Emily de Rooy (00:00):
Yeah. Yeah. Nine o’clock.
Sevan Matossian (00:02):
Oh, damn. We’re live. You’re in the States?
Emily de Rooy (00:06):
Yeah.
Sevan Matossian (00:07):
Oh, sweet. Where are you at
Emily de Rooy (00:09):
<laugh>? Uh, I’m in Cookville.
Sevan Matossian (00:12):
Oh, alrightyy. Are you mayhem athlete, Emily?
Emily de Rooy (00:17):
Yes. Yeah, I am.
Sevan Matossian (00:19):
Oh, is it? I did see a, um, on your Instagram, a, uh, a proven cup, so, uh, or a shaker or something, but it’s, it was, it was way back in your,
Emily de Rooy (00:30):
Uh, oh, that would’ve been over a year ago. Yeah, that one.
Sevan Matossian (00:35):
Yeah. Way back. Were you a proven athlete? Yeah. And then, and then you switched to Mayhem?
Emily de Rooy (00:42):
Um, I stopped proving and started doing my own stuff, um, like personal stuff from my coach, and then going into semis and games. I moved over to Mayhem.
Sevan Matossian (00:53):
Is it, um, uh, is it invigorating? Starting new, um, uh, uh, training programs? You know, like, um, you, you, you might be just running and you might just be kind of going through the motions, and then you get a new pair of shoes, you’re like, yeah. I mean, even though it doesn’t mean anything, it’s just like a new pair of shoes, or, you know what I mean? All of a sudden you’re like, yeah, I’m gonna take these suckers out for a spin. Is it like that with programming too?
Emily de Rooy (01:16):
Uh, a little bit, I reckon. Yeah. Um, like the first, the first week definitely, I was like, oh, this is, this is great. Like, new programming, new workouts, things like that. But it’s all pretty much a much of a muchness. Like it’s all really the same in a way.
Sevan Matossian (01:30):
Eventually you’re like, yep, these are just shoes. Yeah.
Emily de Rooy (01:33):
<laugh>. Yeah.
Sevan Matossian (01:34):
These are, these are these, these are just shoes. Uh, when did you come to the States?
Emily de Rooy (01:40):
Um, about a week ago. Just over a week ago.
Sevan Matossian (01:44):
Your first CrossFit games?
Emily de Rooy (01:45):
Yes. Yes, it is
Sevan Matossian (01:48):
After only, uh, one, one previous semi-final.
Emily de Rooy (01:52):
Yeah. Yeah. So my first one was last year, and then this year, second one. And yeah.
Sevan Matossian (01:59):
You’re, that, that’s like, that’s, uh, that’s rocket ship status. Are you pretty pumped?
Emily de Rooy (02:04):
Yeah, I’m very excited.
Sevan Matossian (02:07):
Last year, uh, and last year you got the experience with so many great athletes and, and you were only 21?
Emily de Rooy (02:15):
Yeah. Last year, like being my first semi-final and I was able to like, do it with Tia and Kyra and all those top athletes was also like, was awesome. Um, and like, it was all just like an experience. And then this year, like, it was definitely, definitely a little bit different compared to that.
Sevan Matossian (02:35):
When, when you go in this year, are you like, I’m going,
Emily de Rooy (02:39):
I’m gonna try.
Sevan Matossian (02:40):
Yeah. Emily say your last name for me.
Emily de Rooy (02:45):
Uh, Deroy.
Sevan Matossian (02:46):
Deroy. Yeah. But, uh, people like me wanna say Deru.
Emily de Rooy (02:51):
Yeah, it’s the two O’s that get people. Um, it’s spelt like or said the same as r o y, but,
Sevan Matossian (02:57):
And lane number six, Emily Deroy.
Emily de Rooy (03:02):
That’s it.
Sevan Matossian (03:02):
That’s it. Okay. Got it.
Emily de Rooy (03:03):
That is it.
