John Wooley wasn’t planning on doing the CrossFit Open this year. Not because he was actively boycotting it but because Wooley is training for a HYROX competition this spring and was focusing on that instead.
But the host of the podcast Constantly Varied Conversations started receiving messages from viewers who he says were “rightfully giving me shit” about his decision to skip the Open as an affiliate owner.
A self-described “Sevanista” (a fan of Sevan Matossian’s podcast) reached out to Wooley with an intriguing comment.
Wooley understood that perspective, saying, “Decent people admit when they’re wrong.”
In fact, Wooley said his 80-year-old father is battling bladder cancer right now and wouldn’t have discovered it if he wasn’t doing CrossFit.
So Wooley decided not only to do the Open in 2025 but also challenge Matossian, whose YouTube channel currently has 32.6k subscribers and is one of the most watched in the CrossFit media ecosystem.
Matossian, 53, hasn’t posted his Open scores since 2020. That year, he was 12,461st in the world.
Wooley, 54, has been competing in the Open since 2012. Last year, he was 57,181st in the world and 868th in the Men’s 50-54 year-old division.
The two men haven’t spoken to each other personally about the challenge, and Wooley doesn’t intend to reach out. When asked how he would describe their relationship, Wooley said: “The nicest word would be.”
But for three weeks during the 2025 CrossFit Open, it’s not about their differences. It’s about putting their differences aside and competing for a good cause.
He added: “If you have ever had a chance to watch a group of young people with developmental and other challenges workout together, they’re just having the time of their life, and their families thought they’d maybe never do anything athletic…It’s really amazing what it has done for them and their families.”
The competition between Wooley and Matossian is set to take place during the 2025 CrossFit Open. The two men have different opinions on what community means, but they have agreed to put their differences aside and compete for a good cause. The competition money will go to CrossFit First, an adaptive athlete class at Wooley’s affiliate in Ohio.
Q: Why is John Wooley doing the CrossFit Open this year?
A: Wooley is doing the CrossFit Open this year after being challenged by a Sevanista, a fan of Sevan Matossian’s podcast. Wooley decided to accept the challenge and compete against Matossian.
Q: Why is Sevan Matossian participating in the challenge?
A: Matossian agreed to participate in the challenge after being challenged by Wooley. He has also accepted the challenge as an opportunity to showcase his CrossFit skills and compete for a good cause.
Q: What is the competition format?
A: The competition will take place during the 2025 CrossFit Open. Wooley and Matossian will compete against each other for three weeks, and the competition money will go to CrossFit First.
Q: What is CrossFit First?
A: CrossFit First is an adaptive athlete class at Wooley’s affiliate in Ohio. The class provides a supportive environment for athletes with developmental and other challenges to work out together.
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