Joshua Wichtrup has been active in CrossFit® as a blond giant since 2013. In 2015 we went to the Regionals for the first time (the next step after the qualifiers to the CrossFit® Games). In 2018 he secured another spot at the Regionals, and in 2019 even at the CrossFit® Games. In 2020 the well-known competition stop came due to Corona, which shut down all boxes worldwide and forced athletes to adapt worldwide. But things are progressing. What can you still achieve when you have achieved more than many? What else can you want when obligations are increasing and time is decreasing? How do you go from who you were to who you are and evolve from there to where you want to be?
Click here for the podcast on Spotify (The podcast is available on all known platforms)
Joshua Wichtrup brings added value. In the wodmagazin podcast he shows us that hunger and family belong together, that community and being a lone fighter go hand in hand and that it is important to take care of yourself so that you don't have to fight for yourself.
The Persona Wichtrup:
He started his box at the age of 21 and has been allowed to call himself the owner ever since. Apart from that, he takes care of his family in addition to being an athlete and coach. We all know how much time family takes up, which is why we have to explain here: Joshua seems to be able to organize and keep teams together. Privately, in sports, on business.
Before CrossFit®, handball played a big role in Wichtrup's life. However, professional career was never so close that during Joshua's training, the priority could have shifted further towards handball.
The CrossFit® first glance
The first CrossFit® benchmark came from Fran. Global Gym, multi-tower, 12 minutes. The workout can hardly be compared to what the pigtailed giant does today, both in terms of handling and equipment. But the sting hit, CrossFit® came on the radar. His adventurous streak, which was accompanied by athletics, athletic training and gymnastics, opened the way to the Movements more easily than with many others.
The box:
His parents had to vouch for CrossFit® Flensburg. Everything at risk. He opened two weeks after completing his training. Both parents are also self-employed. So he was shaped and always knew when it was necessary to change the focus at times. First the box, then the final exam. The mentality of the worker, the imprint "get shit done" is in his blood.
The way in which he thinks about progress is not only impressive, but above all progressive. CrossFit® then and CrossFit® today are two different things. Everything was rougher, more unfinished and not nearly as well thought out, from the programming to the showers. But with CrossFit® Flensburg, Joshua seized an opportunity that still brings him joy and support on more than one level to this day. In our opinion, he unconsciously lived the functional idea "prepare for the unknown" before it was even propagated.
You can tell by its design what Joshua is made of. Both as an athlete at competitions and as an owner, he sees no problems, just a workout. Every workout can be optimized. Here one repetition more, there a little shortened rest time. So the hall with showers in the basement and training planning in need of optimization became a gym, which is something to be proud of. That's how Joshua became a man who had goals, achieved them, set new goals and get better along the way, instead of just sinking into worrying preplanning. Joshua does.
This also resulted in WYSH Fitness in Hamburg. Second location, second idea. Here sport is in the foreground. Whether CrossFit® , equipment work, Hyrox or prevention: WYSH is open to everything. For each. For freedom that should be offered for every sport.
The athlete:
Regionals, games, German throwdown in top positions: Starting as an underdog in a Belgian competition, where he finished third, he almost made it to the regionals after being placed as Fittest of Germany and Top-List.
Wichtrup tasted blood as quickly as possible. Having your own box gave you enough freedom to optimize yourself on a daily basis, even as a relative newbie. Training, coaching, eating, sleeping - after that the day was done. Day after day, again and again. Not everything about the athlete's life is glamorous, many things are also a struggle with oneself, but more succinctly: also a struggle with the necessary routine.
As the first male athlete at the CrossFit® Games, he received the "diagnosis father" at the same time. So the rule was: full speed ahead, then focus on the family and find balance. Because: Wichtrup knows that long-term, constant improvement needs a clean environment, otherwise tribute will be demanded. It takes a lot more energy to compete for years than it did in your early 20s just to score points for a year and then walk away from the competition floor.
The self worth:
For Joshua, one thing applies above all to competitions: You need self-confidence. When athletes next to him got signatures from Fraser, Panchik and Co at the Games, he knew: Not with me. "I have to keep at it. I have to show (what's possible)!” That's not possible if you mentally make yourself smaller than your sporting, human milestones. In the end it was enough for Joschua for 18th place. Where enough is expressed incorrectly here. It's much more likely to tear off.
The After Games Downer:
Unfortunately, CrossFit® is not nearly as big in Germany as we would like it to be. No welcoming committee, no huge hoopla. However, in order to give the whole thing the necessary respect and excitement, Madelaine, his sister, arranged a conclusion shortly after Joshua's return that remains to this day: almost the entire CrossFit® Flensburg team welcomed the games competitor and celebrated him for the work of the past few years.
In this way, says Joshua, a good conclusion could be found after the adrenaline-charged days, which often only come into play mentally after the competition.
We think that competitions, especially games, can be compared to a comedian who is on stage: for a few hours, the limelight shines and shines from all sides. Only after that, when the lights are off, the stage is dark and the meet and greets are over, does the calming down begin. Without support, it is difficult to achieve the state of mind that you actually want to achieve.
Today leads to tomorrow:
Despite having a family, Wichtrup was able to attack again this year. Together with Felix Rehder, who belongs to his own team, he fought a neck-and-neck race in the qualifiers. According to Joshua, one thing struck him again: Instagram is not everything, performance comes from competitions and has to be delivered there. Otherwise you won't keep up. “Everyone feels good on a 15-second Instagram reel. But come along to a competition.” The result comes from work, not from posing.
The future of the Wichtrup:
In five years: Joshua wants to switch from the individuals to the teams. The same feeling, the same success, only more balance and community than in a career as an individual athlete. This results in an exciting energy, synergy and a completely new way of thinking. Personality development takes place here on the run, because you always have to pull yourself together, says Wichtrup. After all, that's what CrossFit® is all about: finding your place, working for and with others and getting better together!