If you love Rich Froning Jr. (or you’re a female), you'll love this movie.

 

His autobiography, First: What it takes to Win, did a superb job at broaching the man of steel, and now you have a visual medium to match. You’ll see home videos of a rambunctious young Froning Jr. laying the groundwork for the meaning behind his affiliate CrossFit Mayhem. You’ll revisit very personal moments in the Froning household including photos from the day he renewed his faith and was baptized in a murky looking river, and the day he and Hillary received their adopted daughter, Lakelyn, from the hospital. It was so awkwardly intimate at times I couldn’t help but feel for Rich, who usually goes out of his way to deflect attention to God, his teammates, and even the guy in second place. Not this time. He had to sit back and watch himself ‘be awesome’ for ninety-something minutes straight. Before the movie started, he even reminded us that this would be the first and last time he would watch the movie and I don’t blame him. Ego has never been his thing, but when you’re the fittest man in the world, good-looking, and genuinely a good dude, fans will follow, and the biggest one of all might be carrying a video camera.

 

The movie attempts to validate Rich as the “Fittest Man in History,” but unless you haven’t been paying attention for the last four years, you already knew that. The more human, less-barbell aspects of his life are what stood out to me. Original interviews with his wife, Hillary, talking about her struggle with infertility was both honest, and moving for everyone in attendance. Seeing Rich cry on camera talking about the gift of adoption, almost pleading to young mothers considering abortion as an option to think otherwise, was by far the most powerful moment in the entire movie. You can praise Rich for his athletic prowess until your face goes blue, but what Froning exemplifies outside of the gym, as a proud father and husband, is an even greater reason to be amazed.

 

After Saturday’s events at the 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games, Rich reclaimed his first place standing and you saw a man seemingly invincible to the world and all was right again in the CrossFit universe. What you didn’t see afterwards was Rich and his “Frontourage” in their Animal house of a hotel room having a pizza party and attempting to change Lakelyn’s diaper with no Hillary, or female, in sight. It was like watching a group of teenage boys dissecting a baby pig for the first time in Biology class. These less scripted behind the scenes moments were flat out hilarious. When ESPN’s cameras turned off the doc camera kept rolling, where you see Froning perfectly vulnerable and excited to be at a crossroads between retirement and fatherhood.

 

More Josh Bridges! He was the funniest character in the movie by far and you only saw glimpses of him messing with Rich in between events. I would wire him up at next year’s Games (assuming he competes again) and follow him ALL day. He’s the alpha dog in the room that picks on everyone, and it’s awesome.

 

As far as a ‘sports movie’ goes I wasn’t very impressed. I think to create a biopic about the greatest athlete in any sport it needs to come from a unique perspective and it needs come later. When the director is employed by CrossFit HQ, CrossFit HQ funds the movie, and all relevant parties involved praise Rich as Jesus reincarnate, it’s pretty obvious what you’re going to get. It’d be like Michael Jordan’s #1 fan creating a movie about why Michael Jordan is the G.O.A.T. A movie was made about Michael Jordan recently, but it wasn’t about basketball. It was about Jordan retiring from the NBA at the peak of his career to realize his late father’s dream of him becoming a Major League Baseball player. Jordan Rides the Bus was more about Jordan dealing with death in his family while attempting to find meaning in his life following a three-peat, all before the age of 30. Remind you of someone?

 

Rich Froning’s story is incredible. We know he’s the best ever and he has unmatched work ethic and a loving family that supports him, but as a sports film addict, I want to dig a little deeper. It shouldn’t be that simple. I think the official Froning documentary would have meant more to the Sport of Fitness and to the ‘community’ had it came out a few years later, when he actually retires from the CrossFit Games altogether (remember, he’s competing right now on Team). Derek Jeter just retired and I’ll salute the captain all day, but I don’t need a Derek Jeter movie just yet. Let time grow his legacy. Let his influence spread through memories and conversations adding to his greatness tenfold ten years from now. 

 

I didn’t have to watch a full movie to know that Rich is the fittest man in history – the Babe Ruth of baseball if you will – but what I learned is that the Champ has grown up. His life is less fitness (relatively speaking) and more family oriented than ever. It’s unlikely we’ll ever see this level of dominance again in the Sport of Fitness, but at least we got to enjoy the ride with him one last time.

 

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