Nancy Hoshaw survived a heart attack at 48 and breast cancer at 60. At 73, she’s entering the CrossFit Games Open, which kicked off Feb. 25. While some compete to be named Fittest on Earth, Hoshaw is competing with time and age—and she’s winning.
After seeing decrepit women on a trip to Israel, Hoshaw decided a slow slide into a retirement home wasn’t for her.
“My goal is to stay healthy and independent. I cherish my independence,” she says.
Her coach at CrossFit Bay Area in Webster, Texas, is two-time CrossFit Games athlete Jordan Cook. Cook describes CrossFit as a lifestyle, noting how the community keeps people active and energized while they preserve and improve function.
“The whole point of … functional fitness is not just to get better at fitness but to help us in our everyday life,” Cook explains.
While Hoshaw was dead set against doing the Open last year, she’s all in for 2016. When Cook shared an Instagram video of Hoshaw preparing for the five-week competition about a month ago, she inspired people around the world and found more motivation herself.
“I feel like I can encourage other people, but at the same time I’m encouraged myself,” she says.
“It’s amazing the doors that you can open if you just … give it a try.”
Originally published – Nov. 2016.
Comments on 73-Year-Old Does the CrossFit Games Open
I would like an update on Nancy Hoshaw. How and what is she doing today?
We Crossfit Athletes 70+ deserve our own category of competition. We don’t need to compete at the Crossfit games. We are not asking to. We are only asking that you make the low to no cost computer changes to allow 70+ to compete against each other and not against 60 year olds. Why can’t you make this simple change? We can only presume you don’t care about us. We do appreciate an answer to what you could fix with a quick computer change. We are ironically the pinnacle of what Crossfit hopes to be, but you ignore us in silence. You have made our lives more full and wonderful...... and you ignore us when we ask for so little. I do expect a response.
I am 70. My 71 year old husband has been a Crosssfitter for over 11 years. As a successful business man, he helped our young local Crossfit owner build his successful box. He views this success one of his best.
very nice video 👍 thanks for sharing
Very nice video 👍 thanks for sharing this.
73-Year-Old Does the CrossFit Games Open
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