What is Operation Phoenix?
Almost a decade ago, Greg and Lauren Glassman, owners and founders of CrossFit, Inc., began their mission to 'Forge Elite Fitness' in a small, garage-like space in Santa Cruz, California. This small space witnessed a small neighborhood of local athletes, service members, policemen, firefighters, mothers, fathers, and friends grow into a community of momentous proportions. Today, the CrossFit Program has exploded into extraordinary magnitude in all walks and climbs, both nationally and internationally. To give more quantifiable measures, there are currently more than 750 CrossFit-affiliated gyms worldwide.
The Glassman's patriotism spawned the idea of donating the original equipment from CrossFit's birthplace to the U.S. Marine Corps. This single action launched Operation Phoenix.
On March 19, 2008, ten Marines, led by LtCol Dan Wilson, descended on CrossFit Santa Cruz for Phase I of Operation Phoenix. Together, the Marines completed one last symbolic workout before loading the entire contents of the gym into a tractor-trailer. Bystanders, consisting of CrossFit Santa Cruz veterans, stood tearful as their sentimental gear was passed on to its new owners.
The next morning back at Camp Pendleton, California, a larger force of Marines unloaded the tractor-trailer into what has become known as "The Warehouse." The Marines conducted an inaugural workout, and CrossFit Camp Pendleton was born.
What is Crossfit?
CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, firefighters, Marines, Navy SEALs, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.
CrossFit delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is in not specializing. Combat, survival, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.
Why help?
Your help in support of Operation Phoenix not only increases Marines' fitness levels and fosters Marine Corps’ camaraderie, but positions corporate sponsors for networking, PR, and advertising opportunities within the CrossFit community. Additionally, you will find satisfaction in meeting and/or reconnecting with Marines all over the world. According to Coach Greg Glassman, the Corps has been the branch of the military to most rapidly adopt CrossFit into its fitness program. There is a CrossFit gym on or near practically every Marine Corps base in the country, and even one serving troops based in Okinawa, Japan. This is a chance to become a large part.
To put into perspective the population size Corporate Sponsors will be reaching, CrossFit.com sees over 3 million unique computer visits per month. (Many of these computers are shared by several Marines and service members throughout a given day.) Furthermore, CrossFit.com pushes over 50 Terabytes of data per month, with an average time per site visit spanning just over 12 minutes. The community is enormous, and this is your market.
Copyright © 2008-2009 Operation Phoenix. All Rights Reserved. CrossFit is a registered trademark ® of CrossFit, Inc. Neither the United States Marine Corps nor any other component of the Department of Defense has approved, endorsed, or authorized this organization.