Greg Glassman, founder and CEO of CrossFit, is stepping down in the wake of making numerous insensitive comments about the death of George Floyd. Dave Castro, the director of the CrossFit Games and co-director of training, will assume the CEO role.
“I’m stepping down as CEO of CrossFit, Inc., and I have decided to retire,” Glassman said in the statement. “On Saturday I created a rift in the CrossFit community and unintentionally hurt many of its members. Since I founded CrossFit 20 years ago, it has become the world’s largest network of gyms. All are aligned in offering an elegant solution to the vexing problem of chronic disease. Creating CrossFit and supporting its affiliates and legions of professional trainers has been a labor of love.”
Castro said, “CrossFit is a community — one that is global, diverse and tough. Every person in our community shares a common bond. We are all dedicated to a visionary, transformative approach to health and fitness. Our individual passions for that approach have forged an enduring community.
“Our community is hurt, though. Our shared bond brings together millions of people with differing opinions, viewpoints, and experiences. Friction is inevitable. Common ground, mutual respect and fellowship must also be inevitable. I’m honored to take on the role of CEO of CrossFit, Inc. I hope to do right by affiliates, trainers, athletes, and other members of the CrossFit community around the world and never lose sight of the mission Greg established for us all.”
Reebok and Rogue Fitness have announced plans to end their partnerships with CrossFit following Glassman’s comments on Twitter in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the protests that have followed. In response to a tweet from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in which they said racism and discrimination are “critical public health issues,” Glassman replied with “It’s FLOYD-19.” He added a second tweet, then apologized via CrossFit’s official Twitter account,
Other sponsors, athletes, CrossFit-aligned gyms and affiliated events have spoken out against the comments or distanced themselves from Glassman and CrossFit in recent days.
