Steph Chung Returns To The Competition Floor While Balancing PA School & Training

As the sport of CrossFit has grown over the years, so too has the time and dedication required to be a top-performing athlete in the sport. Gone are the days of the weekend warrior sliding into a qualifying spot at their local regional. Instead, many of the athletes competing at Semifinals dedicate their entire lives to the sport, earning their living from competing and endorsement deals. But there always remain a few exceptions. One of those is 31-year-old Steph Chung. In 2018, Chung took 35th at the CrossFit Games. In 2021, she would return to Semifinals, taking 8th at Granite Games (despite an elbow injury) and move on to the last chance qualifier, where she ultimately missed out on qualifying for the Games. 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 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 Exclusive private Facebook Group Regular coffee breaks hang outs Exclusive 15% WIT discount Get Started $5/month billed annually Already a member? Log In. After her 2021 season, Chung announced that she would be retiring from the sport to focus on Physician Associate school, a rigorous program that requires hours of studying and time spent in clinical rotations. While she still remained active throughout her time in school, it was clear that her focus needed to be on her academics. In 2022, she participated in the worldwide Open (even taking first at her affiliate, Invictus Back Bay). However, her name was still visibly absent from the Quarterfinals and Semifinals leaderboards. The comeback kid: The 2023 Quarterfinals leaderboard would present a pleasant surprise. After five challenging workouts, Steph Chung ranked 63rd amongst the women in North America East, earning her one of the coveted spots in Orlando this May. Chung would go on to compete at Semifinals this past weekend, earning herself a 52nd place finish amongst some of North America’s (and arguably the world’s) fittest women. The ultimate balancing act: While in the past, Chung has been able to dedicate nearly all her time and energy to training, this time around would be different. “I was training 10-11 sessions per week until the 2021 Granite Games, versus 5-6 sessions per week now,” Chung said. “I’ve been working with Jami Tikkaneni from The Training Plan since 2016, and it’s been great to have him making sure that my training is complete despite my time constraints,” she continued. 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Beyond that, She also still manages to find the time to continue her coaching career at Invictus Boston, where she recently led a muscle-up seminar. That coupled with a constantly changing schedule has led to what would certainly be considered an unconventional training plan by most. “I’ve been on clinical rotations this year, so my schedule changes every 4 weeks,” Chung said. I work between 32-60 hours/week depending on the specialty/site, and I typically get 60-90 mins at the gym 4-5 days/week,” she continued. “I study throughout my rotations for each end-of rotation exam, and our program has a few “off” blocks built in through the year which is dedicated time for supplemental work and preparing for the boards,” she concluded. Changing her mindset: While in the past, Chung was dead set on a qualifying position or even the podium at Semifinals, this time around is more about the experience. “My main goal is to have fun! I love to compete and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to test myself in Orlando,” Chung said. “I have a different perspective on competing now and I feel confident that I’ll enjoy every minute of this weekend,” she continued. That mindset was evident through nearly every workout of this past weekend. As she took the floor, she beamed with her signature smile and left everything out on the floor. “I still can’t believe I had the opportunity to test myself against such a stacked field of women,” she said in a recent Instagram post. “There were some ups and downs (as always in competition) but bottom line: I loved being out there again!” she continued. On the shoulders of giants: Chung is not the first athlete to qualify for a high-level CrossFit competition while balancing high-stress academics. In 2012, Julie Foucher balanced her first year of medical school to go on and take second at the CrossFit Games. In the years that would follow, she would return to the Games in 2014, after taking 2013 off for medical school, where she would take third. Multi-year CrossFit Games veteran Alexis Johnson also finished her PhD in mathematics, the same year she qualified with Team Don’t Stop for the 2019 CrossFit Games. The big picture: While competitive CrossFit is no longer the central focus of her life, Chung has managed to find a balance that allows her to continue pursue her passion of competing. I’d love to continue competing if I can, but I’m hesitant to make plans right now because there are a lot of life changes in the coming year (taking my boards, starting a new job, etc.),” Chung said. “I don’t know what my schedule will look like, but I plan to just keep showing up for training and giving 100% of what I have that day!”

Steph Chung Returns To The Competition Floor While Balancing PA School & Training

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