CHESAPEAKE, Va. - Chesapeake's CrossFit Krypton is where you'll find Ben Smith.
The co-owner and founder of the gym is the 2015 "Fittest Man on Earth", a title earned after winning the CrossFit Games.
"He found himself with an international platform," Krypton Games executive committee member Mary Becker said about Smith's rise to CrossFit fame. "I think he just thought, what's a way that I can use this platform to give back to those in need?"
"My partner at the time, who helped me run the gym, always wanted to run a CrossFit competition," Smith said. "I was like, oh, that would be fun," and Compete for the Cure was created.
Each year, the event raises money for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This weekend, the sixth annual event will pack the Virginia Beach Sports Center, a far cry from its humble beginnings.
"We didn't really know where we were gonna start," Smith said about the inaugural event. "So we started in a car dealership."
"It was, when I say small, it was so small," Becker said. "It was only a couple dozen athletes."
"It’s pretty surreal that we're on, at this level now," Smith added. "Hopefully, we can just kind of keep it rolling and, you know, give back to St. Jude what we can."
Krypton Games Compete for the Cure will pit CrossFit teams of three against one another, each squad competing through three workouts.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars had been raised by the event in recent years and through Saturday's competition, Krypton hopes to raise over one hundred thousand dollars. Doors open at 7 a.m. and there's no entry fee for fans attending, but donations to St. Jude will be accepted.
"St. Jude is an organization you'll find that so many people are connected to that mission," Becker said. "So many people think it's a good cause and it's an easy way to rally people and get them on board."
"You can't beat the the CrossFit community and how they can kind of come together for a cause," Smith said.
If you're a CrossFit athlete, a virtual version of Saturday's event will take place next week and you can compete from any location.