Sevan Matossian (03:04):
Perfect. And, uh, God, I’m, I’m I is it, uh, is, is, is this pretty dreamy? Is this pretty crazy? Uh, only, yeah. It’s only 40 of you guys go to this event and it’s like you’re one of them representing, it’s like
Emily de Rooy (03:19):
A while to sink in, that’s for sure. It’s definitely taken a while to sink in and like, with Oceania only having three spots as well, like, to be in that top three was pretty surreal in the moment. Like, I, I couldn’t believe it for a very long time. And I think now that I’m finally over here, it’s started to sink in a little bit, but it’s still, it’s still definitely a pretty crazy thought.
Sevan Matossian (03:41):
Yeah. It’s, um, it’s stacked. Someone might, there, there might be the misconception to say, oh, uh, Tia wasn’t there and Carl wasn’t there, but that field is stacked. Oh
Emily de Rooy (03:52):
Yeah. There’s already still so many games athletes like that have been there before. Who are, are, like, there was, who else was there? Like, hey, Vanil, um, Laura Clifton. Like, there’s still so many strong girls and like all, so many like up and comers as well. So like, the field was strong.
Sevan Matossian (04:12):
Um, Maddie Stewart, four fulltime games athlete. Yeah. Looking better and stronger than ever.
Emily de Rooy (04:18):
Yeah. Oh, she, yeah, she’s amazing. I don’t, I don’t know how she just has been doing it for so long and is still so young.
Sevan Matossian (04:25):
Hey, um, no one got any breathing room, huh? That was a tense event. Look at you guys. 5 92, 5 68, 5 56. 5 25. 5 24, 5 21. Top six was war was,
Emily de Rooy (04:36):
Yeah, the top six the whole weekend were just like back and forth, back and forth. Um, I think I like traveled between first and fourth, like for the first two days actually. No, for all the every day actually. So,
Sevan Matossian (04:50):
Um, did you show up to the region? Uh, semi-finals healthy this year?
Emily de Rooy (04:54):
Yeah. Yeah, hundred
Sevan Matossian (04:56):
Percent.
Emily de Rooy (04:57):
Last year, not so much this year. I definitely did.
Sevan Matossian (04:59):
Can you, I heard you tell that story on a podcast you were on about event number one last year at the regionals. Could you tell, do you mind telling that story again? That’s a great story. Um,
Emily de Rooy (05:08):
Yeah, so what I do, um, a few months before that I’d, um, like hurt my shoulder doing a rope climb, I think it was. Um, and that kind of just brought up the issue. And then when I went and like got it all checked out, they told me that it, like, I got it checked out after Torren actually. Um, but they told me it had been dislocating and subluxing and all that fun stuff, um, for a few years apparently. I’m not sure. But, um, that’s what it had been doing. And ring muscle ups were probably like the most aggravating for it, like, because it’s so dynamic. Um, and yeah, that first event at Torrien or at the semifinals last year was scary for me. Like 30 ring muscle ups. I haven’t hit that for who knows how long, um, before doing that event. So it was all just quite, quite a scary one. Um, but I was able to make it through. I didn’t really have too much issues with the shoulder, but it was, yeah, just, uh, like a, um, what’s the word I’m going for? Bit of damage control in that one, and yeah. Made it through it.
Sevan Matossian (06:15):
You literally went into it thinking, willing to accept that you might not finish that you prob probably would not finish, but then you won your heat, like something happened. Yeah. Yeah. In between the starting line. Yes, I went for that one. Yeah. And you grabbing the ring, something changed.
Emily de Rooy (06:31):
I don’t, I don’t know what happened. I think I just like, I don’t know if it was the adrenaline being out on the competition floor for the first time in that like bigger, uh, arena and competition. Um, but something, something happened and I was able to finish it. Top heat, uh, sorry, top in the heat and then, yeah, top eight finish, which was not what I was expected. Um, I was saying to my coach before that like, I, I will be happy if I cop a last place. Like, I don’t mind as long as I can just get through it without hurting myself more. And then, yeah, to win the heat was just like a cherry on top there.
Sevan Matossian (07:05):
Was there a minimum, uh, work requirement on that workout?
Emily de Rooy (07:09):
No. No, no. Minimum work for crime.
