“I just competed in the CF Games less than a year ago and now I’m dying.”
—Amanda Miller, March 9, 2010
Just over a month after writing those words in her blog, Amanda Miller passed away. She was 24.
In 2009, after finishing sixth in the Mid-Atlantic Regional and doing 131 burpees in 10 minutes as a fundraiser for the trip, Miller arrived at The Ranch in Aromas to compete in the CrossFit Games. Nicknamed “Guns” for the prominent tattoos on her hips, Miller worked her way to a 55th-place finish.
Not long afterward, she faced another challenge when recurring melanoma spread to her lymph nodes and beyond. Miller died on April 23, and the April 27 CrossFit.com WOD was dedicated to the athlete who was born in Florida but lived in Virginia.
The first WOD of the 2010 CrossFit Games was also dedicated to Miller. With the top women grouped in the final heat of the opening workout at the Home Depot Center, Dave Castro announced the event that would kick off the Games and honor a fallen athlete.
Amanda
9, 7 and 5 reps of:
Muscle-ups
Snatches (135/95 lb.)
After a moving video tribute to Miller, the women ripped into the memorial workout, with Kristan Clever setting the best time of the night with 5:04. Camille Leblanc-Bazinet was second in 7:02, and Christy Phillips was third, two seconds behind. For the men, Chris Spealler was first (3:29), Neal Maddox was second (3:46), and Rich Froning Jr. was third (3:47).
Amanda represents the first time a workout has been named in honor of a Games athlete and gives CrossFit athletes around the world a chance to pay tribute to a great competitor who was taken far too soon.
Amanda Miller Tribute at the 2010 CrossFit Games