2026 Empower Awards Gala
The 11th annual awards gala saw our best turnout yet, with a combined 50 members and guests filling the gym. Shades and Dauntless did a fantastic job decorating the space, and KMT put out a remarkable spread, which, as always, received high praise from attendees. W1A and Shutter put their camera skills to work capturing beautiful moments and all the beautiful folks dressed up in their finest, while Swan volunteered to capture video footage for us. Behind the scenes, of course, Salsa and Auto laid the groundwork for making the event possible.
We started with a meet, mingle and munch, but as there are no free lunches, attendees were then subjected to a 6-minute lecture from WOD Father in full-on teacher mode as he went into the history and biology of the CrossFit reproductive cycle.
Lucky, since there were innocent ears present, it was all rated PG since CrossFit gyms follow the calving pattern of icebergs.
Photo credit: Rachel Nixon (aka. Shutter)
The Story of CrossFit Gyms in Vancouver
In 2005, inspired by Greg Glassman’s paradigm breaking program, Craig “Patty” Patterson returned to Vancouver to open CrossFit Vancouver, Canada’s first CrossFit affiliate and the 5th affiliate in the world. The early years were tough, but it began to catch on, and CrossFit Vancouver grew, eventually peaking at over 500 members.
But anthropologists have noted that humans seem wired to operate optimally in communities of about 150. Beyond that and relationships begin to fragment and break down. What this looks like inside a CrossFit gym is a few members who share a vision of CrossFit that differs enough from the gym founder’s vision that, like icebergs, they break off from the original ice block and float off in their own direction.
The first of these was Jennika, who went off to found CrossFit Westside with a few like-minded people. Next was Troy, who took a batch of CrossFit Vancouver members and opened CrossFit BC. Fynn left to open CrossFit Kitsilano. One or two CrossFit Vancouver members may have followed him. And in 2009, when I was starting out my apprenticeship at CrossFit Vancouver, coach Popeye had a major falling out with Patty and left, taking about 30 members, including Patty’s ex-girlfriend, to open CrossFit OPT.
In a genealogy that begins to sound biblical, CrossFit Kits begat CrossFit West 10th when a few coaches decided to go off on their own and CrossFit OPT begat Raincity CrossFit when a group of competitive athletes from that gym felt that Popeye was not given the elite CrossFitters enough special treatment.
This is the cycle by which CrossFit gyms grow and proliferate. I myself began as an apprentice coach at CrossFit Vancouver until my clients and I decided we wanted a place of our own where we could train CrossFit our own way. When we opened on Dunbar Street in 2013, 14 former CrossFit Vancouver members came with me, including Music Man, Dr. T and Big Boss.
Photo credit: Alfred Hermida (aka W1A)
Photo credit: Alfred Hermida (aka W1A)
Our Vision of CrossFit
How did our vision of CrossFit differ from what was available in the city at that time? For one, we wanted training that would be safe and sustainable into our later years. At that time, most CrossFitters were in the 25-35 year old range. We were in our 40’s. The lifecycle of a CrossFit member averaged about 2 years before injury, and burnout resulted in a shift to different forms of training. We wanted a training approach that would allow us to continue playing into our 50’s, 60’s and beyond.
To put it in context, CrossFit Vancouver, a gym founded in 2005 that boasted at its peak over 500 members, has a legends wall for members who survive 5 years at the gym because it is that rare. At Empower, established on the West Side in 2013, a gym that has averaged 150 members post-COVID and fewer than 100 members before that, our Legend Wall begins at 10 years, and we are running out of space.
But beyond sustainable fitness, we also wanted a community that was open, caring, respectful and non judgemental. A community that valued people not for their athletic prowess, looks or whether they belonged to the cool crowd but on their heart and their positive contribution to others. We wanted a community free of cliches where everyone feels safe, where they will be treated with respect and where they will be valued for their kindness.
Photo credit: Rachel Nixon (aka. Shutter)
Photo credit: Rachel Nixon (aka. Shutter)
The Empower Annual Awards Gala
And this is what we gather to celebrate once a year with the Empower Annual Awards Gala, an event unique to Empower. It is an opportunity for us to celebrate the wonderful people who make Empower such a special place to train.
The Class of 2020
We began this year with our 5-year T-shirts because 5-years is a solid commitment. After all, 50% of marriages don’t last that long. Congratulations to this year’s recipients, the class of 2020:
3.0
Dizzy
Adagio
Loki
Ultra Violet
Rockstar
Viper
Tarun
Rashi
Photo credit: Rachel Nixon (aka. Shutter)
The Class of 2016
Next up, we had our class of 2016, who received their 10-year hoodies plus induction to the Empower Legends’ wall.