Sevan Matossian (07:12):
So, so you, I mean, you were even in the head space, if you do one muscle up and something goes wrong, you’re gonna tap, you’re, you’ll chill. Yeah. Pretty much make, pretty much, yeah. Crazy dude. Well, congratulations that that’s gotta be a crazy, um, learning experience that anything’s possible. Yeah,
Emily de Rooy (07:28):
Yeah, definitely. Definitely just shows what the body can do, um, when like put in such a, like a high pressure environment.
Sevan Matossian (07:37):
Um, um, you said you originally injured it, um, doing rope climbs. Was it on a descent?
Emily de Rooy (07:42):
Yeah, on the descent. I think I must’ve just like grabbed it funny. And, um, it, I know pulled it, but the injury has been there for a long time. It’s just that kind of, um, brought it, um, like, oh, told me that there was definitely something wrong. It just had taken its time to really show,
Sevan Matossian (08:02):
What did you call it? Dislocating and what was the other word you used? Sublux.
Emily de Rooy (08:06):
Subluxing? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Sublux, yeah.
Sevan Matossian (08:09):
What is that?
Emily de Rooy (08:10):
It’s like a, I’m not great at explaining it, but it’s like a small dislocation, I guess. Like it’s still, yeah, there we go. Partial,
Sevan Matossian (08:18):
Yeah. Oh, okay. Partial. Okay. Partial dislocation.
Emily de Rooy (08:20):
So it just, like, it might just pop in and out like slightly, but not fully come out of the, um, joint
Sevan Matossian (08:27):
And, and, and, and no pain.
Emily de Rooy (08:29):
No, I was never experiencing any, experiencing any pain with it, so that’s why I had no idea that what it was there until I, I think I’d, um, done something to my rotator cuff tendons, which then brought it to light a little bit more.
Sevan Matossian (08:44):
Hey, when, um, when did you think you were gonna go to the games? What was the plan? How, how does someone, I mean, it must be crazy being in Oceania and being like, okay, there’s Cara and Tia, fuck, we have one spot <laugh>.
Emily de Rooy (09:00):
Um, I had, I guess I had like a, a life plan like on when, when I wanted to get there by, like, I wanted to get there by the time I was 25, so that’s still another three years away. Um, that was my overall goal. And then this year, like my goal, like going in now, like was always like, oh, I’m gonna try and get top three no matter what. But, um, with such a strong field, like it definitely wasn’t, um, like expected or anything like that. I was like, if I get it, I get it. If I don’t, I don’t. Um, but it was the goal was to make the games by 25, and I exceeded that, so I, yeah, I don’t think I could really be happier.
Sevan Matossian (09:43):
I mean, even if you, the, the thing is, is even if you beat Kara and Tia, it doesn’t change anything. There’s still only three places.
Emily de Rooy (09:50):
Yeah.
Sevan Matossian (09:51):
And, and really they’re, and they’re going, so even if you take first, they’re gonna be in second and third like you. Yeah. And all the girls know that in that region. Huh. That’s just like, just the way it is.
Emily de Rooy (10:01):
Yeah. Tia and like, they’re both just such like strong athletes. Um, Tia especially, obviously being like the sixth time fittest woman on earth, like having her in your field, you never wanna count yourself out, but you just know that it’s gonna be the toughest battle ever if she’s there. <laugh>.
Sevan Matossian (10:19):
And, and, and, and the truth is too, I guess, is you also know that Jamie Simmons could probably qualify anywhere in the world too.
Emily de Rooy (10:25):
Oh, absolutely. She’s, yeah, she did amazing. And like, she came back off injury as well. Um, so she, yeah, she is just blows my mind every time I see her compete.
Sevan Matossian (10:36):
Yeah, man, you really, you, you, uh, you really earned it. You really, uh, you really did it. Congratulations. What, what a trip. Um, uh, tell me how did, um, how did this happen? The, the CrossFit passion for you?
Emily de Rooy (10:49):
Um, so I used to be a swimmer or like I did, um, ocean swimming and, um, surf lifesaving and things like that. Um, so I was doing that for a very long time before I started CrossFit. And at my pool, we had like a little CrossFit box just at the back of it. Um, tiny little one, not many members, but I was kind of reaching the end of my whole swimming thing. I was getting sick of it a bit burnt out, sick of the 4 30, 5 o’clock wake up. Then having to go to school, it was just a lot of, um, it was just a very, very exhausting. Um, so I was like, you know what? I’m gonna do one more season of swimming stop that. I noticed like the little CrossFit box at the back of my, uh, swimming pool. I was like, you know what, I’m gonna give, give that a go. And I started, I stopped swimming at 17, started CrossFit at about 18. And, um, yeah.
