Sep 15, 2026 · 34 min · 9 segments
In this episode I address a circumstance that took place over the weekend, talk about how to choose if you should go Elite or Age Group at World Champs, how to race and train under pressure, and…
Kayla CittadinoHost
Um, and if you don't know what I'm talking about, you can go listen and go see for yourself.
I'm assuming that most people listening to this probably have heard to it at some standpoint.
And you guys, I'm, I'm just gonna start off with, like, I'm absolutely devastated.
My opinion on this I'm gonna keep at a very high level because I, I did get asked the question of, like, "Hey, what do you think of this situation? Do you think it's appropriate for me to compete in things like HYROX and things of that sort?" And so the, the first thing I wanna throw out there is I do not believe that the athlete, nor HYROX or the judges, like, just as an organization, I do not believe that they were set up for success, hence the reason why the situation went down the way that it did and why there was struggle or gray area as far as how to handle the situation.
And what I mean by all of that is, for one, th- the judges, HYROX, like, no one's thinking about these things.
Rules don't become rules until someone does something, whether they break something or they hurt someone else or, like this certain circumstance that happened this last weekend, that's when rules become become into play.
Um, and they said that in their statement of like, "Hey, we've [laughs] we did not think we would ever encounter this before, and that's on us, and we fall on the sword for that.
Um, and we're gonna work to put the right protocols into place, and here's what we did on behalf of that." Um, now I know that there's some people that are saying that they should've taken more fault [smacks lips] for the situation.
Uh, but just in regards to the not being set up for success on the other side of the equation with the athlete is for, for one second, I just want you to step into her shoes and realize that as of this year, for the 2026 to 2027 HYROX season, these Elite 15 athletes have been asked to race more, and they have to race more in order to gain points, points that earn them spots into the Elite 15, that allow for them to race at these major events, that allow for them to show up at the world championships.
This is how they get, you know, races and the equipment that they need, and all these different things.
The pressure that these athletes have to deal with on a day-to-day basis, nonetheless in a race, is so high that none of us could truly understand what it was like unless we were her in that situation.
Now, I'm sure other Eli- 15 athletes may have handled it differently, and that's up to them, but that was the choice that she made, and unfortunately she's dealing with the repercussions of it.
But at the end of the day, I, I don't think that either parties were set up for success, and that's the reason why the situation ended up the way that it did.
Um, and if you don't know what I'm talking about, you can go listen and go see for yourself.
I'm assuming that most people listening to this probably have heard to it at some standpoint.
And you guys, I'm, I'm just gonna start off with, like, I'm absolutely devastated.
My opinion on this I'm gonna keep at a very high level because I, I did get asked the question of, like, "Hey, what do you think of this situation? Do you think it's appropriate for me to compete in things like HYROX and things of that sort?" And so the, the first thing I wanna throw out there is I do not believe that the athlete, nor HYROX or the judges, like, just as an organization, I do not believe that they were set up for success, hence the reason why the situation went down the way that it did and why there was struggle or gray area as far as how to handle the situation.
And what I mean by all of that is, for one, th- the judges, HYROX, like, no one's thinking about these things.
Rules don't become rules until someone does something, whether they break something or they hurt someone else or, like this certain circumstance that happened this last weekend, that's when rules become become into play.
Um, and they said that in their statement of like, "Hey, we've [laughs] we did not think we would ever encounter this before, and that's on us, and we fall on the sword for that.
Um, and we're gonna work to put the right protocols into place, and here's what we did on behalf of that." Um, now I know that there's some people that are saying that they should've taken more fault [smacks lips] for the situation.
Uh, but just in regards to the not being set up for success on the other side of the equation with the athlete is for, for one second, I just want you to step into her shoes and realize that as of this year, for the 2026 to 2027 HYROX season, these Elite 15 athletes have been asked to race more, and they have to race more in order to gain points, points that earn them spots into the Elite 15, that allow for them to race at these major events, that allow for them to show up at the world championships.
This is how they get, you know, races and the equipment that they need, and all these different things.
The pressure that these athletes have to deal with on a day-to-day basis, nonetheless in a race, is so high that none of us could truly understand what it was like unless we were her in that situation.
Now, I'm sure other Eli- 15 athletes may have handled it differently, and that's up to them, but that was the choice that she made, and unfortunately she's dealing with the repercussions of it.
But at the end of the day, I, I don't think that either parties were set up for success, and that's the reason why the situation ended up the way that it did.
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3 of 6
When Competition Becomes Livelihood
The controversy exposed pressure few outsiders understand.
Jamie Refuses To Be Defined
One athlete's comeback changed how success looks.
Why She Chooses Elite
She chooses harder competition over guaranteed victories.
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