ICYMI: How Italian Enrico Zenoni Used Meditation to Qualify for the CrossFit Games

Enrico Zenoni is just the third Italian male to make it to the CrossFit Games. Of the other two, one made it via The Open as national champion, and was based in Canada and is a dual citizen. So, Zenoni is blazing a trail. “A lot of my friends said that next year we’ll go to the semi-finals together. They are motivated to do it. And at the semi-finals, we’ll see if we can do it for a second year,” Zenoni, 23, said. Zenoni qualified via the Lowlands Throwdown in Holland, finishing fifth. “I was surprised. I always see the other guys on the screen and I’ve never competed against them,” Zenoni said. “This time, I saw them on the floor and I realized there is not such a big gap. At the start, I was not so confident. I did not know what to expect. After the first event, I saw I was in the top five, and it was near qualification. I gained confidence event after event. In the end, I made it.” This content is available exclusively to Members Become an member and start enjoying full access to all our community and sports content, and an ad-free experience. PROMO Exclusive content Ad-Free web/app experience Comments on articles Access to the mobile app Exclusive 15% WIT discount $1 per month for the first 4 months, $8 each month after Get Started for $1 Exclusive content Ad-Free web/app experience Comments on articles Access to the mobile app Exclusive private Facebook Group Regular coffee breaks hang outs Exclusive 15% WIT discount Get Started $5/month billed annually Already a member? Log In. As the dream of making the CrossFit Games became a reality, the pressure mounted. “I was not so nervous at the start, but by the last event, I realized that it was possible so I was nervous. I started listening to music. It made me calmer and more focused, and not nervous,” Zenoni said. Zenoni is a pretty calm guy in general. He does not usually get flustered. In fact, his main problem is he starts too slow on some of the events. And has to work his way back up the field. It can be a blessing. “In the end, I regained some of the field. But you have to do your own workout, not to burn out too soon. I know that in the longer workouts I have to take my time, in the faster workouts I have to follow the faster guy and try to stay closer to the faster guy if I can,” he said. The secret to his calm approach is meditation. “Some months after starting CrossFit, I read a book about meditation and I tried it. I felt good day after day and now I do it every morning,” Zenoni said. “Before, I was thinking more about the results or the other people, or if the other competitors are stronger, or what if I can’t do it. But now I can think about doing my work and moving well. I’m sure it makes me a better athlete,” he said. “I’m not angry if I lose. I’m not angry with others, I know the quality is in me, and I know I have to do the work, I have it in myself and it’s not to do with the other people.” “If you start with the bad mentatlily you convince yourself the other person is stronger. If you don’t pay attention to that, and only pay attention to what you can do, if you focus on your skills and strategy ,” Zenoni said. Zenoni did judo for most of his youth. He won his district championship and competed in international competitions. But his coach’s style was strict and it grated the young athlete so he quit. He started running, then took up CrossFit. “The first lesson, I love CrossFit, it was harder than all the sports I’d done,” Zenoni said. “I thought I was the strongest guy, then I came to CrossFit and saw that I’m not the strongest, there are a lot of people who are fastest, stronger and more skilled.” “It gave me a lot of goals – first muscle up, 80kg snatch and others. Year after year, the goals increased. The dream was the Games qualification. I had a competitive target and now that I have made the goal, I have to think of a higher goal.” Although Zenoni is clearly competitive, he balances that extrinsic drive to win with more internal motivations. “It’s in the middle. I don’t get too stressed from not winning and I try to enjoy the competition. But also, I try not to relax too much and I also think about winning and doing a good job,” he said. Zenoni has incorporated more outdoor training into his programme now the Games are in sight. He is swimming outdoors, mountain biking and running on mountain trails near his home in Bergamo. “Top 10 at the CrossFit Games that is the gold goal, top 20 is the silver goal and having a good experience the bronze goal,” Zenoni added.

ICYMI: How Italian Enrico Zenoni Used Meditation to Qualify for the CrossFit Games

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