Sevan Matossian (11:41):
Holy shit.
Emily de Rooy (11:42):
Haven’t, haven’t looked back.
Sevan Matossian (11:44):
You haven’t been doing it very long.
Emily de Rooy (11:46):
Bit over four years.
Sevan Matossian (11:48):
Hey. Um, I mean, that’s a long time relative to how young you are. There’s just so much to learn. Um, yeah,
Emily de Rooy (11:56):
I’m still learning.
Sevan Matossian (11:57):
Why would you go back there and wanna mess with CrossFit? Was there like a cute boy back there, or were there some girls you wanted to hang out with? Or like, what’s the, like, why would you do that?
Emily de Rooy (12:06):
I don’t know. It just looked fun, like, um, because swimming is so repetitive, like you’re doing the same thing over and over and over, um, swimming up and down pool following a black line. Yeah. I was just looking for some more like variability to my training. Um, and just what they were doing looked cool. They were throwing barbells around, they were doing handstands, doing all the crazy pull-ups and stuff like that. I was like, oh, that looks cool. I would like to see how that goes. And, yeah.
Sevan Matossian (12:31):
Do you remember the, the, the first time you went, you were doing CrossFit and you went to the pain cave, you went somewhere where you’re like, Ooh, this is, this is, uh, this is new. I I’m not, am I gonna throw up what’s going on here?
Emily de Rooy (12:42):
I do. It was my first time doing Cindy. Um, I’d completely ripped the palms of my hands off. Like all of my calluses on my hands were gone. Um, well I didn’t really have many calluses then, but all the skin on my hands were gone. Um, I think I only did like 14 rounds as well. So compared to now, not many rounds, not many pull-ups. And I was hurting, my legs were sore for days. And yeah, I dunno what made me go back after that, but something did. And yeah.
Sevan Matossian (13:10):
Was that early on?
Emily de Rooy (13:12):
Yeah, that was maybe a month or so in.
Sevan Matossian (13:16):
Um, how about, how about the first time you did CrossFit? Did you have a pull-up going into it? Or did you even have to learn pull-ups? I,
Emily de Rooy (13:23):
Um, I could do a couple strict pull-ups. Um, you could, but I didn’t understand the keeping for a little bit, so I had to, my coach made me do, like, you’re not getting, uh, you’re not learning how to do ki pull-ups until you can do at least five strict pull-ups. So that was, that was my goal for a while. Get five, and then, then I was able to learn how to do the ki
Sevan Matossian (13:42):
Yeah. Great coach. Holy shit. Yeah. Who, who was that?
Emily de Rooy (13:46):
Oh, back in the day. I don’t even think they coach anymore, to be honest. Um, Jack Stocker. So he, he doesn’t coach anymore. Um, he was my first ever coach, um, at Strand CrossFit. Um, I was there for a couple years before I moved over to CrossFit Townsville.
Sevan Matossian (14:02):
Um, that, that gym in the back of the pool, was it actually a CrossFit affiliate or it was just, it It was,
Emily de Rooy (14:09):
Yeah. Yeah, it was.
Sevan Matossian (14:12):
And was it a public pool area? Describe what, what, what’s, what, who owned the pool?
Emily de Rooy (14:18):
Um, so yeah, the pool was owned, like, it was, uh, public pool that you, like, you have to pay to get into kind of thing. There was an entrance, one end for the pool entrance, the other end for the CrossFit gym. And they all kind of like worked together. Like if we wanna do a swim ward, we’d speak to the owners of the pool and, um, vice versa, if they needed the back area for something, we’d give it to them. Um, but yeah, it was all affiliated. It was just a very small space. Very, very small amount of members. Um, yeah.
Sevan Matossian (14:45):
Have you ever been to a CrossFit gym besides that one that has a pool?
