Dark Horse: Judy McElroy (Southwest Region)

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In September of 2012, Austin’s CrossFit community hardly took notice when Judy McElroy took second place at the Athlete Open. There were plenty of new faces at the unique event (a pentathlon consisting of traditional Track and Field, Olympic Lifting, and CrossFit) and she was just another Austin athlete who came out to try her hand at something different. Four months later, this 36-year-old black-haired beauty (beast?!) is the talk of the town. She has been honored with the title of Austin’s Fittest, placed 4th or higher in the last five CrossFit competitions she has entered, and has put up numbers that will challenge some of the Fittest on Earth.

Before she’d ever heard of thrusters, McElroy (nèe Sverchek) was a fan of the iron. McElroy hails from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, where she not only ran the PRIDE powerlifting federation but made a name for herself as an elite RAW powerlifter. In 2009, McElroy, competing in the 148-pound weight class, recorded world record-breaking numbers: a 285-pound bench press, a 395-pound back squat, and a 510-pound deadlift. (As of January 25, 2013, her deadlift still stands as the Women’s American RAW record). These days, McElroy “only” lifts 265, 345, and 470 respectively, but she’s been busy.

McElroy met and married her husband Jeff, moved to Austin, and 17 months ago they welcomed their baby, Max. McElroy was very active during her pregnancy and has just kept on going. In the last twelve months, McElroy has participated in endurance events including the Austin 3M Half Marathon, the Livestrong 1.2 Marathon, three 100-mile bike rides (Outlaw Trail Cycling Tour, Shiner G.A.S.P., and the Georgetown Red Poppy Ride), and even IronMan Texas.

She was first introduced to CrossFit in September when her husband signed her up for the Athlete Open. Despite her unfamiliarity with Olympic lifting and many of the CrossFit movements, McElroy managed a second-place finish. In two of the events, she revealed the depth of her bag of tricks. In addition to her exceptional strength and endurance, McElroy proved to be quick on her feet: she ran 200 meters in 31 seconds, and a mile in 5:46.

In October, McElroy entered the Central Texas Showdown which includes bodybuilding, Olympic Lifting, MMA Competitions, and CrossFit. As it turns out, before her powerlifting fame, McElroy dabbled in MMA and can boast a 10-1 pro record. She placed 1st.

What is the obvious next step for an athlete possessing such a powerful combination of endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy? The Sport of Fitness, of course.

After two experiences under her belt, “I took an immediate interest in the sport,” says McElroy. Introduced at the Athlete Open, McElroy approached Wes Kimball, head coach/owner at CrossFit Austin. McElroy says, “I told him that I wanted to compete in the Games and that I knew I could. It wasn’t a disrespectful assumption, of course, there are skills that I need to develop, and that takes time. It sounds like a goal, but I just don’t set goals. I was making a conscious decision at that moment. I understand what is involved: the sacrifice, the self-discipline, the training volume...I immediately recognized the caliber of women currently in the sport and I wanted to compete against them.”

Initially surprised by her bold statement, after a conversation about McElroy’s unique history and current abilities, Kimball realized it was a very realistic goal. He recalls, “It’s not every day you come across a gal with zero CrossFit experience, who can score a 375 on Fight Gone Bad―with Men’s Rx weights.”

McElroy began the Sports Performance Program at CrossFit Austin in November. Program Director (and former Level 1 and 2 USA Track and Field Coach) Aaron Davis says, “Judy has a coaching team much like what Olympic track and field athletes have: Olympian Chad Vaughn takes care of the Olympic weightlifting technique, Wes Kimball breaks down and coaches her movement quality and efficiency, and I take care of her day-to-day workouts.”

Davis explains, “We use a unique periodization scheme with her training adopted from the Italian running coach Renato Canova. We work both ends of the Power and Endurance spectrum, then work our way to the middle, where I believe CrossFit competitions reside…Our focus is on adaptation and improvement, not work.”  

In the beginning, this approach didn’t sit well with McElroy. ”I came in like a wild animal. My understanding of CrossFit was to do everything 100%, as fast as you can, regardless of form or efficiency. They had to put me in a cage and reprogram the way I think. I begged for more and presented a lot of resistance.”

