The CrossFit Podcast

• [CFMS SERIES] CrossFit Behind Bars: Freedom, Sobriety, and Leadership (EP. 043)

  This marks the fourth episode of a special CrossFit Podcast collaboration with the CrossFit Medical Society.  Redemption Road CrossFit started inside Colorado’s prison system, where a small group of men turned CrossFit workouts into the first affiliate behind bars. Today, it’s a nonprofit changing prison culture through mentorship, accountability, and community — cutting recidivism to just 1.6% compared to the national average of 80%. This week, we welcome Redemption Road CrossFit’s founder Nick Wells and founding member Gino Aviles to the show. Nick and Gino share their journey, from addiction and life sentences to freedom, sobriety, and leadership, and show how CrossFit’s methodology can transform not just fitness, but lives. Topics Covered Personal journeys from addiction, incarceration, and transformation The origins of CrossFit in Colorado prisons Building Redemption Road: the first affiliate inside a correctional facility Overcoming stigma, violence, and systemic barriers through community fitness Partnerships with CrossFit HQ and the broader community Redemption Road’s measurable impact on recidivism and prison culture Resources Mentioned Redemption Road CrossFit – RF2.org CrossFit Journal coverage of Redemption Road: Community Behind Bars and CrossFit in Prison Morning Chalk Up articles on Redemption Road: Nick Wells and Mat Fraser Books used in coach candidate curriculum: Overcoming Gravity,” “Becoming a Supple Leopard, “100 Days of Technique Community Highlight Troy Peterson founded ValorFit to connect veterans with CrossFit affiliates across the U.S. For him, it’s personal. After serving in Iraq and earning a Purple Heart, Troy came home battling addiction, depression, and suicidal thoughts. At 300+ pounds and dependent on pills and alcohol, his wife gave him an ultimatum. That’s when he walked into a CrossFit gym and asked for help. “I didn’t want to take the substances anymore because I wanted to go work out.” That shift changed everything. Today, ValorFit covers six months of affiliate memberships for veterans — over 4,000 so far. The only requirement? Show up three days a week. “Free breakfast on Veterans Day has never changed anyone’s life,” Troy said. “But showing up to the gym three days a week can.” Know someone you think deserves to be highlighted? Nominate them here. Share Your Thoughts: Email us [[email protected]] or complete our survey here.

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• [LIVE] Inside CrossFit Programming (EP. 040)

  Programming is one of the most debated topics in CrossFit. On this livestream, James Hobart and Denise Thomas sit down with the guys behind both mainsite and CrossFit Affiliate Programming (CAP), Joe Alexander and Spencer Hendel. Together, they’ll dig into the philosophy and practice behind effective programming.  They’ll cover the charter of CrossFit.com, how CAP supports affiliates, what makes programming successful (and what doesn’t), and how intensity, volume, and movement selection come into play.  Let us know what you think --> [email protected] Follow us on YouTube to join future livestreams.

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• [CFMS SERIES] Top Affiliate Owners on the No. 1 Limiter to Growth (EP. 041)

  This marks the third episode of a special CrossFit Podcast collaboration with the CrossFit Medical Society. In this episode, Jason Fernandez, longtime coach, Seminar Staff member, and co-founder of Best Hour of Their Day, and Matt Souza, 12-year affiliate owner of CrossFit Livermore, join host Jocelyn Rylee to dig into the overlooked fundamentals of hospitality, first impressions, and soft skills in CrossFit gyms. They share hard-earned lessons on onboarding, reducing friction, building community, and why trust is the ultimate currency. Understand the type of service top CrossFit affiliates provide and how that’s the road to reducing the intimidation factor.  Topics Covered Why hospitality is as important as coaching skills How first impressions shape member retention Onboarding systems that actually work Reducing friction inside and outside the gym Collaboration between affiliates and local businesses Building trust as the ultimate foundation of community 4. Resources Mentioned Level 1 and Level 2 Seminar Courses AffiliateCon [Oct 24-26, 2025, Dallas, TX] CrossFitLivermore.com (affiliate website example) Will Guidara’s book “Unreasonable Hospitality” Community Highlight David Needham seems to do it all: full-time firefighter, owner of two CrossFit affiliates, contributor to WheelWOD and the Adaptive CrossFit Games, and mentor to other affiliate owners on business growth. One of his biggest passions is serving on the Adaptive Athlete Foundation of Maryland, where he helps athletes secure life-changing prosthetics through insurance. Watching someone regain the ability to move and train is what drives him most. And when asked what CrossFit means to him, David’s answer is simple … and very firefighter:“Because of CrossFit, I can save people from burning buildings.” Know someone you think deserves to be highlighted? Nominate them here. Share Your Thoughts: Email us [[email protected]] or complete our survey here.