Emily de Rooy (14:48):
Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, that was Strand CrossFit. That was my first one. I’m now at CrossFit Townsville, which is, um,
Sevan Matossian (14:54):
They also have a pool.
Emily de Rooy (14:56):
No,
Sevan Matossian (14:56):
No. Oh. Have you ever been to one that has a pool? Besides that one? No,
Emily de Rooy (15:00):
Actually no. Sorry. No, I haven’t.
Sevan Matossian (15:02):
Yeah, crazy. I, I’ve ne I’ve never been to one that has a pool.
Emily de Rooy (15:05):
Yeah.
Sevan Matossian (15:06):
Yeah. That’s awesome.
Emily de Rooy (15:08):
No, it was pretty cool. Like, that was like, while it was still such a small little box. That was probably one of the, one of the good things about it, like, if, if we wanted to do a swim workout, the coaches would talk to each other and Yeah.
Sevan Matossian (15:21):
Do swimmers ever do that? Um, uh, does swimming have a a, a pain cave? Do swimmers go to a place the same place Crossroads go? Did I break up? Did I freeze? Can you hear me? Emily? Do you see your Caleb?
Emily de Rooy (15:39):
I, I would say so. Um, in a way like the, yeah, you’re frozen.
Sevan Matossian (15:47):
Do you see her? Caleb? Okay. Can you hear me now, Emily?
Emily de Rooy (15:53):
Yeah, I can hear you.
Sevan Matossian (15:54):
Okay, go ahead. So, uh, so it was, do swimmers go to that dark place? You were familiar with it?
Emily de Rooy (15:59):
Yeah, yeah, definitely. Um, like swimming compared to CrossFit’s, very different. Um, like doing, doing sets on a time base, you’re getting very, very minimal rest and you’re doing it for 20 odd minutes or something like that. Like you’ve gotta go a hundred meters, you’ll get five seconds rest and you have to do it again and again and again at a pretty fast pace. Um, and by like halfway, at least three quarters of the way, you are burning your shoulders, your lats, everything. Especially now when I don’t swim, um, as often, um, the pain definitely sets in a little bit quicker. Um, so like, you don’t get to breathe as much ’cause your head’s always underwater and it’s just, it’s a different kind of pain, I reckon.
Sevan Matossian (16:38):
But I, I, and I guess it makes you mentally tough because some part of you, when you’re in the water, like, like you may not want to go doing CrossFit because it hurts or you can’t breathe, but the water, there’s another thing you could drown. Yeah. <laugh>. So that makes you tough because you still have to go, you have to take the risk, right? Yeah. Uh, chase, uh, chase Ingram, uh, mid distance swimming races get dark. What’s a, what’s mid distance? Mid distance? Like, like how far? Like, he’s saying like some, is that like a 400 meter uh, swim or what’s a mid He’s saying that there’s some that it’s like, Ooh, this, this is not good. This certs,
Emily de Rooy (17:14):
I’d say, yeah, like a mid distance would be like year 400 to 800 meter swim. Um, like for myself, when I was swimming, I was doing like long, long swims, like ocean swimming, four kilometers, um, things like that. Um, those ones you just settle into a pace and it’s only by the very, like, last little bit that it starts to get hard ’cause you’re trying to go a little bit faster to finish it. Um, the mid-distance ones are probably definitely the hardier, the, the more painful ones. ’cause you’re trying to go fast the whole way. ’cause it’s still such a short amount of time. Um, but it’s long enough for everything to just be burning. You can’t breathe. And yeah.
Sevan Matossian (17:53):
You, you’re, you’re looking forward to the swim this year?
Emily de Rooy (17:57):
Yeah, I am. I’m hoping, hoping something comes up
Sevan Matossian (18:02):
And, and that would be, uh, is that even an event that you would dare, um, strike out and try to take a win on?
Emily de Rooy (18:08):
I’m gonna try, that’s for sure. Yeah. Um, I’m never gonna, like, I won’t count myself out on it, but I still know there’s like a lot of other strong swimmers, um, in the field as well. So everyone’s like gonna put up a fight, but I’d like to think I’d be, um, able to push that, that top spot and whatever swim event it is. Um, and just see how I go.
