Hello! Welcome inside the Update Studio, everyone.
Tommy Marquez here, and at this year's
Invitational the reigning champions: the Europe Team will look to defend their title with
a new roster, and this year they've added none other than the most decorated female CrossFit athlete of all time.
None other than Annie Thorisdottir who joins me now Via Skype.
Annie, thanks so much for chatting with me today.
Of course. My pleasure.
So you came back in 2017 a little bit of a bounce-back year for you after having maybe some
less than ideal performances last year and the year before.
What's the key to your resiliency and being able to come back and finish so strong the way you did this year?
Well, I feel like physically
2015 and 2016 I was definitely there
2015 that was kind of out of my control–what happened. And had to withdraw from the competition.
2016 I was definitely in the best shape that I had ever been, but
mentally I don't think I had worked through the
problems that I went through in 2015.
I was just scared going into it. I was so afraid the same thing would happen again and
so I finally worked through my issues [laughs]
Yeah I never feel like I
wasn't there or good enough to perform good at the Games. Or even reach the podium.
It was... yeah it, was out of my control and then...
Hadn't worked through my issues.
Well it's good to see that you're back at the top and you finished on the podium this year in the first year at the
new venue in Madison. You're one of the few remaining athletes from the old days of Aromas.
Can you kind of compare the experience of Madison this year for the first time compared to the years past?
Well I think it's just awesome that I've actually gotten to
try three different venues for the CrossFit Games, first off. But I don't know. I think Aromas was
amazing and it was perfect for my first year at the Games. It was so intimate and more like a
local throwdown, and then
going to a big venue in Carson
was a huge step for the CrossFit Games and you could feel that in the experience. It was so...
It was so real that competition had become so big and
I loved that venue. I loved the
L.A. feeling and that California weather. I really liked then but I think
I've never enjoyed it as much as this year in Madison. I thought it was awesome
to change the venue and
also I have so many great memories from California but I
also have a couple of bad ones,
So i think it was really good for me to get to a new venue. It's like a clean slate and
I thought it was awesome to be in Madison and I felt like the whole city–it was just Into the CrossFit Games.
Well now up next, we have the Invitational and congrats on doing so well in the Team Series as well, but
when you look at your Europe team you have Sara you have Björgvin, you have Jason Smith filling in as well.
What is it about the Europe team that makes you think you guys can win?
I think first up, we have a great group of athletes and I think
we know each other really well and
a lot of us have been on a team together before and,
well three of us are from Iceland.
I think we definitely stand a chance of winning this year.
We're all easy going and supportive of each other and kind of know each other.
Well so I think that really matters when it comes to a team.
And so you've been to the Invitational multiple times.
In your mind what's one of the biggest factors for a team performing well in this type of setting?
I think the most important thing Is
believing your ego and
being able to–
wanting To help each other but then
also being able to let the other athletes help you. So not wanting to necessarily split everything 50/50.
Rather know each other's strengths and weaknesses
and being able to work together I think that's the most important thing.
Now kind of looking forward to next year before we go.
One last question: you basically accomplished everything there is to accomplish in this sport.
What's next for you in 2018 and beyond?
Well I always just take one year at a time.
And going Into the Games I never know
if I'm gonna go again Individual.
I focus on that one year. I just learned that as an athlete you can't really plan too far ahead.
After the Games this year I felt really good, like I said and
physically and mentally
it was one of the best years I've had at the Games. And I'm still evolving as an athlete. I still feel like I can
keep on improving. I still have holes that I can work on, and I think being so close together there on the top–
it makes it so exciting and so much fun to be there.
I don't know exactly what I'm Going to do next year. I'm enjoying this time but I'm definitely
training as an Individual and there's no way that I'm stopping yet. I'm not ready. I just I don't think I'm going anywhere.
That's great news for me–love seeing you out on the competition floor.
Well Annie, thanks again so much for joining me today and I wish you best of luck at the Invitational.
Thank you.
If you want to see Annie Thorisdottir and the Europe team try and defended their Invitational title
action goes down November 5th at the Margaret Court Arena down in Melbourne Australia.
The Competition starts at 4 p.m. That's local time to Australia.
So be sure to double-check to see what time that is wherever you're tuning in from.
Also if you want to see it live, tickets are available now. You can get that as
well as any other coverage regarding the Invitational at games.crossfit.com.