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Revelstoke gym drops CrossFit branding after offensive George Floyd tweet

More than a thousand gyms globally have severed ties with CrossFit
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CrossFit Revelstoke owners Turner Moyse and Stephanie China. The two said they are currently working on a new name for their gym. (Instagram)

Local owners of a fitness gym said they are cutting ties with CrossFit due to remarks the CEO made that appear to make light of the death of George Floyd.

CrossFit founder and CEO, Greg Glassman has come under heavy global public scrutiny for replying to a tweet from the U.S. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which stated “Racism is a public health issue”, Glassman tweeted “It’s FLOYD-19”.

Floyd was suffocated to death on May 25 by a Minneapolis police officer who put a knee to his neck for more than eight minutes.

READ MORE: ‘He is going to change the world’: Hundreds attend funeral held for George Floyd

Although Glassman later issued an apology, multiple companies, including Reebok and more than a thousand affiliated gyms have ended their partnership with CrossFit. There are roughly 15,000 gyms around the world with ties to CrossFit.

“He could be bringing people together, but instead he is causing division,” said Stephanie China, co-owner of CrossFit Revelstoke.

View this post on Instagram

Crossfit Revelstoke will no longer be an affiliate of Crossfit. Our values do not align with the statements Greg Glassman has made and we no longer wish to be a part of the CrossFit brand. We were proud to be part of CrossFit because we valued the diverse community and the organization. It comes with a heavy heart that we realize that we are no longer aligned in ethics and ideals. When COVID19 struck we closed our doors because we could no longer guarantee our members and communities safety. One thing we have always stood by is our value on care and humanity. Anyone can be taught to be a coach but it is a lot harder to be taught to be a human being. Gregs comments clearly tell us that he has lost or never had care. Gregs recent comments and meaningless apology reveal something that is ugly to us and morally repugnant. We will continue to run our gym and offer the highest level of coaching, support and care to our members. Crossfit is not one man and the power is not in the name its in the community. @coachschina @coachturnermoyse

A post shared by My Mountain (@mymtnfitness) on

READ MORE: Some Canadian CrossFit gyms quick to de-affiliate from brand after Glassman comments

“People think CrossFit is about fitness, but it’s about community. Inclusivity is key,” said China.

CrossFit is both an exercise program and a competitive sport and makes money through its licensing partnerships with affiliated gyms, training programs and seminars.

On June 9, Glassman announced his resignation.

“As a gym, we care about the people that come to us. We started with the methodology of CrossFit, but it doesn’t define us. CrossFit is just a word,” said Turner Moyse, another owner.

Moving forward, Moyse said the gym in Revelstoke will mostly stay the same as before with similar fitness programing.

“By no longer being CrossFit affiliated, we just won’t have the name above the door.”

China and Moyse said they are in the process of deciding on a new name for re-branding CrossFit Revelstoke. While the gym is currently closed for in-person sessions because of COVID-19, the owners aim to offer outdoor classes by July.

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liam.harrap@revelstokereview.com

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