Sevan Matossian (18:27):
What, what are your, uh, what do your parents, uh, think about you? Uh, your de how many years did you swim?
Emily de Rooy (18:34):
I’d say about 10 years.
Sevan Matossian (18:35):
What do your parents think? 10 years in swimming and then shift over to CrossFit. Do you get pressure? No. No, no. Don’t do it. Staying in swimming. You
Emily de Rooy (18:42):
Put in swimming? Not so my mom, my mom was a swimmer as well. Um, so I did a lot of my training with her, um, throughout the years, like through my schooling years and stuff like that. Excuse me. Um, but she, she was happy. Like, she’s like, as long as you find something that you love, um, and um, if you’re gonna put all your effort into it and everything like that, she is happy. Like as long as I’m trying my best, um, I’m doing what I can and I’m staying fit and healthy, then she doesn’t mind staying with my dad. Um, he’s all for it. He loves the whole CrossFit thing. He doesn’t do it. Um, but he loves to get involved and, um, yeah, they just love it.
Sevan Matossian (19:20):
He’s a huge fan.
Emily de Rooy (19:21):
Yeah. Yeah. They both are mom’s actually a very huge fan of your podcast as well. So when I told her about this, she was over the moon.
Sevan Matossian (19:27):
Oh, awesome. Tell her I said hi. What’s your mom’s name?
Emily de Rooy (19:29):
<laugh>. Kylie. Kylie.
Sevan Matossian (19:31):
Hi, Kylie. <laugh>. Hey, that makes me happy. Hey, um, why, why do you think, um, why do you think you gravitate to, to, uh, CrossFit over swimming? And do you think that the same burnout, do you think, do you look out, I shouldn’t say you didn’t use the word burnout, but do you look out for the same thing, reason that you switch swimming? Do you pay attention to that? Hey, is that gonna come for CrossFit too? Like, am I two or three years away from maybe wanting to switch out CrossFit?
Emily de Rooy (19:59):
I don’t know. I don’t really think about, wanna think about that really too much, I guess. Um, like the swimming thing just kind of came around. I was like, oh, I’m kind of sick of this. Um, I wanna try something new. If it doesn’t work, I’ll come back to swimming. Um, like it wasn’t something where I like hated it. I never wanted to do it again kind of thing. Um, so it was just lucky that I was able to find CrossFit and find something new. But with CrossFit, like, ’cause it’s so varied, you’re always doing something new. I feel like you are able to last that little bit longer just because it is always being, um, varied. But again, like the toll it takes on your body is also a lot higher. Like, the impact is a lot higher than swimming. So like, both of them like will have their like, reasons for like burnout and exhaustion and things like that. Um, which guess you do have to be wary of. But it’s not something I think about or anything like that until it kind of comes around.
Sevan Matossian (20:55):
I, I don’t know when it was, but a couple years ago, I, I think we had Haley on and she was basically saying that, um, rich doesn’t go to the pain cave and like, you never see him fall down after a workout anymore. And then we had Rich on and he is like, yeah, those, I’m not, I’m, you know, I’m not doing that so much anymore. And that it must get, um, even just for the, the hobbyist CrossFitters like myself, the people who are just kind of like, you know, faking it. Um, it’s a scary, it’s a scary spot. Like when you hear someone like, say Fraser say, Hey, he sells his soul every day on the assault bike. Like that, uh, yeah, that shit is fucking scary. That’s shit’s like, oh, I, I know Scary is right. The right word. What is the right word for that? There’s just a lot of pushback. You get on intimidating and you’re like, intimidating. Say it again.
Emily de Rooy (21:43):
Intimidating.
