As the winningest CrossFit Games Individual athlete, Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr is always a frontrunner to win any competition she enters. Toomey-Orr clinched silver at the 2023 Rogue Invitational after being away from competitive CrossFit for the majority of the 2023 CrossFit season to have her first child.
On Nov. 9, 2023, Toomey-Orr published a video on her YouTube channel wherein she offered an intimate look into her experience competing at the 2023 Rogue Invitational against a stacked lineup. Toomey-Orr reflected on the intensity of the competition, noting that it felt like a month’s worth of competing packed into a single weekend due to weather-related delays. Check it out below:
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Event Four — 10th Inning
Rogue announced the details of the “10th Inning” event a few days before the contest. Toomey-Orr and fellow Australian pro-CrossFitter Jay Crouch performed two rounds of four-ring muscle-ups, eight handstand push-ups, and 12 power snatches in under two minutes in the trials.
Toomey-Orr’s husband and coach, Shane Orr, suggested Toomey-Orr pace herself, recognizing that her speed wasn’t sustainable for the stipulated 10 rounds. Toomey-Orr broke the power snatches into three sets. “I knew that was a great workout for me to win,” said Toomey-Orr. “It was even a big bonus as well to secure more points on the leaderboard.”
Event Five — The Duel III
Finishing in the top five in the “10th Inning” event allowed Toomey-Orr to skip the first round of the following event, “The Duel III,” advancing her directly to the second round. Toomey-Orr opined that the lack of warm-up space caught her off guard.
“I didn’t fumble with anything; I just wasn’t sharp…and fast enough,” Toomey-Orr said. “But to fall short of that was a huge disappointment, and, you know, cost me the win at the end of the day.”
Drawing lessons from this setback, Toomey-Orr plans to prioritize her speed and fast-twitch muscle fiber development in preparation for the 2024 CrossFit Games.
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Event Six — Max Deadlift
Although Toomey-Orr is strong in the deadlift, she had not lifted as heavy since her pregnancy, leading to a more cautious and self-aware approach to her technique. Toomey-Orr was the only athlete at the 2023 Rogue Invitational who didn’t wear a weightlifting belt during deadlifts. Reflecting on her decision to skip the belt, Toomey-Orr said she was still recovering, and her body hadn’t returned to its pre-pregnancy state.
“I need to be very cautious of where my organs are,” Toomey-Orr said. “It’s not what it was prior to being pregnant; it will never be the same. Recognizing that is so important.” Not using a belt helped Toomey-Orr stay in tune with her body throughout the event.
Event Seven — Hulk Hands
Day Three of the competition started in the rain with the “Hulk Hands” event. Rogue made certain changes to the event to ensure athlete safety. Toomey-Orr finished fifth in the event.
Events Eight & Nine — Champion Mindset
“If I executed everything to the best of my ability, and stuck to my game plan and stayed focused, I knew I could win,” said Toomey-Orr, reflecting on her Day Three performance. “But I also didn’t really know what I was capable of. Did I still have the edge?”
Toomey-Orr didn’t train at full capacity leading up to the 2023 Rogue Invitational. The first event, “Texas Heavy,” was the turning point for Toomey-Orr, as she clinched first place, reassuring her of her abilities.
Event Eight, “Big Cat,” originally included peg boards and hill running, but it was changed to five rounds for the time of handstand walking, running, and box jumps. Toomey-Orr placed second to Danielle Brandon in the event.
Toomey-Orr and reigning CrossFit Games champion Laura Horvath were tied for first place going into the final event, “The Cleanup.” “[I was] very nervous going into it, obviously, because [I] had to win it to win the whole competition,” said Toomey-Orr.
Toomey-Orr recognized that the final event was also a strong event for Horvath. The six-time CrossFit Games champion finished third in the event for second place overall.
I far exceeded my expectations of how I felt like I was going to perform.
Toomey-Orr will compete next in the 2024 CrossFit Open, scheduled to begin on Feb. 29, 2024 — the first step to her return to the CrossFit Games. The registrations for the CrossFit Open begin on Jan. 9, 2024.
Featured image: @tiaclair1 on Instagram
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