“Go Big Red Machine!”
Screamed out by proud PCF members and coaches at the 2015 CrossFit Regionals, this nickname couldn’t have been more fitting for Bryce Chilton. United by bright green Ninja Turtle shirts sporting the words “Team Big Red” and the pride of seeing one of our very own compete, the PCF family clustered together to cheer on Bryce.
Having one of the most coveted over, sweat for, and gruesomely worked for spots in the CrossFit Regionals is no small accomplishment. And the smile that spread across Bryce’s face as he walked that floor and the shouts that arose from his green-shirted PCF family said it all.
He made it.
But the journey up to that surreal moment when Bryce walked onto the competition floor was a long one…
Bryce started CrossFit in early 2012. Being physically active was always a big part of his life and was a legacy passed down from his dad. Before CrossFit, Bryce played football in high school and even then, he constantly pushed himself to be bigger and better. But he began to realize the toll football was taking on his body as he took extreme measures to be at the top. Finally he said, “That’s enough.”
After finishing football, Bryce tried bodybuilding as he searched for something to fuel the fire and passion he had inside. That’s when Cune Pena found Bryce and said, “I’ve got this thing in the back called CrossFit… You want to try it?” Bryce said, “I tried it, it killed me, I threw up and said: “This is awesome.”
I fell in love with the challenge… Because no matter how good you get it just keeps getting harder.
I was looking for a new outlet and when I found CrossFit, I instantly knew it was a fit. That’s when I decided to go school here so that I could compete. I knew this was for me.”
Bryce advanced quickly with CrossFit. His determination, consistency, and mental strength made him rise to the top. And Bryce attributes much of that to his upbringing as well. In his words, “The way I was raised, when things get hard you don’t quit. So when the workouts are difficult and when it hurts, you just have to settle into the pain cave and get comfortable. Don’t quit working hard because it hurts. Just shut it out and keep moving.”
And that’s what brought on the classic Bryce phrase: “Don’t mind the suck.”
Bryce obviously doesn’t mind the suck… Because the road to getting into the regionals requires incredible amounts of dedication and sacrifice. Being competition ready is something that involves changing every aspect of your life. And that regimented lifestyle seems to suit the Big Red Machine just fine.
“The thing that draws me to CrossFit is the fact that I constantly have to evolve as a person… Competing at this level requires you to eat right, sleep right, and act right to be able to withstand what it’s doing to your body. It really makes you get better at all aspects of life.”
Sustaining the level of physical fitness that Bryce does requires being extremely disciplined with his exercise regimen, diet, and sleep. A normal day for Bryce?
“I wake up at 5:00 AM, get to the gym by 6:30, and then work out until 8:00-8:30. I eat breakfast and then go to school from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM. I come back to the gym about 2:30 and train until 4:30. After that, I usually coach for an hour or so and make sure I’m home by 7:00-7:15. I eat dinner by 7:30-7:45 and then I’m in bed by 8:15 every night where I read a book until 8:45 and then I go to sleep. And then do it all over again. Every single day.”
Needless to say, Bryce earned his spot in the regional competition through consistent hard work. But when he got the news that he’d made it, he said that it felt like a dream. As he put it, “In a way it was kind of euphoric, it was something that I’d been striving for and pursued for years… I’d changed my life and everything to chase this dream. There’s kind of this invisible wall before you feel like you can categorize yourself as a ‘competitive athlete’. And I feel like I finally broke through it.”
Bryce said that the best part about competing was feeling how intensely everyone rallied and united in support behind him. As he said, “It absolutely astonishes me how much love and encouragement I’ve received. I can’t go anywhere without hugs and congratulations. It’s been five or six weeks of that and it just feels incredible. Honestly, it’s not the praise or compliments that I’m so impacted by, it’s just the love and support I feel.
Seeing how much everyone united, I knew I wasn’t just competing for me… I was competing for my box, for my coaches, and for everyone that has supported me along the way.”
That support followed him all the way to regionals where the PCF family donned green Ninja Turtle shirts (designed just for Bryce) and created a green cluster of cheering, proud coaches and box members. Coach Seth even wore a full Ninja Turtle costume to show his support. And Bryce said it’s that kind of love and support that makes it all worth it.
For Bryce the hardest part about competition isn’t what you might think… As he said, “It’s all about keeping everything fun, realizing that God has given us all this ability to do something that we enjoy, and for me that is CrossFit. I don’t want to waste the opportunity by getting all stressed out about this, that, or the other. There are so many people who want to be on that floor. Thousands work so hard to earn a spot there and many don’t make it.
I got to be one of the couple hundred who did. And I wanted to soak in every moment of that experience and take time to be thankful for having the chance to be there. Of course I wanted to perform well and place well… But I knew that I just had to do the best I could do and not let the results consume me.
One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned in competing is that if you don’t do as well as you want, you can’t let it beat you down. You just have to shake it off and come back and work out as hard if not harder. Some days of competition you have a good day and sometimes you have a bad day. Certain workouts are better than others, but I can’t get beaten down.”
And with an attitude like that, Bryce’s broad smile seemed to be his trademark throughout the weekend of competition. His passion, determination, and positive outlook on the entire thing was felt by everyone who watched. Even the announcers began to catch the “Big Red Machine fever”.
And though to some the road to get to where Bryce has gotten might seem extreme or grueling, Bryce says he feels like he’s become a better person because of it, “What I love most about this process is that I’m being constantly forced to evolve mentally, spiritually, and physically. This has forced me to address my weaknesses and tackle things I don’t like to do.
I go to bed at 9:00 PM and get up at 5:00 AM and every day and I’m only 21. I eat right. I only get one small cheat meal. That’s what it takes to get here. And that’s made me be a better person even outside of the gym. Even if I stopped being a competitor (which I truly can’t imagine), I wouldn’t change my lifestyle. I feel good, I feel healthy. Living this way is what I want. It’s made me more disciplined and stronger not just physically, but in every way. And that’s something that I will always have with me.
This isn’t about glory, money, or praise. It’s about seeing that I can push myself, rise to the occasion, and become a better person through this entire process.”
So what is next for Bryce? As he said, “I’m going to keep competing, keep getting better. My next big thing: GO BACK TO REGIONALS! I want to make it back and make it my goal to place well. I’m not ready to say what my goals are and what I’m aiming for, that’s a conversation for my coach and I to have, but I do know that I definitely aim to be at regionals again.”
PCF couldn’t be more proud of our very own Bryce Chilton. His attitude, integrity, consistency, focus, and determination inspires those around him.
We can’t wait to see what’s next for you, Bryce.
“Go Big Red Machine!”