Sevan Matossian (21:45):
Yeah, I guess so. I mean, even if you say you’re gonna give it your all after the workout, like, as someone like me may like, uh, maybe I only gave it 89%, you know, like there’s a spot where I’m like, Ooh, this, I, I don’t like the way this feels. Yeah. Yeah. So, so that’s when I think of burnout for CrossFitters, that’s what I think. Or, or mental fortitude always think, how the fuck do they do this every single day? Do you know how you do it? Yeah,
Emily de Rooy (22:07):
It’s definitely, um, just, uh, I guess it’s not, oh, what’s the word I’m going for? Discipline. I think it is like, just knowing where I wanna, like what I wanna achieve and where I wanna go with the sport. It’s kind of just what, what keeps me there every day pushing hard. But, um, I guess like with what you said about Matt and Rich, like being different, like Matt sells his soul every day. Rich doesn’t, I definitely
Sevan Matossian (22:33):
Think, and, and maybe Rich and maybe Rich did back in the day, these were at different times by the Rich was Matt Rich was talking about like, in his current iteration as a, you know, 10 time CrossFit games athlete. And I, and I’m comparing him to, you know, Matt in his second year. So let that be said before someone texts me and fucking choose me a new one.
Emily de Rooy (22:52):
<laugh>. Yeah. Like, either way, like whenever it was said, um, I guess there’s like points where you definitely do have to just go that extra little bit and sell your soul, right? But, um, that’s not something I don’t think you need to do every single day. ’cause otherwise you will just burn out and just not, not wanna train anymore. Um, so yeah, there’s definitely times where you should sell your soul. There’s definitely times where you should just take it, take it back a notch, and like that even balance, I think is is good. Keeps yeah, keeps you wanting more a little bit.
Sevan Matossian (23:24):
I, is there a story you tell yourself to get up and go? Like, I remember that teacher said to me in the third grade, I’ll never amount to anything or Fuck that girl who said that she’ll be better than me someday. I’m not gonna let her catch me. Or you, I would think that you need some sort of chip on your shoulder or some sort of narrative or motivation, or I’ll show them, or I’m gonna do this five years kind of a
Emily de Rooy (23:45):
Little
Sevan Matossian (23:45):
Bit. Yeah,
Emily de Rooy (23:47):
A little bit. I, I don’t know if, if I should, if I should say it on here. It’s, it’s a funny one, but, um, oh, stop it. I’ll say it. Baden Baden Brown last year said to my coach, I posted, I posted an Instagram post mm-hmm. <affirmative>, um, saying, uh, to my friend who was moving to America, I was like, have fun in America. I’ll see you next year if you know, you know, like Winky face, um, about the games. And he saw that and said to my coach, like, oh, does Emily think she’s gonna make the games next year? This is what I’ve been told. So I was like, oh, that’s a little bit, it’s, it’s a little bit funny. My coach told me that one. I was like, ah, okay. And yeah, here we are.
Sevan Matossian (24:25):
Yeah. That’s great. And so you keep that
Emily de Rooy (24:28):
Yeah.
Sevan Matossian (24:29):
You hear that and you keep that and it’s, it’s so like maybe one day when you’re like, I’ve done enough workouts today, but you’re like, you know what, I’m gonna go in tonight and, and talk to, uh, Baden my little Baden story.
Emily de Rooy (24:42):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s the one. Best of luck in America. I’ll see you next year in August.
Sevan Matossian (24:47):
Wow. Uh, Caleb. Impressive. Holy shit, dude. Wow. This is like a real podcast. The way how fast he pulled that up, <laugh>. It’s crazy. Yeah. I think people need those. You, um, there has to be, uh, there has to be some, some, I think there has to be a story or some motivation. It can’t just be just for nothing. Right?
Emily de Rooy (25:15):
Yeah. Yeah. So that definitely added a little bit of fuel to the fire. Like, I ne I never like take anything like that. Um, like with a gr I just took it with a grain of salt. I was like, oh, he is like, oh, she’s not gonna make it. She’s only been doing it for so long. And, um, yeah, it just add a little bit of fuel to the fire and it was, it was good.
Sevan Matossian (25:32):
Yeah. Um, there’s a, uh, Instagram, uh, picture of you, uh, video of you standing next to a swimming hole and it looks like you’re about to go swimming and then the camera pans over and there’s an alligator or a crocodile in the water. <laugh>. Is that real? And, and no, it’s in the next, no, it’s fake. Oh, it is fake. That’s not a real alligator or crocodile. Yes. <laugh>. Oh, where is that? Yeah,
Emily de Rooy (25:58):
That’s just, that’s um, rich training Seniors Pond.
Sevan Matossian (26:02):
He has a, he has a fake crocodile or alligator out there.
