Today I present you an interview with Mads Jakobsen – a star in the CrossFit community, coach of the World’s Team* and a very inspiring person. We know each other since 2010, when we attended together a CrossFit Seminar in Holland. Here is what he said specially for CrossFit Dream:
1. Please, tell us about yourself. How do you usually spend your day?
I work for Reebok in the Nordics, so I usually spend my days managing the partnerships Reebok has in the Nordics. Once I am done with my work during the day I usually go to the box to workout. I am fortunate enough that CrossFit Nordic lets me coach classes there on a regular basis, so whenever I get the chance to coach I will also do that.
2. You are the coach of the World’s Team. What’s the feeling to train the best Crossfitters?
It has been an amazing opportunity to get to coach Team World and Team Europe at the Invitationals. I have been fortunate enough to meet the athletes in the team many times before we met at the Invitationals, so it was more a feeling of meeting up with old friends when we met at the Invitationals.
3. What is it like to look straight in the eyes of stars like Rich Froning?
I am genuinely impressed with all the stars of the CrossFit community! They are inspirational both in their performance as athletes, and as people. So the feeling I get when I meet people like Rich is that he is an amazing human being, father, husband and son. We get along very well, so when we meet it is like catching up with a good friend!
4. How do you motivate your trainees?
What motivates people is different from athlete to athlete. I think the most important thing to do in an environment like the Invitationals, where the time we have before it is crunch time s so limited, is to make sure that we all have the same goal, and we agree on the tools we want to use to be successful. When I coach individuals or teams over a longer period of time, our motivation is the common, goal, and we will then find the triggers that motivate the team or the athletes together.
5. What are your goals in CrossFit and how do you think this sport will develop?
My goals in CrossFit as an individual is to be healthy and to always evolve as an athlete – I want to improve on the things I am bad at, and try to maintain or excel at the the things I feel comfortable with! I think the future of CrossFit is pretty self explanatory – CrossFit will continue to grow and more and more people will find their passion for training through CrossFit.
6. What is more important – at which box does one train or who is the coach?
I think the most important ingredients for someone who wants to be successful is that they are motivated and inspired all the time. That they feel comfortable and challenged at the same time. In order for this to happen the athlete has to be at a box that provides this and have a coach that inspires this. So the answer is really that you need both – without one or the other no athlete will be truly successful!
7. What would you say to the people, who are starting CrossFit now? And to those, who already are practicing?
Define yourself and your endeavors through what you love to do! Defining yourself by what you dont like is counterproductive, and will never lead you to succeed! Be curious and continue to explore – the perfect answer to anything is yet to be written!
*The World’s team includes the six best athletes (3 men and 3 women) who face the USA Team in 2013 in the second competition of this type in Berlin. The athletes coached by Mads won the competition with 24:19. In 2014 the rules changed and the teams are now 4: USA, Europe, Australia and Canada (2 men and 2 wemen each). Mads is the coach of Europe’s Team.
English