Class of 2019 alumni, Logan Griffith, traveled to Havana, Cuba to compete in a weightlifting competition with the Pan American team, scoring seven overall.

“I knew I was qualified for Pan Ams, I believe, in February of this year. I had a super bad weight meet and still managed to get on the team, whereas I was shooting for the world team that competed in Fiji this year,” said Griffith.

He competed in the snatch and the clean and jerk, with his final weights to earn his spot being 115 kilos for the former and 142 for the latter. Snatches are a lift that many athletes have difficulty completing, yet on the day of the competition, Logan’s were strong, giving him the confidence to go into the event.

“I was able to get the first two weights without too much trouble. I bumped to 145 for my last attempt but ended up waiting around 15 to 20 minutes to lift because many other competitors were attempting that weight as well. As a result, I went cold and missed the lift,” said Logan.

While seventh place was not Logan’s goal, he still gained a level of satisfaction from participating in the competition while pushing through multiple injuries. Starting in 2017, he suffered through a herniated back, avulsed shoulder, avulsed hip, severe knee tendinopathy, and many other afflictions.

“I went into the competition with super injured knees and hadn’t been able to do dedicated back squats or front squats for the past two months. Even with a large weight cut and a severe leg strength loss, I was able to compete with some of the best in the world. The competitor in me still thinks that not only should I be able to compete, but I should dominate. I wasn’t able to do that this time around,” said Logan.

Due to Griffith’s performance in the Pan American competition, he is now ranked number five in the nation for junior men, qualifying him for a paid spot on the world team, which will compete in Cairo, Egypt in 2020. Being a two-time national champion and CrossFit games competitor, he had high expectations to reach the world’s team. Through his dedication, help from his coach, and team support, Logan has finally reached that mark.

“Seeing hard work day in and day out pay off in the end is the most satisfying thing in the world,” said Logan.