Emily de Rooy (26:06):
Yeah, A fake alligator head. Yeah. <laugh>.
Sevan Matossian (26:08):
Oh shit. Hey, do they have alligators or crocodiles in Cookville or No. Too far away from the Gulf?
Emily de Rooy (26:15):
Um, no, I think I asked that question to someone yesterday, um, if there were any, but, um, no, they said there’s none in Tennessee,
Sevan Matossian (26:25):
Maybe. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. I was like, she’s crazy. Yeah.
Emily de Rooy (26:28):
Just a fake floating one. <laugh>. No, just a fake floating one.
Sevan Matossian (26:33):
Um, your, your semi-finals announcement, um, when you finished the workout, do you know that you made it or is it a stressful, stressful?
Emily de Rooy (26:45):
It was stressful. So going into the last event, I was second, um, and like all I knew was kind of like I had to stay close to, uh, Caitlyn Vanil and, um, that was pretty much it. Just stay close to Caitlyn Vanil and you’ll be sweet. I shattered the bed in that workout. It was my worst finish. Um, thankfully, like she was only a place in front of me, so it was, I was like 99% sure that I’d, um, I’d kept the at least third place position, but there was still that little thought in my head, like, I’ve just stuffed this up. Like my only my could have been my only chance to make it, and I’ve just messed it up. So I was sitting at the finish line, felt like an eternity. Um, just like that little thought in my head. Like, what if, what if you just lost your chance? Um, so there was a little bit going through my head like that, but I was for the most part, pretty sure. Um, but yeah, there was just that little thought in my head that what if I didn’t,
Sevan Matossian (27:43):
Uh, uh, 11th place?
Emily de Rooy (27:46):
Yeah. So that one was my, yeah, 11th place was my worst finish.
Sevan Matossian (27:50):
No shit. You got your worst finish on the last workout?
Emily de Rooy (27:53):
Yeah. Oh, okay. I had nothing left. I was just, all the nervous energy had been like, running through my body. I was exhausted. I had nothing left to give <laugh>.
Sevan Matossian (28:05):
So you were in the final heat?
Emily de Rooy (28:08):
Yeah.
Sevan Matossian (28:09):
And, and did you take last in the final heat?
Emily de Rooy (28:13):
Um, I think I did, yeah.
Sevan Matossian (28:17):
Holy shit. That is stressful. Um, what happened? Where was the tough part? Was it, how tall are you?
Emily de Rooy (28:25):
Uh, five nine.
Sevan Matossian (28:26):
Okay. So you could, when you put your arms around the sandbag, you could touch your hands?
Emily de Rooy (28:31):
Yeah.
Sevan Matossian (28:32):
W where was the, uh, where, where did you feel yourself coming apart? Toaster bar or
Emily de Rooy (28:38):
On? I think it was probably the Echo Bike. I thought the to bar were gonna be like my, um, like the harder part, but I just didn’t have anything to give on the Echo Bike. I just slow slower than I wanted to be. I started out, I was already the last off the bike, off the first round. Um, yeah, I just didn’t have, didn’t have the power that I wanted.
Sevan Matossian (29:01):
Em. Emily, when you, when you, before you start that workout, do you know that, like, can you look into your fuel tank and be like, okay, this is a four and a half minute workout and I only have 82 seconds of fuel. Is there any, like, you do assessments like that?
Emily de Rooy (29:16):
No, I probably don’t think about it like that. I like, I was like, it’s only a four and a half minute workout is probably what was in my head. Like, you just have to hold on for four minutes. Like, that was probably what was going through my head more than anything, than, than the energy thing. Um, but yeah, I just didn’t have enough for four and a half minutes.
Sevan Matossian (29:35):
And, and, and do you, can you do anything, but do you know that before the workout that you’re not, I guess I’m asking and can you do anything? Can you eat something? Can you drink a little pre-workout? Could you like, can you do anything? Is there anything you do to yourself? Yeah, let’s start there. Is there anything you eat knowing that’s the last workout of the day before you go out there?
Emily de Rooy (29:56):
I don’t know. No, I’ve never really thought about that. I just eat what I get told to eat.
The above transcript is generated using AI technology and therefore may contain errors.
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