McElroy trains 3-4 hours, five days a week, followed by two active recovery days. She often doesn’t know what she will be doing until she wakes up in the morning since volume and intensity are altered based on her HRV (heart rate variability). Davis notes, “We always want to manage the dose we are giving her.”

“From a technical aspect, she is raw, but physically very gifted. I say gifted, but in reality, she has worked extremely hard over the years to be where she is today...We just need to put the finishing touches around the specifics of CrossFit,” says Davis.

Twelve weeks later, McElroy is a believer. “The progress and gains I have made are unquestionable…My CrossFit philosophy has been radically altered: my focus is on executing correctly and efficiently. Whatever I am doing, I focus 100% on quality. The emphasis is on becoming a better athlete, not just getting better at CrossFit.”

It’s hard to imagine McElroy getting much better at CrossFit. In the past eight weeks, McElroy has stood on the award podium at every competition she’s entered. 

– At the November CrossFit Classics, she completed the 2012 Regionals Individual WOD #3 (4 rounds: 10 db snatches 70#, sprint)—her world-record time of 3:59 bested the entire field of last year’s games competitors. 

– In December, McElroy placed 4th at the All Cities Open IV in Dallas. 

– At the January 2013 Fittest Games she placed first in every single event, including completing Randy (30 snatches) in 3:09―almost a minute faster than the next competitor. 

– A week ago, McElroy competed in the January CrossFit Classics where she was introduced to Fran; she finished first with a time of 3:13.

Clearly, McElroy is an extraordinary athlete, but is shy to admit it, and will deflect if questioned. She says, “Typically the athlete will most often get the credit for top performances, but it is without a doubt the great coaching behind that athlete that is responsible. My coaches prepare me to be great; you can have all of the talent in the world but underachieve because you don't have the right people to nurture your talent. In addition to the elite physiological and technical coaching, I have received the correct emotional training. This is what keeps me focused when I am tired and gives me the tenacity to succeed when everyone else is done. When you are on a level field, and everyone is an elite athlete, it is the emotional intelligence that gives you the confidence and ability to win.”

Her coaches speak to this mentality but give full credit to McElroy. Vaughn says, “It's easy to see why Judy has been so successful. Yes, she is ridiculously talented but more than that, she is determined, self-motivated, and RELENTLESS! She will put in the time and make the necessary changes because she won't have it any other way.”

Kimball says, “Beyond the ability to execute at the highest level, she has an athlete’s mindset. You can’t compete at the top unless you have the ability to focus and know where you need to be mentally. Judy understands what it takes each day to come in and train, and what it takes on Game Day.”

Tristy Stephens, coach at CrossFit Austin adds, “Judy sees herself like a painter views his masterpiece; never finished. No matter how much she accomplishes or how great of an athlete she becomes, she will always be working on what she sees as her weaknesses, even if no one else can see them. I have never witnessed someone more dedicated, disciplined, or hard-working than Judy.”

In December, McElroy was honored with the title of “Austin's Fittest,” as a result of her victory in Austin Fit Magazine’s 2012 AFM Fittest Challenge. Her next goal is to be crowned Fittest on Earth; she intends to compete in the Open and whatever lies beyond. “When I do something I want to go all the way with it. Have you ever heard the saying, ‘It looks like peace, but it is war’? I need that ‘war’ in my life and I thrive in this type of environment, whether it is the physical punishment of training or from opponents, injuries, complicated relationships with coaches, family and friends, competing for time and money, or the pressure to be everything all the time. Most people on this planet could not handle a life like this. On the contrary, I wouldn’t want to live without it.”

Standing at only 5'6,” 140lbs, McElroy is still unmistakable with her bulging biceps and jet-black mane of hair twisted into what will soon be her trademark: a thick braid that hangs to her waist, or whips through the air behind her. This is one dark horse to be on the lookout for, and she won’t be hard to spot.

This athlete spotlight was originally published on the CrossFit Games website.