Advertise on podcast: Legends and Masters Podcast

Send us a text This episode of the Legends and Masters Podcast has its basis in a young boy named Elias. Elias is the son of Jamie and Kenny Merritt who are both Coach's at CrossFit Reverence in Rogers Arkansas. Kenny is a Games Athlete (60-64) and podium finisher at the 2025 Legends Championship. Jamie is a CrossFit Level 2 Coach who created and developed a growing Adaptive Athlete program. CrossFit Reverence is the community that has opened it's Heart to the Merritt Family and the Merritt family has hugged them back. Join Kenny and Jamie as they tell their very special CrossFit Story to Warren and be prepared to hear, and hear about Elias.  www.crossfitreverence.com Instagram: @crossfitreverence Instagram: @exceptionally_elias

Send us a text 2025 was 10 years in the making for Dana Mather. Earning a trip to the Masters Games and a Legends Championship atop the podium against a long time rival. Dana tells her story of growing up as a gymnast, triathlete, marathoner and finding CrossFit in her forties. A decade of training, developing and growing both physically and mentally to finally achieve her goals. 

Send us a text Meet Greg Walker - CrossFits first Games Champion in the 60+ Masters Division. Discovering CrossFit with his daughter in 2008, this life-long athlete found success as an affiliate owner and Masters Athlete. When CrossFit expanded the Masters Games to include a 60+ Age Group in 2011, Greg travelled to Carson CA and became Champion. Today, 15 years later Greg is a Co-Owner of CrossFit Globe Cobre Valley located in Arizona and continues to Coach athletes of all ages and intends to  never stop coaching.  Instagram @greg.walker.94801116 @crossfitglobecobrevalley CrossFitglobecobrevalley.com

Send us a text Shellie Edington, 2016 Masters Games Champion (50-54), 3x Podium finisher and 6x Games Athlete shares with Warren how CrossFit and the CrossFit Games transformed her life from a Kids Gymnastics Coach to Gym Owner and Games Legend. A former gymnast who shared the floor with Mary Lou Retton chose a different path in adulthood and after years of parenting and globo-gyms found CrossFit and a path to the Games. Learning how to over-come physical and mental health challenges she rose to Champion. Retiring from competitive CrossFit in 2018 she focused on her business ulitmately opening Edington Family Fitness with a high focus on Womans health and development. In 2025, with the Age-Group Games near her home in Columbus OH, she decided to return to Competitive CrossFit qualifing for her 6th Games.  www.edingtonfamilyfitness.com Instagram @shellie_edington

Send us a text Nichole Kribs is a true CrossFit Games OG. She podiumed at the very first Games in 2007. Now the Director of Operations for Invictus Fitness, she is very involved with their programming and coaching of Masters Athletes. Nichole joins Co-Host Pat Haverty and Warren discussing the ins and outs of creating programming as well as the evolution of Masters Athletes over the past 15 years. We discuss what a Masters Athlete needs in order to make a run at the Games as well as the excitement being generated for the 2026 Games in San Jose CA.  https://invictusfitness.com/ @nic.kribs 

Send us a text In the Age of On-Line influencers, Susana and Elvis Mandelli quite possibly are becoming just that with thier focus being to spread the word of CrossFit to current and future Senior Masters Athletes (55-70+ Age Groups). With over 60 Thousand followers on thier Instagram account called Over 50 and fit (@over_50_n_fit) they spread the word that health and fitness is within your reach in these age groups. Using a combination of shared and personally created content, humor and inspirational quotes to bring the message of health and fitness. Join Warren as he discovers how Susana and Elvis found CrossFit and began creating content worth watching.  Instagram: @over_50_n_fit

Send us a text The Venerable Pat Rhodes. The first thing you'll notice is her colorful hair, then be amazed at her outgoing nature, her athletic abilities and her willingness to spread the message about CrossFit. She's usually the oldest person at the competition.  A college instructor, sky diver, scuba diver, musician, athlete and CrossFit Coach. Pat joins Warren to discuss her motivations for starting CrossFit and how she's attracting more athletes to the Sport of Fitness.  

