I Have No Idea How This Is Going To Go Down…
For the past 7 years, my team and I have planned and executed nearly 20 large and live functional fitness competitions in Texas. We started with the Alamo City Throwdown at a local gym in San Antonio and I truly had no idea what I was doing but I knew I wanted to bring the community together for a fun event back in 2013.
Fast forward to 2020 and I find myself trying to market and sell a fitness competition during a once in a lifetime global pandemic the same week gyms are slowly reopening.
I am a little nervous about this whole thing. Part of me wanted to cancel this year and just get through all of this because the future was so “unknown”. Why on earth would gathering 1,000+ people together make any sense when we are not even supposed to be breathing on each other?
Will I be responsible for people getting sick or dying? Am I being selfish by wanting to have this event? Do these events even matter to people in light of the Coronavirus?
I have really struggled for a bit with this decision but 4 weeks ago when I made the decision to move forward with the event, I went ALL IN.
My team and I are 100% committed to making Duality 2020 the best event we have ever had, even if we have less than half of the athletes we always have. We are now strategizing, planning, and executing the event to happen and have faith that we will be able to host the event.
We are adapting to new challenges we have never faced before and consulting individuals and companies that can give us clear and solid direction on how to operate our event in light of COVID-19.
We understand that many people may not be up for this. They barely want to shake someone’s hand, much less share space with hundreds of sweaty athletes. We get it and we do not take it personally if people decide to sit this year out.
We also understand that there are MANY people who NEED this. They need competition. They need accountability. They need something to train for. They trust us with running a clean and hygienic event and they are ready to start training.
People want to go back to the way things were but honestly we may never go back. The world may have completely changed but it hasn’t stopped. We know this and we want to keeps the world moving in our own little way.
Personally, I have no idea what is going to happen over the next few months as we lead up to Duality 2020 but I am confident in my team to help plan a fun, safe, and memorably event.
We now have a specified COVID-19 Task Force who will ensure proper cleaning/disinfecting and social distancing protocols for the event. We will follow safety guidelines given by our local and state government as well as consult with gym owners, health care professionals, and experts on how to reduce the risk of spreading the virus as low as possible. We are committed to make this event as safe as it has ever been.
CrossFit has taught me a lot about resilience, preparation, and training for the unknown. Running competitions for the past 7 years has done the same.
This year is completely different but at the same time it is no different at all.
We have to plan as best as we can and be as prepared as we can for the unknown and unknowable. We know we are up against the Coronavirus but we have no idea what that will look like in late September.
Personally I am embracing this time to grow as a person and as a business owner. I run the risk of losing a substantial amount of money if this goes south. I am also investing hundreds of hours of my time and I am asking my team leaders to do the same.
It would be easier for me to take the year off. My wife, my 2 children, and my busy real estate practice would love that time for them. I would love time to not worry about planning anything, maybe working out more, and getting the beach body I have wanted for the past 8 years (lol).
I could call it quits in 2020 and let Rona crush my business but that would be too easy. Honestly if I quit this year, it would be really easy to quit forever and I know that.
Yes, the event planning process can crush a person very easily. I know at times I felt like it had crushed me and I needed a break. I didn’t know if it was even worth doing anymore and if people even appreciated it. Earlier this year, I felt very jaded and tired. I made a lot of mistakes with the business and even my CPA told me to shut the business down because it wasn’t worth it anymore.
BUT… Every year, I patiently wait for that first 3,2,1 GO where I get to watch nearly 1,000 athletes pour their heart and soul on the competition floor. I am inspired by all of those who have conquered their fears, put in hours of training, and put themselves out there for the world to see.
So this year, I have found a new reason to keep going and that reason is giving all of us something to look forward to and something to train for in the midst of a year that has been suddenly filled with anxiety, sickness, death, anger, and division.
This year, it’s all about FUN.
Let’s have some freaking fun in 2020 because the Lord knows the past few months have not been much fun at all.
So here’s to a crazy bunch of CrossFitters training for the funnest weekend of 2020!
I have no idea of what the September will look like but what I do know is the fun starts now.
Sign up for Duality or don’t.
I love you and I don’t care if you compete. I want you to stay safe, I want you to have peace, I want you to have something positive to focus on during this time.
We are planning for a CrossFit comp during a worldwide pandemic and we might as well have fun doing it!
I have no idea how this is going to go down but I am going to have fun doing it.
You need a prayer or someone to listen to you? Email me at chris@trinitycompetitions.com and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
-Chris Galvan, Founder
Trinity Competitions
