Jamie McDonald, organizer and sponsor of the major CrossFit-style events does not foresee the local tournaments being affected as CrossFit Inc. navigates through current treacherous waters.
Greg Glassman, the co-founder and former CEO of CrossFit Inc. came under fire for insensitive tweets and other comments about George Floyd and the corona virus last weekend as protests over Floyd’s murder and racial injustices sweep the globe.
Reebok and many affiliate gyms have ended their partnership with CrossFit Inc. as a result of Glassman’s remarks for which he has since stepped down as CEO and apologized.
CrossFit Inc. is quite literally falling apart.
However, that may have little to no effect on Guyana’s CrossFit-style annual events.
Said McDonald “When it comes to CrossFit in Guyana, I don’t foresee this having much of an effect, at least in the short term since we won’t be having any athletes going to the CrossFit Games due to the COVID-19 restrictions. However, the local Games that we pull off here, we have never put them under CrossFit Inc., it’s always something that we have independently done here in Guyana so we do not need to be affiliated with CrossFit to pull off local events.
He added “I mean there are tons of functional fitness competitions around the world that don’t have the name CrossFit associated with their competitions and if it ends up being that the CrossFit company does not navigate through this period very well, then they are not needed going forward.”
McDonald further added “The whole idea of functional fitness and functional fitness competitions is already out there in intellectual free space and we will be able to carry that on with or without the CrossFit logo.”
Glassman, told gym owners on a private Zoom call, “We’re not mourning for George Floyd — I don’t think me or any of my staff are,” according to recordings.
“Can you tell me why I should mourn for him? Other than that it’s the white thing to do — other than that, give me another reason,” he asked a Minneapolis gym owner who had questioned why the brand hadn’t posted a statement about the protests across the globe after the death of George Floyd.
McDonald, CEO of Fitness Express said Glassman’s comments “have left the CrossFit community disappointed and angry.”
He then stated “As someone who is part of the CrossFit community, I want to make it abundantly clear that Glassman’s views on the topic do not represent mine or anybody that I know. His words show that he has no idea that kind of discrimination that the black community goes through, not only in America, but around the world. And for him not to take that into consideration as the head of a multinational company that has millions of people around the world looking to him for guidance, his handling of the situation was dreadful.”
A benefactor to numerous athletes and federations, McDonald is also part of the organizing team stages the Kares Caribbean Fitness Challenge, The Strongman Competition and the Kares Fitness Expo.
