After a stellar performance in the 2021 CrossFit Open, 11 Roots athletes are moving on to the next stage of the competition. The top 10% in each age group from the Open advance to the Age Group Online Qualifier where they will compete against other athletes in their age-group division for a chance to advance to the CrossFit Games Finals. The workouts for the online competition were released on Thursday, May 6, and athletes have three score submission windows on Friday (May 7), Saturday (May 8), and Sunday (May 9) at 1 p.m. MST.

Meet the Athletes

Amy Jo Dimeglio

1. Where are you from? Ha – Ridgefield Park New Jersey – Everyone thinks I am straight out of NYC with my Strong NYC Italian ascent.
2. When did you start CrossFit? Story of it – Jen and I were walking from the park in Georgia in 2014. We lived in Georgia for a short amount of time. We noticed that a CrossFit Gym was opening up in a few weeks right down the block from the house. I turned to her and said I want to give it a try. I know nothing about CrossFit but think it will be fun. I only want to do it three days a week. It was a small family-owned gym and I was the third member. It was a great step into CrossFit and love for CrossFit. In November of 2014, we moved to Boulder for work and the first thing we did find a Roots. Jen loved the Roots logo, that is why we picked it. We have no idea of the history of Roots. We immediately fell in love with the Root’s community and we never looked back.
3. What are you looking forward to this weekend? Give every work 120% and the best version of myself, along with having a good time.
4. What are your goals? Continue to perform at a high level, as I continue to age.

Amy Smith

1. Where are you from? Wichita, Kansas but lived in Texas, Minnesota and now Colorado!
2. When did you start CrossFit? January 2016 against my will. I’d never done ANYTHING athletic besides 800m relays in 7th grade but my husband signed me up for a bootcamp without me knowing. Surprise! I had never done a pull-up or touched a barbell in my life.
3. What are you looking forward to this weekend? Testing my fitness and working out with friends!
4. What are your goals? Not to cry, LOL. My goal is to give everything I’ve got and to push through the hard moments.

Jessica Snapp

1. Where are you from? Boulder, CO.
2. When did you start CrossFit? 2019 (But plenty of exercises was had outside of CF for years before I found my people.)
3. What are you looking forward to this weekend? Looking forward to one last ride at this rodeo. 
4. What are your goals? Do it all better than the first two times.

Chris Dizon

1. Where are you from? Farmington Hills, MI
2. When did you start CrossFit? April 2010
3. What are you looking forward to this weekend?  Rope climbs and the last minute of each workout.
4. What are your goals? Having fun and feeling good about my performance

Caitlin Durling

1. Where are you from? San Francisco Bay Area
2. When did you start CrossFit? I had to pull up my Foundations confirmation email: July 2011.  Almost 10 years! 
3. What are you looking forward to this weekend? Hanging out with some awesome Roots athletes and cheering on my fellow old people.  
4. What are your goals? To have fun and hopefully hit a PR or add a movement to my repertoire (strict HSPUs…).

Sarah Hopping Estrella

1. Where are you from? I’m from Longmont, CO originally, but went to the San Francisco Bay Area for college and just moved back last summer.
2. When did you start CrossFit? I started CrossFit in early 2010.
3. What are you looking forward to this weekend? I’m looking forward to testing my limits and getting to know everyone better.
4. What are your goals? My goals are to finish every workout knowing I did the best I could in that moment, and hopefully to not take any water breaks mid-workout!

Megan Buttner

1. Where are you from? San Diego CA
2. When did you start CrossFit?  3 years ago 
3. What are you looking forward to this weekend? Looking forward to watching all the super strong Roots athletes compete.
4. What are your goals? Just have fun! 

Trina Ruhland

1. Where are you from? Colorado.
2. When did you start CrossFit? 2011 at CrossFit Verve in Denver. I took a few breaks for bed rest and surgeries during my two pregnancies but otherwise have been continuously CrossFitting since.
3. What are you looking forward to this weekend? I’m curious to see if I’ll be able to best Sam Briggs in a max lift again — 21.4 (the clean complex) was so much fun!
4. What are your goals? I want to still be CrossFitting (even if it looks a little different) and generally active when I’m 60, 70, 80+. My grandmother rode her bike and lifted weights well into her 80s — and she still does yoga and walks — and I’ve always admired her for that.

Cary Hair

1. Where are you from? Born in California > Raised in Indiana > Spent the past decade in
   Santa Cruz, CA > Boulder
2. When did you start CrossFit? January 8, 2008 in the rec center at Indiana University
3. What are you looking forward to this weekend? Celebrating my son’s first birthday and mother’s day.
4. What are your goals? Support my community.

*Although Cary did qualify for the AGOQ’s, he will not be competing this weekend.

Diane Friedman

1. Where are you from? I am from Miami, FL. Fun Fact: I went to the same high school as Coy and Sugar in Miami, FL.
2. When did you start CrossFit? I started Crossfit in 2011 at the Old Roots on Pearl Street. Paul and I did a 5 AM Foundations (Mary Alice was in our Foundations as well)!
3. What are you looking forward to this weekend? I am looking forward to pushing myself and competing alongside the other Roots athletes.
4. What are your goals? My goals are to end up in the top 200 women worldwide in the 40-44 y/o age group and to be proud of myself for my efforts.

Nicole Christensen

1. Where are you from? Alexandria, Virginia 
2. When did you start CrossFit? 2007
3. What are you looking forward to this weekend? Doing the workouts and trying really hard.
4. What are your goals? Set a baseline for next year!!

Congratulations to all of you, and good luck this weekend! These athletes will be competing at several times throughout the weekend, so make sure to come to cheer them on.