“I’m not gonna work out for fun. That sounds kinda dumb.”
Three-time teen CrossFit Games champion and 2022 individual Games competitor Dallin Pepper joins the show to share his inspiration for starting CrossFit, pursuing individual competition, and qualifying for the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games.
Despite encouragement from his father, uncle, and other members of his family, Pepper decided to start CrossFit after watching the teen division at the 2015 CrossFit Games. He started working out of the family garage with his dad and in 2017, he became the champion in the Boys 14-15 division in his Games debut.
He repeated that feat in 2018 and 2019 in the Boys 16-17 division and qualified as an individual for the first time in 2022, placing 19th among the fittest men in the world.
After a third-place finish at the 2023 North America East Semifinal, Pepper will return to Madison for his second individual Games appearance.
In today’s episode, Pepper dives into his Semifinal experience and performance. He describes his approach to executing his plan — created with the help of his coach Matt Torres, owner of Brute Strength — to maximize his performance and run his own race.
He also talks about focusing on growth, working on weaknesses, and trusting the process as a competitor.
As a former teen athlete, Pepper gives insight into his continued effort to find balance in his life and keep his competitive fire lit as he pursues his individual CrossFit career.
Tune in to hear Pepper’s thoughts on training for the Games in Naples with other Games-bound athletes Danielle Brandon, James Sprague, and Emma Cary, managing expectations as an athlete, and the lessons he’s learned over his CrossFit journey.