On Tuesday, The Globe and Mail published a story about longtime coxswain of the Canadian women’s rowing team—56-year-old Lesley Thompson-Willie.  The angle of the Globe article was essentially to glorify Thompson because of her age—to emphasize that age is just a number—and to inspire people to realize age doesn’t need to slow you down. 56-year-old Thompson has had a stronghold on the coxswain position in Canada since 1980. “I think it’s redefining to our society that we can keep going, as long as we’re active,” said Thompson in the article. What a lovely message, right? Maybe. But maybe not. When I read the story, I couldn’t help but grow a bit perturbed—angry, even. I couldn’t help but think: 'C’mon woman,...

As a CrossFit athlete, I used to think we were butchering Olympic sports—one at a time. I often ran into athletes from other sports, like weightlifters and rowers, who would point to sights they saw during throwdowns and CrossFit competitions to prove their point. Sights like a gnarly-looking clean during a max clean event, where the athlete somehow finds a way to stand up despite the bar being down at his nipples, his back being rounded, and his heels lifted off the ground—the kind of laboured, ugly lift that would only ever get applauded by CrossFit athletes. Meanwhile, rowers I knew would point to CrossFit athletes’ short, choppy, rushed rowing strokes—generally accompanied by flailing heads and curved spines—giving them a license...