Welcome To The Rogue Team Mal O’Brien!

Mallory O’Brien was just three years old when the first CrossFit Games was held; and she was fresh out of fifth grade when Tia Toomey debuted in the event. By the summer of 2022; however; Mal was standing side by side with Toomey in Madison; having become the youngest athlete ever to podium at the Games. In many respects; O’Brien is the leading example of a new generation of CrossFit athletes; those who literally grew up with the sport rather than adopting it later in life. At just 10 years of age; O’Brien was introduced to her first CrossFit gym by her mother Nicole; and within two years; the always athletically-inclined Mal had found her new calling. From her homebase in Des Moines; Iowa; O’Brien started training with the goal of one day competing in the CrossFit Games. Thanks to her background in gymnastics; volleyball; track; and dance; she had the natural ability and a competitive spirit. And by adding more strength and power into her skillset; she quickly made her dream a reality; qualifying for the Girls 14-15 Division at the Games in 2018. Over the next two years; a difficult battle with lyme disease threatened to derail her training; but once Mal found the treatment she needed; there was no stopping her ascent. In 2021; rather than competing against her fellow teens at the Games; she qualified for the women’s individual competition at just 17; announcing her arrival with a memorable win in the Wall Walk & Thrusters event; in which she bested the champ Toomey by 34 seconds. O’Brien was named Rookie of the Year at the ‘21 Games; and it proved to be no fluke; as her runner-up finish a year later only cemented the 18 year-old as one of the premier competitors in the sport; with the potential to spend the next decade or so standing on the podium. Better still; Mal has become an inspiration not just to other girls in her age group; but to the youngsters just starting out. There is no better example of how much one can accomplish in a short time if they set their mind to it.