By james art Reno, Nevada (News 4 & Fox 11) – An athlete from Reno just placed sixth in the world for a crossfit competition. But this was no mere competition.
John Falkenburg, 32, trains at Update Nevada CrossFit in Reno. It is a non-profit gym dedicated to the sport of CrossFit.
“It’s high-intensity interval training with speed and strength,” Falkenburg said.
John’s workouts are slightly modified due to his size.
“I identify a short athlete. That means I have achondroplasia dwarfism,” he said.
John just competed in the 2024 CrossFit Adaptive World Championship in Texas last month. The event brings out the best of the best athletes with disabilities in 15 divisions. He went head-to-head against athletes from 76 countries. He placed sixth.
“After I graduated, did I just take sixth in the world? I’m still at that level,” she said. “I’m proud of how I did overall. I feel like it was a great experience, especially my freshman year.”
He may be shorter than many of his CrossFit peers, but his drive and determination have not been compromised.
“I love watching him go after it. I love training next to him. And the days I get to practice with him in class just push me. They motivate me,” said CrossFit coach Indy Gesselman.
John trains crossfit people of all abilities in northern Nevada. The gym offers adaptive classes three times a week for about 50-60 adaptive athletes.
“It’s really inspiring,” Nevada State manager Kayla Romero said. “We have people with spinal cord injuries who can’t use their legs. We have people with autism, Down syndrome, all kinds of things, amputees, and they do things just like the rest of us.”
John Falkenburg said he plans to compete again at the Adaptive CrossFit World Championships.