Send us a text Today's show is in 2 parts: First is a discussion with 5 amazing athletes on the 2026 CrossFit Games Calendar and the Second is a short conversation with Joe Linton, the Director of the Masters CrossFit Games discussing the announcement of the selection of the 2026 Masters CrossFit Games in San Jose CA in July.  We organized an incredible group of 2025 Masters Games Athletes to review the 2026 Games calendar with all the expected changes. These include the reinstatement of Quarter Finals; The incentive placed on the quarter finals as they relate to the In-Person Semifinals; The level of international participation in the Senior Masters (55-70+ Age Groups); The loss of qualifying positions at the 2026 Games especially as it relates to the 55-59 Age Groups and the excitement around the Bolder Athlete sponsored Leader Jerseys at the 2025 Legends Championships and what impact it might have on other, future competitions.  Joe Linton discusses some of the reasoning behind the selection of the Masters CrossFit Games moving venues to San Jose CA and more specifically why the event cannot be held at the SAP Center with the Elites.  Guest Athletes: Betty Hardin 2nd Place 70+ @kspyder51 Mitchell Taylor Champion 65-69 @mtaylormade716 Dave Powell 2nd 60-54 @davidpowell.2024 Cindy Hinkle Champion 55-59 @_cindyhinkle_ Tia Vesser 5th 55-59 and 2021 Champion @@tvesser Show Segments Introduction: 0:00 Panel Discussion: 0:40 Joe Linton: 37:58 @thelegendschampionship

Send us a text 3X Games athlete and this years 65-69 Age-Group champion Denise Moore tells Warren about her long and challenging road to becoming Champion. From amateur golfer to runner to CrossFit, health issues, becoming competitive, close friendships and a sureal Games experience leading to her being at the top of the Podium. 

Send us a text 4x Games Athlete and this years 60-64 Age Group Champion Paul McCrary speaks with Warren about his early games appearances in the 50-54 Age Group, his disenchantment with the sport after the cancellation of the 2020 Masters Games and how he overcame those thoughts to return this year ending at the top of the Podium. 

Send us a text Warren meets with 3x CrossFit Adaptive Games Athlete, CrossFit Affiliate owner, father and current 4th place finisher in the 2025 Neuro moderate CrossFit Adaptive Games division, George Simonds-Gooding. George brings awareness to the in's and out's of CrossFit Adaptive athletes, the process for qualifing for the Games as well as overcoming his own personal challenges and impacts to his daily living.  Home - WheelWOD Park Side Gym | Get Fit Today - Join Our Community

Send us a text The President of the International Functional Fitness Federation, Gretchen Kittleberger and Dave Bullamore join Warren discussing the upcoming IF3 World Master Games in Brisbane Australia. They both are passionate about spreading the word about the IF3 and its goal of bringing functional fitness to the Olympics. The International Functional Fitness Federation Masters World Championship can be accessed at www.if3mastersworlds.com.au Leaderboard: https://competitioncorner.net/ff/19577/results#male_127896 Live Feed: https://www.youtube.com/live/kh6HneWu1NY?si=q3H86-FnFsCZzepy  

Send us a text Dawn Becker joins Warren to discuss her choosing CrossFit over prescriptions when she received a medical diagnosis 10 years ago. She describes her progress from a non-athlete a decade ago to her spending a full day at the gym in training, recovery and nutrition with her training partners, friends and quick learning husband. Dawn is the Legends and Masters Podcast first non-Games athlete fulfilling our goal to interview every-day athletes as well as Games Athletes. We'll be watching Dawn during the 2026 Games season as she prepares for her first year in the 65-69 Age Group. 

Send us a text Warren had the opportunity to speak with Joe Linton, the Co-Director of the long standing Legends Championship as well as the CrossFit Masters Games. We spoke about the successful 2025 CrossFit Age-Group Games, the upcoming Legends Championship in December, the recently announced Legends Del Mar event which will take place in April 2026 and is a CrossFit Semi-finals qualifer for Individuals and Masters Athletes and finally we discussed some open questions about the 2026 CrossFit Masters Games. I hope you enjoy this episode with Joe as much as I did. 

Send us a text Pamela joins Warren to discuss her life-long athletic career, finding body building after injury and her experience leading up to her first trip to the 2025 CrossFit Age-Group Games, her injury at the Games and how she managed to finish in such a positive atmosphere. We then got into our shared experiences with our mother's cognitive decline and the challenges that we've faced. We finished with some of the actions we are taking to limit our own cognitive decline through CrossFit and other actions. An episode not to be missed.