From the moment Kamryn’s dream began, it was clear this experience would be unforgettable. After touching down in San Jose, the team arrived at Hotel Valencia Santana Row to an incredibly warm welcome. The staff showed Kamryn to his VIP room, complete with gifts and encouraging notes waiting for him.
From there, we headed to CrossFit Games Vendor Village, where Kamryn met the team at R.A.D. They spent time getting to know him and surprised him with gear that had not even been released yet. He also met CrossFit stars Fee Saghafi and Noah Ohlsen before wrapping up the evening with dinner at Farmers Union, where our host, Truman, made Kamryn feel like a true VIP. The best part of the day was watching Kamryn smile from beginning to end and seeing our team turn a stressful travel day into a win.
The next morning began with the opening ceremonies, where Kamryn walked out alongside the athletes and helped represent the adaptive division. He was absolutely loving it. At the adaptive venue, he met Kevin Ogar, his wife Shannon and members of the adaptive team, including Leslie Manning and Lisa Gaal. They welcomed Kamryn with a full athlete kit and personalized gear bearing his name.
Kamryn also met Dana and Mark from Equip Products, who create specialized equipment that allows adaptive athletes to participate in CrossFit workouts. They demonstrated several pieces of equipment, gave Kamryn tools to support his own training and helped him get in a workout. Kevin even spent time teaching him new techniques for barbell work.
Over lunch, Kamryn opened up about his journey and shared that he had been praying to find a community like this one. It was clear that being surrounded by athletes who understood, encouraged and challenged him was giving him a renewed sense of hope and purpose.
Throughout the day, Kamryn met adaptive athletes Tommy Mizaga, Andrea Wilson, Jedidiah Snelson and Mike Egan. He also joined Bill Grundler and Jeremy Austin for a live interview, where he confidently announced that he plans to return next year as a competitor! When asked about his favorite moments, Kamryn immediately named meeting Kevin and Tommy. We ended the day with dinner at The Press Room, where the owner personally welcomed Kamryn and surprised him with more gifts.
After two packed days, we enjoyed a slower morning before heading to The Gents Barber Club for an experience arranged by Hotel Valencia. As a barber who is deeply committed to growing his craft, this was an especially meaningful part of Kamryn’s dream. Adrian and owner Victor went above and beyond to make him feel welcome and set him up with everything he needed.
With a fresh cut, we returned to the SAP Center to watch the CrossFit Games from penthouse seats. Kamryn also received another pair of R.A.D. shoes, bringing his total to three pairs! We later made our way back to the convention center to watch the teen and adaptive competitions. Kamryn continued to be drawn to the adaptive community and its incredible spirit of love, passion, acceptance and encouragement.
For the final day, Kamryn described exactly what his perfect day would look like: church, lunch, time to change at the hotel, a few more competitions, the awards ceremony, dinner and a relaxing evening before the flight home. And that is exactly what we did.
We found a local church, sat on the front row and loved seeing Kamryn worship with his whole heart. After church, he changed into his CrossFit gear, and we returned in time for the final event of the adaptive competition.
Throughout the weekend, Kamryn had become part of the WheelWOD community, and they embraced him completely. During the awards ceremony, Kevin shared part of Kamryn’s story with the audience and invited him to present medals to the winners. Kamryn later said it was his favorite moment of the entire day.
We ended the evening with pasta and a much-needed massage. Kamryn had struggled with spasms and tightness throughout the trip, so Amanda generously gave him her massage appointment to help him rest and feel more comfortable before traveling home.
More than once throughout the weekend, Kamryn took the microphone and declared that he would be back next year, not as a guest, but as a competitor. When that day comes, his Dream Team will be ready to return and cheer him on.
Kamryn came to the CrossFit Games looking for inspiration, community and a glimpse of what might be possible. He left with new skills, new equipment, new friendships and a community that believes in him. Most importantly, he left with a goal and the confidence to chase it.
Thank you to everyone who welcomed Kamryn, encouraged him and helped make this dream experience one he will never forget
