Katrín Davíðsdóttir - Dottir: my journey to becoming a two-time CrossFit Games champion

In her first year competing at the CrossFit Games, Katrin Davidsdottir finished in thirtieth place.

She fared slightly better the following year, finishing twenty-fourth at the 2013 Games.

In 2014, she didnt compete at the Games, having failed to qualify during the Meridian Regional.

At this point, lots of other people in similar situations might have seen the writing on the wall and quite reasonably concluded, Maybe this isnt for me. After three years of training and competing to become the Fittest on Earth, Katrin seemed to be moving backward.

Certainly, many people lose interest after a lot less. Would-be golfers pack it in after a couple of lessons when their progress stalls. Scores of people give up piano when they dont become a concert pianist after a year of practicing. From where she stood in 2014, it would have made sense for Katrin to conclude that she just wasnt destined to be among the elite of the elite.

She might have shrugged and gone back to the gym, content with being a Games Athletean extraordinary group of humansand just enjoyed the experience year after year. Or she might have quit, discouraged by the level of discipline, training, and sacrifice it takes to be mediocre at the CrossFit Games.

Katrin did something else.

Katrin dug her heels in. She decided that she did want to be among the elite of the elite, and she was willing to completely reinvent herself to do it. At the age of twenty-two, Kat went pro. She left the familiar comforts of her family, friends, and country behind and started a new life in Boston, training like a professional athlete with me at my gym, CrossFit New England (CFNE).

The way I build an athlete is from the inside out. I have no idea if this is the right approach, but its the way I do it. It starts with character first, and there are four traits in particular I look for when deciding to take on a new athletecoachability, confidence, positivity, and passion. From the beginning, Katrin has embodied these qualities better than any athlete Ive worked with.

Before she moved to Boston, Katrin had been to CFNE a handful of times for various training camps. During these early visits, one of the things that stood out to me was how coachable she was. She wanted to be coached. She loved feedback. So many athletes receive coaching cautiously, or even painfully. As their performance is being critiqued, you can see it in their eyestheyre wondering what your criticism means in the bigger picture. Does Ben not think Im a good athlete? Does this mean Ben doesnt like me? What if he doesnt want to coach me anymore? Does he think Im not trying hard enough? From the beginning, Katrin was different. When Katrin absorbs feedback, she takes it at face value, with no thought other than how she can use the information to get better. If there is the smallest chance it might make her better, she wants to know about it.

Over the years, Kats coachability has evolved into a superpower. She understands and truly believes in the notion that you win or you learn. To her, its never about passing the test, because in her mind, there is no testeverything is simply an opportunity to learn or improve in some way. Its the reason that, even as a two-time champion, shes continued to grow and improve, and its what makes coaching her so exciting.

The second thing I look for in my athletes is confidence, but its not most peoples understanding of confidence. To me, confidence is not walking onto the competition floor knowing you can win. Confidence is going out onto the floor knowing that no matter what happens, youll be able to deliver your best; that no amount of adversity can prevent you from meeting your potential. Katrin not only does this, but has internalized it as part of her worldviewbe the best me is a phrase shes popularized. Kat has figured out something that few competitors grasp: that the best result she can possibly hope for is the best shes capable of, and that other peoples results have nothing to do with her best effort.

The most poignant example of this occurred at the 2015 Games, during a legless rope climb workout in which she finished in fifteenth place. Despite multiple top-five finishes that year, Kat regards that legless rope climb workout as her best performance of the weekend because of the way she was able to stay confident in her abilities, ignore what was happening around her, and deliver the best result she was capable of. Its one of my proudest memories as her coach.