THE HOTSHOTS 19

One of the many things I love about the CrossFit community is how it honors the memory of soldiers, firefighters, policemen, and other law enforcement personnel in the form of “Hero WODs.” These workouts are designed to test you physically as you pay tribute to a specific hero who died in the line of duty. This past weekend, the community came together to honor the Hotshots 19.

The Hotshots 19 were 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots firefighting team of Yarnell, Arizona, who lost their lives on June 30th fighting a wildfire. This was the largest loss of life among firefighters since the 9/11 attacks. Every one of the Granite Mountain Hotshots died, except for one who was serving as lookout, as they were burned alive when the fire they were fighting turned 180 degrees to cut off their escape route.

A fundraising event was held in Prescott, Arizona, at Captain CrossFit, where some of the top CrossFitters, including Lindsey Valenzuela and Rich Froning, did the Hotshots 19 workout. So far, $166,121.00 has been raised for the family members left behind. The workout consists of:

6 Rounds:

30 Squats

19 Power Cleans (135/ 95)

7 Strict Pull-ups

400m Run

Although ALL IN did not have a Hotshots 19 event, I decided that I would take on this workout for Labor Day. Knowing that it is a Hero WOD, I expected it to be brutal. My bargaining with myself started on Sunday.

“All right, Shelby. Six rounds of 19 power cleans at 95-pounds is going to be hard for you. How about you start out at 95 and then drop down to 85 halfway thru?”

“You’ve never done strict pull-ups in a workout. If it doesn’t go well, just plan on scaling by doing kipping pull-ups.”

“That hill coming back from the 400m run is going to crush you. Why don’t you just run a couple times around the building instead?”

But you know what? Something happens during a Hero WOD. If you do it at the correct intensity, it becomes a spiritual journey. The further you get into the workout, and the harder it physically becomes, the more you start thinking about who you are honoring with that workout. The memory of a fallen hero pushes you to continue as you realize while that hero is gone, you still have the privilege of being here.

The 95-pound cleans started taking its toll on round 4. Did I drop the weight? Nope. The strict pull-ups I was dreading weren’t so bad, and there was not a kip in sight. And I took on “Heartbreak Hill” because to do otherwise would have made me a wuss. I’m a CrossFitter, and CrossFitters aren’t wusses!

It was during the 5th round running up that hill where I began to wonder how I was going to finish my final round. And then all of the sudden, I had chills. I thought of those 19 firefighters and imagined the moment they realized they would not survive. I read a story that reported that cell phones were found by some of their bodies. I thought of the firefighters trying to call their loved ones as the flames and heat engulfed them. My eyes filled with tears, and suddenly, Heartbreak Hill didn’t seem so bad.

My goal was to finish the workout sub-50:00. I finished in 47:40. I did 180 squats, 114 95-pound power cleans, 42 strict pull-ups, and ran 1.5 miles. I honored those 19 fallen firefighters and the families they left behind, including 10 widows and 13 children, by pushing myself physically and appreciating my ability to do so.

Thank you, CrossFit, for finding a way to pay tribute to our unsung heroes. These brave individuals will never be forgotten as CrossFitters around the world honor them year after year. It makes me proud to be a part of this community.

If you would like to make a donation to the families of the Hotshots 19, you can do so by clicking here: https://hotshots19.crossfit.com.

Today’s workout was in memory of:

Jesse Steed, 36

Wade Parker, 22

Joe Thurston, 32

William Warneke, 25

John Percin, 24

Clayton Whitted, 28

Scott Norris, 28

Dustin Deford, 24

Sean Misner, 26

Garret Zuppiger, 27

Travis Carter, 31

Grant McKee, 21

Travis Turbyfill, 27

Andrew Ashcraft, 29

Kevin Woyjeck, 21

Anthony Rose, 23

Eric Marsh, 43

Christopher MacKenzie, 30

Robert Caldwell, 23