Chandler Smith: Brotherhood, Heart, Attitude, Warrior PH160

<p style="text-align:center;">“I think if I just limited myself to being an athlete I’d be doing a disservice to the other demographics that I represent.  I’m a wrestler. I’m a former West Pointer. I’m an Army officer.  All these different intersectionalities that are composed within me, and everyone has their own group of intersectionalities that they represent. That’s how you - if you want to create understanding about something that you do that’s outside of the gym - the CrossFit box is a great space for it, because again, of what you said. It’s not a responsibility, but it’s an opportunity that I think should be recognized and capitalized upon.” - Chandler Smith</p> <p>In 2012, <a href='https://games.crossfit.com/athlete/469626/open'>Chandler Smith</a> set a goal to qualify for the CrossFit Games by 2022.  In 2019, he smashed that goal when he placed 15th at his rookie CrossFit Games appearance, and now he's set his sights on climbing up the leaderboard.</p> <p>The path to becoming an elite CrossFit athlete hasn't always been straight-forward. As a child, Chandler had aspirations of following in his father's footsteps and playing for the NFL. But as a smaller athlete, in high school he decided to focus on wrestling, a sport better suited for his stature.</p> <p>A lifelong interest in the Army led Chandler to attend <a href='https://www.westpoint.edu/'>West Point</a>, where he would continue to compete as a wrestler and received the Warrior Athlete of Excellence Award in recognition of his mental toughness, coachability, perseverance, and athletic skill.</p> <p>Following graduation, Chandler was commissioned as an officer and began work as a tank platoon leader.  He had previously used CrossFit to help him train for wrestling, but now it became the primary focus for his athletic drive. In 2016, he made a splash onto the competitive scene when he qualified for the Atlantic Regional after finishing 7th in his region during his first complete CrossFit Open.</p> <p>In 2017, an injury resulting in the lo