Irondam
Mufasa
Silk
Jet
Hufflepuff
Photo credit: Rachel Nixon (aka. Shutter)
500 Classes
Of course, having a membership isn’t what makes you fit. Using it does. And that’s why our next awards presentation was for class attendance:
Viper
Gift
Pebbles
3.0
Upgrade
Supergirl
Moneypenny
Supernova
Skipper
Photo credit: Rachel Nixon (aka. Shutter)
1000 Classes
Timberwolf
FeProf
Sable
Bobo
Photo credit: Rachel Nixon (aka. Shutter)
2000+ Classes
Our Zen Planner attendance app only counts up to 2000. I guess the developers never imagined anyone would get that high. They didn’t figure on Empower. Because every year we add a few more people to the 2000+ class award. This year’s high achievers were:
Mufasa
Doc Disc
Photo credit: Rachel Nixon (aka. Shutter)
Intramural Awards
From there we moved onto our Intramural awards. Every year at Empower we celebrate the worldwide CrossFit Open by hosting an Intramural Team competition. This year HHH volunteered to take on the mighty task of running the event. Smash cooked the meat and served up a weekly summary of the event along with detailed guidelines on how to get through the workout successfully. And then of course there was our rookie coach Ace who was thrown into coaching the Saturday morning heats without ever having experienced the chaos of CrossFit competition before. But in true CrossFit fashion, he rose to the occasion and by week 3 looked as confident and composed as a veteran coach.
27 members divided into 3 teams of 9 competed this year in the Empower Intramural Open, and when the dust settled, HHH crowned the deserving champions:
The Power Surge: Dauntless, Diesel, Dizzy, Doc Disk, HeeHee, Motor, Savitar, Supernova, The Assassin
Photo credit: Rachel Nixon (aka. Shutter)
Empower’s most prestigious award is the Spirit of the Open which is nominated by our members. This is the individual who supported, inspired or impressed you the most. The Empower member who best embodies the spirit of CrossFit and of Empower.
Past Winners of the Spirit of the Open Award
Past winners include:
Motor
Dangers
HHH
Steel
Silk
Enigma
PomPom
DT
Fierce
Viper
Roxy
Doc Disc
Sprite
Shades
This year the voting was narrow but deep as four members clearly stood out above the rest. I’ve included the words members sent me to explain their nomination choice:
Nominations
"Talk about incredible debuts. In his first CF Open, just a few short weeks after making a commitment to attend the 6am class every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, signed up to compete and added Saturdays to the mix. He showed up big time with an incredible costume and a steady determination to crush 26.1 and 26.2, and then squeezed in 26.3 before heading off on family vacation. It was so great to see!" ... about Diesel
"In weeks one and two, showed up in full costume, full of spirit and camaraderie for his team and the greater Empower community along with a healthy competitive drive to take on whatever movements the open tossed his way. He shared his costume accessories with teammates who came unprepared, and smiled his hardest while working through the WOD.
"But it was week 3 that sealed the deal earning my Spirit of the Open vote…he arrived IN COSTUME asking if there might be space for him to do 26.3…he hadn’t signed up in advance because he’d been in the hospital the day before for a kidney stone issue! And he STILL showed up for the Saturday sweat and social in costume!" ... about Mufasa
Spirit of the Open Runner Up
"'showed up,' quietly available with strong determination to participate in the Open as an athlete, judge and cheerleader.
"Available to Everyone who "needed" a supportive member and a "hug".
"I’m not sure there is an Empower member who is more deserving of her nickname. Her inner resolve shines through in everything she does. Behind the scenes, she was a constant voice of encouragement for her team, helping to organize costumes, judges and workout times. Never boastful but always brave, she seems to embody the mantra of “This is hard… but I’m doing it anyway.” She shows up for our community without hesitation." ... about Dauntless
Spirit of the Open Winner
We have never had a Spirit of the Open repeat before, but this year you decided it was high time we did.
"From the first time she walked into the gym with posters, pictures and scorecards - one could feel her dedication and excitement.
She brought incredible enthusiasm and positivity while organizing the event, judging, cheering , dressing up and creating a communication group that kept everyone connected
She always embodies the community spirit and heart of Empower and she has surpassed herself with this. I'm just so grateful for the immense amount of time and effort she put into making this open a wonderful experience. It was so inclusive, fun and memorable and it was all down to her. Thanks for everything!
The main reason I was willing to join the in-gym festivities around the Open -- and the teams, specifically -- was the promise that she would be shepherding the whole thing. And her leadership did not disappoint! It was fun and motivating and welcoming."
Our first 2-time Spirit of the Open winner is HHH!
Photo credit: Rachel Nixon (aka. Shutter)
The Empower Management Team did not know the Spirit of the Open results in advance but felt it important that we recognize HHH’s incredible effort in running this year’s Intramural event. By way of thanks, we presented her with a gift certificate to take the online CrossFit Level 1 course of her choice. Someone who dedicates so much to our community certainly deserves it!
The meet, mingle and munch carried on until 4 pm. The energy in the room was fantastic. Once again, we are so grateful for members and guests who took time from their weekend to come celebrate with us.
Photo credit: Rachel Nixon (aka. Shutter)
Photo credit: Rachel Nixon (aka. Shutter)
