Kealan Henry
The second National Champion to top the leaderboard in the 2021 Open is Kealan Henry. An athlete for many years, Kealan has a background in waterpolo, athletics, and soccer but his passion for rugby led him to pursue a career in the sport.
View this post on Instagram
In 2015, Kealan joined CrossFit Pamiers in the south of France to stay in shape during the off-season and ended up losing over 20kgs. Once retiring from rugby, he coached at the box for two years before deciding to compete, taking part in his first Open in 2017.
When I watched Jason Smith and Ruan Duvenage compete in Dubai,” Kealan told BOXROX, “It motivated me to get to that level. South Africa has a huge fitness culture.”
View this post on Instagram
Since 2017 Kealan has competed in the Open representing France and South Africa, coming second to SA CrossFit icon Jason Smith in 2020. After his first place Open finish in 2021, Kealan has his sights on the Semifinals:
“My goals were to finish in top 10% and qualify for the Quarterfinals. Would like to compete in the Semifinals in Cape Town this year and maybe one day the CrossFit games.”
Image Sources
- crossfit-in-south-africa: Right photo courtesy of CrossFit Inc