Amanda Miller Memorial WOD

Many of you who regularly read this blog, and whom are regular CrossFitters, remember Amanda Miller. Amanda was the 2009 CrossFit Games competitor that I had the pleasure of getting to know and working with as she battled a particularly aggressive form of melanoma.

Amanda and I exchanged emails frequently, as I tried to give her some nutritional structure and guidelines that would compliment her treatment protocol

You will also remember that I blogged about her tragic and untimely passing here. She died in April 2010, and shortly thereafter, the 2010 CrossFit games honored her with a workout named in her honor, “Amanda”.

It is now possible for the entire CrossFit, strength and conditioning, and nutrition communities to come together to not only honor Amanda, but to contribute to melanoma research. The Amanda Miller Memorial Wod, taking place world-wide on July 21, 2012, has been set up for three reasons:

 

1. To honor Amanda’s memory. Amanda was a bright, energetic, funny and hardworking young lady who touch every single person with whom she came in contact. As the sport of CrossFit grows ever larger by the year, “Amanda” is in danger of becoming a wod, rather than a person. This event reminds us that “Amanda” is, and was, all about Amanda Miller
2. To challenge athletes to channel Amanda’s tenacity. Anyone who knew Amanda will tell you that she simply refused to give up. She worked, relentlessly, tirelessly, in everything she did. Any person who takes one small nugget of Amanda’s grit with them into their training and preparation for this event will come out the other side a better athlete.
3. To raise money for Melanoma research. All proceeds from  the $20 entry fee will go to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, in Amanda’s name, for melanoma research.

Now, for those of you with a competitive drive, this is a competition.

How can you help? Register for the event!

Patrick McCarty, from Cincinnati Strength in Cincinnati and the event organizer, advises that there are several categories, RX, scaled, masters, and “participant”. You can do this workout even if you cannot perform “Amanda” prescribed. There will be prizes for top performing athletes in all divisions.

If you are a CrossFit box owner, enroll your box to participate in this event as a host box. This means that you will host the event on July 21, and like any of the “opens” workouts, will dedicate judges, space and equipment to perform the workout. Participating as a host box will allow many of the athletes in your box to participate in the event without having to search out a location or to do it on their own.

You can register at www.amandawod.com.

Amanda was an amazing girl who left us too soon. Her legacy is one of hard work, passion and dedication. She loved CrossFit and the community lost a real advocate and winner when she passed away. I would encourage you to read her blog, get to know her, and then summon up the tenacity she exemplified, and get involved. In case you were wondering, Amanda’s family has been consulted and fully endorses this event.

 

Robb Wolf

Robb Wolf, author of The Paleo Solution and Wired to Eat, is a former research biochemist and one of the world’s leading experts in Paleolithic nutrition. Wolf has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world via his top ranked iTunes podcast and wildly popular seminar series.