“The way that we always approach if you want to go to the Games is, ‘You need to work hard. You need to be head down and just grind,’ but I figured out what works best for me is just be playful with things. Be more laid back and see things as … ‘Let’s have fun.’ For me, it was about finding which kind of pressure works for me.”
Two-time CrossFit Games team athlete and first-time individual Games qualifier Rebecka Vitesson joins the show to share her Semifinal experience, how she became a competitive CrossFit athlete, and how she came to work with coach and two-time Games athlete Andre Houdet.
Vitesson — a former basketball player and gymnast — started CrossFit at the recommendation of a friend after incurring an ACL injury. After participating in local competitions on a team and as an individual, she decided to pursue CrossFit competitively.
Vitesson competed at the CrossFit Games on a team from 2017-2018 and most recently punched her first individual ticket by taking 11th at the 2023 Europe Semifinal.
In today’s episode, Vitesson gives a detailed description of her Semifinal experience and the mental training she’s put in to optimize her chances of qualifying for the finals. She describes her performance in each test, offers her opinions on the programming, and opens up about enjoying the journey and leaning into the pressures of competition that fire her up.
Vitesson also talks about working with Houdet — who qualified for the Games this year with team No ShortCuts CrossFit — and the benefits of working with a coach who is also a competitive athlete.
A former affiliate manager, Vitesson explains why she decided to leave the position to focus on being a full-time athlete and how that decision impacted her performance and allowed her to better manage the demands of being a professional athlete.
Tune in to learn more of Vitesson’s story, her expectations for the 2023 season, and the impact she hopes to have on the CrossFit community.