Last year, we shared a series of actions designed to uphold our commitment to high safety standards at the CrossFit Games in support of our athletes and community. With the 2025 CrossFit Games just ahead, we’re providing an update on the continued improvement we’ve made with respect to those commitments, and how they’ll be implemented at the 2025 Games in Albany, Aug. 1-3, and beyond.

 

1. Appointing New Head of Safety: Wendy Guthrie  

To elevate our focus on safety, we established a senior leadership role dedicated entirely to advancing safety practices. In April, we welcomed Wendy Guthrie. 

As Head of Safety, Guthrie has been leading the CrossFit Sport team on all safety initiatives to ensure the 2025 Games — and future competition seasons — are exceptionally well-supported. She has also been working closely with CrossFit’s medical and security teams, the CrossFit Games Safety Advisory Board, our event operations partner, and other key stakeholders in the lead up to the 2025 Games. 

With the Games fast approaching, Guthrie’s leadership is already shaping the way we prepare, from risk mitigation and emergency planning to mental health advocacy and athlete-centered communication and care. We look forward to her continued leadership as we work toward a safe, strong future for the sport of CrossFit.

 

2. Establishing and Activating the CrossFit Games Safety Advisory Board

The CrossFit Games Safety Advisory Board was formed earlier this year and has been actively engaged in shaping safety practices and protocols. This independent board — made up of medical professionals, safety and equipment experts, CrossFit coaches and athletes — has already:

Contributed to the development of the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for the Games, and
Supported detailed planning for Event 1 at Jennings Landing, with a focus on mitigating environmental risks such as heat and humidity, expanding medical team coverage, and strengthening emergency action planning.

To tackle specific areas of athlete safety, the board also stood up several focused sub-committees and working groups:

Medical Working Group — reviewed and provided recommendations for enhancing the Medical Patient Care Guidelines and has begun to explore the feasibility and efficacy of requiring pre-participation medical clearance for athletes. They are also supporting a review of the composition and required qualifications of our medical team and medical staff to athlete ratios.
Incident Database Working Group — began building a system to track and analyze injury-related incidents to inform continuous improvement as it relates to event programming and medical preparedness.
Event Programming Working Group — evaluated risks embedded in event programming decisions and offered mitigation strategies.
Water Safety Sub-Committee — updating best practices, risk assessment matrices, and operational standards for water events, including go/no-go thresholds, required ratios, and responder qualifications. 

Our Safety Advisory Board members will be present on-site throughout the Games. They will review final event programming, advise on real-time safety considerations, join daily briefings, and support the identification and mitigation of risks as competition unfolds.

You’ll see Safety Advisory Board members wearing distinctive orange badges and present in key areas, including athlete briefings, warm-up zones, competition areas, and recovery spaces. Athletes are encouraged to speak with them directly to escalate any safety concerns.

The Safety Advisory Board has also conducted a preliminary review of:

A draft Safety Considerations document for licensed events, and 
A draft of the Event Programming Announcement Philosophy, reflecting community interest in greater transparency.

These initial efforts will be revisited and further developed in the coming months.

 

3. Continuing the Suspension of Open-Water Swimming

As previously announced, open-water swimming events remain suspended at the CrossFit Games. The Water Safety Sub-Committee has been reviewing the existing risk assessments, protocols, and operational standards already in place for swimming events, with the goal of further strengthening and advancing them. 

 

4. Enhancing Pre-Event Rehearsals, Communication Protocols, and Emergency Resources

This year, we are continuing to run pre-event rehearsals and strengthen our protocols to ensure every team member is fully prepared to respond in a coordinated and efficient manner in the event of an incident. Similar to prior years, we will conduct a full on-site rehearsal, bringing together judges, medical staff, event operations personnel, and members of the athlete demonstration team to simulate a realistic, game-time scenario. We’ve also embedded a member of the Safety Advisory Board into our on-site event testing protocols to enhance oversight and identify potential risks.

We’ve improved communication protocols and resources to ensure athletes and staff have clear, actionable information. Athletes will continue to receive in-person briefings before each event and will also receive written briefing materials to improve retention and reference. From an operational perspective, we have also increased the radio coverage across key personnel to improve communication throughout the competition. More specifically, since Event 1 is off-site and outdoors, we provided athletes with specific preparation guidance, outlining both the measures we’ve taken to ensure their safety and the steps they could take to prepare effectively. 

As for our emergency resources, we’ve partnered with Guidepost, a leader in compliance and risk management, to help us further advance our planning. This has included: 

Updating the CrossFit Games Emergency Action Plan (EAP), incorporating the Incident Command System (ICS) — an industry-standard on-scene management system, 
Requiring members of our event team to complete the ICS 100 course to strengthen the collective understanding of emergency response principles, 
Further detailing the responsibilities for all relevant roles in case of an incident; and
Continuing to work with local emergency partners to ensure advance planning and seamless on-site coordination. 

The Games medical staff’s on-site medical response capabilities have also been bolstered:

At Jennings Landing (Event 1), a three-person paramedic team from Albany Fire Department and an emergency transport ambulance will be staged on-site.
At all events in the MVP Arena, Advanced Life Support (ALS) coverage will also be in place to ensure immediate response readiness.

 

5. Expanding Mental Health and Emotional Support Resources

Elite competition tests more than just physical limits — it also demands mental focus, emotional resilience, and the ability to perform under pressure. To support athletes in all aspects of their well-being, this year we’ve enhanced the resources available on-site at the Games.

Two licensed clinical mental health professionals will be present to offer support tailored to the needs of high-level competitors. These professionals will be available to help athletes strengthen their performance mindset, manage anxiety, stay composed in high-pressure moments, and address any emotional challenges that arise during the Games.

Two chaplains will also be on-site providing spiritual and emotional care — what they describe as essential “soul care” — through encouragement, conversation, and a calming presence.

Should additional support beyond what’s available on-site be needed, we’ve arranged for virtual mental health providers to be accessible.

 

6. Establishing the CrossFit Athlete Council

In January 2025, CrossFit established the CrossFit Athlete Council (CAC). This council was created as an independent voice to represent all CrossFit athletes. Its members include affiliate owners, current athletes, CrossFit coaches and trainers, retired athletes, age-group athletes, and adaptive athletes. As an independent council, who were selected by their peers, the CAC acts as an advocate and a resource for the community.

So far this year, CrossFit HQ has met with the council on multiple occasions, either requested by the CAC or by HQ, to discuss a multitude of topics including but not limited to competition safety, season structure, equipment, and drug-testing policies. To contact the CrossFit Athlete Council, please follow THIS LINK. 

 

Additional Measures for 2025

We’ve also implemented several other enhancements this year:

Partnering with Physical Rehabilitation Network (PRN) to expand athlete recovery services, including complimentary soft-tissue work, dry needling, cupping, taping, and injury management.
Instituting background screening for all new volunteer medical team members, using robust standards aligned with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee requirements, which has become an industry standard across the Olympic and Paralympic community.
Updating the 2025 Athlete Handbook to include clear information about the Safety Advisory Board’s role, the presence of mental health providers, and awareness of many of our teams’ mandatory reporter designation. The handbook has also been updated to include expanded contact information for athletes to use if they have questions, concerns, or need additional resources during the Games.

We are deeply grateful for the contributions of the CrossFit Safety Advisory Board, our medical and athlete services team, and every volunteer and staff member working to make this year’s Games as safe and supportive as possible.

We look forward to an incredible weekend of competition and community, and continuing to raise the bar for athlete safety and well-being at every step.