CHAD 1000X
This Saturday, November 7th | 9:00am to 10:30am
There are certain workouts in CrossFit that carry a little more meaning than others. Workouts that aren't about the leaderboard, the time on the clock, or how much weight you can move. Workouts that remind us why community matters, and why we come together to do hard things.
CHAD 1000X has always been one of those workouts. It's a workout that has held a special place within the CrossFit community for years, and this year, it feels especially meaningful.
Over the past few weeks, our community and surrounding communities have experienced a number of tragic and heartbreaking losses due to suicide. Losses that have impacted families, friends, and people throughout our community. It's difficult to find the right words when something like this happens, and sometimes there simply aren't any. But one of the things CrossFit has always done incredibly well is bring people together, and this year, through CHAD 1000X, we're going to find a way to give back.
We haven't finalized exactly what that will look like just yet, but we want to use this workout as an opportunity to do something meaningful beyond the walls of CrossFit Indestri. More than likely we as a gym will make a donation. We’ll keep you posted.
The Story behind CHAD 1000X
CHAD 1000X was created in honour of Navy SEAL Chad Wilkinson, who died by suicide on October 29, 2018, after 22 years of service. His wife, Sara Wilkinson, helped bring this workout to the CrossFit community to honour Chad's life and raise awareness about veteran mental health and suicide prevention. After his friend Dave Castro, along with other members of CrossFit seminar staff asked Sara if she was okay with them doing it in honour of Chad.
The workout was inspired by Chad's own training, which included stepping up onto a box while wearing a weighted backpack. What began as a tribute to one man has grown into a workout completed by CrossFit communities around the world, bringing people together to remember Chad and support an incredibly important cause.
While the workout was created to honour a military veteran, its message reaches far beyond the military community. Mental health affects all of us, and the importance of connection, compassion, and looking out for one another is something every community can relate to.
Grief is LOVE with nowhere to go
In 2024, Sara Wilkinson, a former member of the CrossFit Seminar Staff team, spoke to athletes at the CrossFit Games before they took on CHAD 1000X on the competition floor. That same year, the CrossFit community experienced the devastating loss of Lazar Đukić, who drowned during the Games. It was an incredibly emotional time for the entire CrossFit community, and Sara shared words that have stayed with so many people.
"Grief is love with nowhere to go."
Such a simple sentence, but one that carries so much meaning. When we lose someone, the love we have for them doesn't simply disappear. The memories don't disappear, and the impact they had on our lives doesn't disappear. We're left trying to figure out what to do with all of that love while learning to live without someone who mattered to us.
And sometimes, coming together to do something meaningful can give that love somewhere to go. Whether it's through supporting a family, raising awareness, helping an organization, or simply reminding someone that they're not alone, there are ways we can turn that love into something positive.
THE WORKOUT
CHAD 1000X | FOR TIME
1,000 Box Step Ups
RX is performed on a 20 inch box while wearing a weighted backpack, 45 lb for men and 35 lb for women.
As always, this workout can be modified to suit your abilities. You can complete it with a lighter backpack, without additional weight, or with a shorter box height. We can help you determine the appropriate option based on your experience and ability.
The purpose of CHAD 1000X isn't to finish first or prove how tough you are. It's to show up, put in the work, and be part of something bigger than yourself.
This Saturday, November 7TH
We'll be completing CHAD 1000X as our Saturday class workout this week, on November 7th. Registration is OPEN NOW in ZenPlanner, and we've increased our usual class cap to allow more of our athletes to participate.
We've also extended our Saturday class time to run from 9:00am until 10:30am. We always allot a little extra time for CHAD 1000X, as 1,000 step ups take a little longer than our typical Saturday workout. Please plan accordingly so you’re not running out the door after you finish, but that you can stay until everyone is finished.
If you're planning to complete the workout with a weighted backpack, we ask that you please have it weighted and ready before arriving at the gym. Books are a great option for adding weight to a backpack, just make sure everything is packed securely and that your backpack fits comfortably. If you have your own weight vest, you're welcome to wear that instead.
You do not need to wear additional weight to participate. Completing CHAD 1000X unweighted is absolutely an option, and we encourage everyone to choose a version of the workout that is appropriate for them.
One step at a time
There's something about 1,000 step ups that feels fitting for a workout like this. It's long, repetitive, and mentally challenging. There will likely be moments when you're tired, moments when you want to stop, and moments when the finish line feels like it's still a long way away. The only way to get through it is to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Of course, a workout cannot begin to represent what someone struggling with their mental health may be experiencing, and we would never suggest that it could. But perhaps it can serve as a reminder of the importance of showing up for one another, checking in on the people around us, listening without judgment, and recognizing that we don't always know what someone else is going through.
Sometimes the people who appear to have everything together are the ones struggling the most. Sometimes the people who are always smiling, always encouraging others, and always showing up are carrying things we know absolutely nothing about. It's an important reminder to lead with kindness and compassion, not just inside the gym, but everywhere.
CrossFit has always been about more than fitness. It's about people, relationships, connection, and having a community that shows up for one another, both inside and outside the gym. With the recent losses our community has experienced, we feel it's important to acknowledge that this year and find a way to make our CHAD 1000X workout about more than the physical challenge.
We're going to find a way to give back, and we'll share more details soon. For now, we're asking you to register on zenplanner if you plan to attend.
We want this to be an opportunity to honour Chad Wilkinson, remember those we've lost, support those who are grieving, and continue an incredibly important conversation about mental health and suicide prevention.
Sara Wilkinson's words, "Grief is love with nowhere to go," are a powerful reminder that the love we have for those we've lost doesn't end when their lives do. And while we can't take away the grief that families and friends are experiencing, perhaps we can find a way to turn some of that love into something.
That's what we hope to do this Saturday.
CHAD 1000X | This Saturday, November 7th | 9:00am to 10:30am
Registration is open now in ZenPlanner.
Wednesday, November 4th, 2026
Focus:
15 min EMOM
Min 1 - 3 to 5 Strict Pull Ups
Min 2 - 5 C2B
Min 3 - 5 to 7 T2B
Rowing technique before time trial
WOD:
For time
2000m Row Time Trial
Check back each night at 8pm for the next days WOD .
Contact us: Address: 200 Mountain Rd #3, Collingwood, ON L9Y 4V5 Phone: (705) 444-0006 Follow us on Instagram @crossfit_indestri