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• [CFMS SERIES] Daniel Chaffey: Unpacking CrossFit’s Evolution and Affiliate Success (EP. 039)

  This marks the second episode of a special CrossFit Podcast collaboration with the CrossFit Medical Society. This week, we welcome Daniel Chaffey, a longtime leader in the CrossFit space. He owns CrossFit Louvre in Paris, one of Europe’s most established affiliates with over 3,100 members across three locations.  He also founded the major European competition, The French Throwdown, and Operating With Excellence, a workshop platform dedicated to helping affiliate owners build thriving businesses.  In this conversation, host Jocelyn Rylee dives into the essentials of CrossFit affiliates with Daniel: leadership, hospitality, and community. Chaffey, known for never mincing words, shares point-blank perspectives on everything from the future of CrossFit to the responsibility of affiliates in shaping that future.  Topics Covered The role of leadership in affiliate success and sustainability The difference between service and hospitality in gyms Building and maintaining community in CrossFit CrossFit’s role in health across generations Optimism, anxiety, and the future direction of CrossFit The importance of education and HQ’s role in supporting affiliates Resources Mentioned Jordan Peterson/Peterson Academy (leadership courses) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (applied to member experience) CrossFit Level 1 and Level 2 Courses Affiliate gatherings/events (e.g., Banff, Canadian Affiliate Gathering) Community Highlight Saxon Panchik is having a full-circle moment. With six CrossFit Games appearances, he’s now putting more energy into giving back to the community that built him. His message: Get into an affiliate and be active. Uplift those around you. Keep each other accountable. “It is life-changing. We all have things we wish we knew when starting our fitness journey. Take a minute to share that with someone just beginning.” Know someone you think deserves to be highlighted? Nominate them here. Share Your Thoughts: Email us [[email protected]] or complete our survey here.

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• [CFMS SERIES] The Future of Health (Care) in CrossFit Affiliates (EP. 038)

  Over the next few weeks, we’re rolling out something different: a special CrossFit Podcast collaboration with the CrossFit Medical Society. Why? Because the CFMS isn’t sitting quietly on the sidelines. They are in the fight to cure chronic disease and put affiliates in the driver’s seat as the true health homes of their communities. This is a grassroots health revolution, and everyone should be paying attention. The mission is simple: empower affiliates, coaches, and members with real tools to reclaim their health and step out of the sickness economy. No quick fixes. Just CrossFit. In this episode, Dr. Tom McCoy and Jenn Pishko, founders of the CrossFit Medical Society, join host Jocelyn Rylee to break down how affiliates can become the front line of community-based health care. Recorded live at the 2025 CrossFit Owners and Coaches Conference and the 2025 CrossFit Games, the conversation digs into physician burnout, the launch of CommunityCare, and why the affiliate model is poised to be the future of preventative health. Topics Covered Burnout rates in primary care and why doctors are leaving medicine How CrossFit affiliates can act as community health hubs Launch of the CrossFit Medical Society and its goals CommunityCare: a new model challenging U.S. health insurance Biomarkers, bone density, and measures of health in CrossFit Building trust between affiliates, coaches, and members Shifting from “sick care” to true preventative health Resources Mentioned CrossFit Medical Society CommunityCare program Biomarker Hub CEUs and CMEs Community Highlight Bobby Peters is the assistant superintendent of a rural California school district. He’s also an L2 trainer, a garage gym guy, and the founder of CrossFit Sierra Pacific, a nonprofit affiliate based in a public high school.⠀ It started small. A few local P.E. teachers got their L1s. Then came a weight-room renovation, a CrossFit course for students, and a 5 a.m. class open to any staff who wanted to move before the school day. But Bobby didn’t stop there. He helped launch a CrossFit program inside a juvenile incarceration facility. The setup is simple — bikes, sandbags, bodyweight movements — but the impact is massive. “These kids didn’t talk to each other at first,” Bobby says. “Now they cheer each other on. They fist bump. They give feedback. It’s completely different. ”Bobby’s building confidence, leadership, and the possibility of a different path. His vision is clear: help these kids earn their L1s and reenter the world with something real. He’s also pushing to get CrossFit recognized as a state-approved high school fitness curriculum — and he’s laying the groundwork to make it happen. Know someone you think deserves to be highlighted? Nominate them here. Share Your Thoughts: Email us [[email protected]] or complete our survey here.

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