Brent Fikowski's rookie year at the 2016 CrossFit Games was a success: 4 event wins and a 4th place overall finish. We chatted with him before the Games and at the Games and now we're going to catch up with him post Games. 

Both on and off the live chat, Fikowski is open, honest, and thoughtful in his responses. In this interview you can learn about his daily reflections, how he felt during and after the Games, his off-season plans and more.

Off the air, we continued to chat for a while, diving deeper into the mindset involved in performing at his best during the Games. His insights there were fascinating. "I could see athletes giving up as the weekend went on. Events wouldn't go their way, they'd find themselves in the bottom half of the field and they's just shut off."

People forgot we were at the CrossFit Games.

According to Fikowski, the Ranch events really threw some people off their game. Taking the events to the Ranch, with no cheering crowd and no music significantly changed the way a lot of athletes attacked the events. "People forgot we were at the CrossFit Games," said Fikowski. "The Ranch Chipper was a gut check. I'd practiced hill sprints with weight vests and kettlebells, and on hills that were steeper than that one [at The Ranch]. I knew I wouldn't be stopping, but I was surprised by how many people just gave in and walked."

When I asked him about whether he was sore from the weekend, he said that while he was sore it was more of a deep tiredness. The long nights and lack of sleep made it difficult to turn it on for events and that was one of the biggest challenges he and the other competitors faced. "Near the end of the weekend, some athletes just couldn't turn it on and others were able to take advantage of that to earn points just by trying harder."

There aren't very many athletes, especially in the CrossFit space, that are as thorough and meticulous in their training and preparation as Fikowski is. That thoroughness not only applies to his training but also to his mental game. He knows who he is, why he's competing, and that confidence shows when he's out on the floor. "Some of these athletes will come out here to prove to the fans, the other competitors, and to themselves that they're worthy of being here, that they're good enough. I didn't go out there to prove anything to anyone, I went out there to show you how good I am."