An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Burden, Smith win base crossfit tournament

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Staff Sgt. Leonard Burden and Staff Sgt. Karissa Smith narrowly beat Col. Cameron Torrens and Tech. Sgt. Nicole O'Neill in the Fight Gone Bad crossfit tournament Jan. 25, each with a margin of victory of only six points. 

Sergeant Burden, representing the 387th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, finished the competition with 336 points, taking the title for the men, while Sergeant Smith, 386th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron, took the women's title with 298. 

The Rock has lacked a crossfit "champion" since the redeployment of Staff Sgt. Steven Potts in the last rotation, said Airman 1st Class Joshua Mathews, 386th EFSS fitness specialist. 

The tournament consisted of five events: Rowing, sumo high pull, box jumps, wall ball shots and push press. Each competitor had to perform each event for one minute before moving to the next, with a minute to rest at the end of the last event, before starting all over again. Each repetition was worth one point. 

Sergeant Burden said he literally had no idea what he was getting into. His friend found him that evening at the gym and said he should sign up. He had never done crossfit before. 

"Never," he confirmed. "I've done traditional, regular working out for 10 years. I've run a half marathon, and this is worse than a half marathon." 

Sergeant Smith said she had been doing crossfit for four months, but never competed.
"A lot of people look at it and say, 'Oh, three rounds, that's not hard,' but really when you start doing it, you have to have endurance," she said. 

Despite such a narrow margin, Sergeant Burden said he wasn't afraid to defend his title from the second place competitor, 386th Air Expeditionary Wing commander, Colonel Torrens. 

"I'm not afraid," he said. "I'll just work out harder."