Mat Fraser and his HWPO Training team have announced important news: the 18-year-old phenomenon as well as 7th Fittest Woman on Earth, Mal O'Brien, will join their team for the 2022 season.
The young Iowa native athlete will be coached by Jake Marconi and Fraser himself, which will provide you with all the tips and advice to get to the top of the podium in the next Games 2022.
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Mal O'Brien's background
O'Brien has rocked the CrossFit® landscape over the past year, ending 5th worldwide in the Open, before winning an invitation to the Games in the semifinal of the Granite Games at just 17 years old.
Together with colleague Emma Cary, she became the first teenage athlete to qualify for the Games as an individual athlete.
On that occasion she suffered a lot from burnout and the complications of Lyme disease, but that didn't stop her.
He fought with all his might under the guidance of former manager James Townsend, taking home a 7th place in the overall leaderboard and the title of Rookie of the Year thanks to his incredible victory in Event 4.
She also became the youngest athlete ever to win an individual event at the CrossFit® Games.
Here are his results:
Mal O'Brien and HWPO
In the last month, Mal O'Brien was seen on social media training and spending time alongside Mat Fraser and the HWPO team. There have been training sessions with Hopper, reigning champion Justin Medeiros and The Buttery Bros in Vermont.
“I was immediately blown away by his level of maturity and his ability to adapt,” says Fraser, recounting his first impressions of O'Brien; “When she came to Vermont to train with us she was very organized and self-sufficient. Whenever I gave her feedback or corrected something, within a few minutes she had already applied the changes without problems ”.
The trip to Vermont raised some suspicions that Mal O'Brien might join the HWPO team, but only a recent trip to Salt Lake City solidified their relationship and their partnership was made official.
"We were in Salt Lake for two weeks and so by chance I invited her to join the team", recalls Fraser, “She trained with us for two weeks and we got to see together how each of us works; it all started from there ”.
In this new season 2022, Mal O'Brien aims for the podium and wants to become (under Fraser's guidance) the youngest individual athlete to win on the fitness stage most anticipated of the year.
History seems to be in its favor; the last three athletes to win Rookie of the Year - Laura Horvath, Haley Adams and Justin Medeiros - have all equaled or improved their performance in the years following their Games debut.
“I told her that as long as she gives her all, I will give her my full commitment and this is what we will do,” Fraser said.
We'll see!