocate for inclusion and access for the LGBTQ+ community in fitness, health, and wellness.
Athletes should visit www.iamout.org/open to learn more, register, and start fundraising! Prizes will range from apparel from PUMA (including their new FUSE Training Shoe), sunglasses from Beast goodr, recovery drinks from O2, swag from Working Against Gravity, gym accessories, and more!
