The 2019 CrossFit Open concluded with the final 19.5 workout and a brief ceremony wherein the “LoLo Open Awards” were presented.

Throughout the Open, members were encouraged to fill out an online survey nominating a fellow athlete for the “Spirit of the Open Award”, as well as a LoLo team member, both are acknowledgements for inspiring or impacting others during the Open. Reading the nominations were so rewarding for us! So many nice things were said that we decided to share the love by writing them on the back of photos of each members taken during the open, and provided as a take-home souvenir as a testament to their part in our community and to their bravery and success in the Open!

All of our coaches and staff were nominated, a fact that makes Adam and I both very proud of our team here at LoLo! Coach Ashley had the most nominations for most encouraging team member. All of our team members volunteered their time every Saturday to make the Open a success in the organizational details, setting up each workout, providing coach, cheering and judging. We were excited to take this opportunity to acknowledge Adrian, Ashley, Naomi, Chantelle and Sam!

Adam and I did not intend to match our outfits but it does happen. The winner of the Spirit of the Open Award was Jon Evans, which came at no surprise to the community. Jon and his wife Karen were here every Saturday, usually doing the morning workout and then staying for the remainder of the Open festivities to cheer athletes on and volunteer as judges. After presenting Jon with a custom Spirit of the Open LoLo t-shirt, we forced him to say a few words. Later I interviewed both Jon and his wife Karen (they are a kick-ass package deal) and here’s what they had to say about their experience:

Jon: “Yes I was surprised to receive this award! It meant a lot to me. I feel honoured to have had an impact in this community and it’s nice that people appreciated me cheering them on and pushing them out of their comfort zones. It felt good when people asked me to judge them. I feel at home and comfortable at LoLo which allows me to be encouraging. No matter how many Opens you’ve done, it’s always a challenge and it’s always a little anxiety-inducing. It was nice to be able to calm people down. It flows both ways and I feel like I got it back in spades. The whole event is an organized chaos, and you do become part of something bigger. There was a little emptiness when it was over.”

Karen: “It was almost sad when it was over, but not quite (laughs). I’m proud of Jon for receiving the award, I think he deserves it, I voted for him”.

To get to know Jon and Karen, check our our “Humans of LoLo” feature of this dynamic duo here.