Penn State’s CrossFit Club gives students a positive outlet to channel stress through intensive training and team workouts. Four members of the club took their dedication to the next level when they signed up for global competition The Team Series. Not only did they perform well — the Penn State team was globally recognized by the organization.

The competition entails the completion of eight workouts, each of which are released by The CrossFit Games organization at different times throughout September and October. Penn State CrossFit club members Collin Glassey (president), Alyssa Kamrowski (treasurer), Matt Lucas (manager), and Genevieve Boland (secretary) signed up for the competition and livestreamed each workout on a Facebook page.

Penn State’s team, dubbed “Flexual Healing,” didn’t necessarily expect much when it sent the footage to The CrossFit Games Media Team. However, according to Boland, it got more than it bargained for. The CrossFit games shared the video on Facebook and it quickly received nearly 45,000 views. The CrossFit Games also recognized the team in an episode of its Update Show, a YouTube series that highlights noteworthy accomplishments of various CrossFit teams throughout the week.

The video acknowledged the team’s close-knit bond and the club’s student-run nature. According to the video, the club also competed in the open portion of the competition before traveling together to watch Regionals. It’s the groups first time ever competing in The Team Series.

“It’s always nice to see some college kids step away from the Keystone Light, step away from a hamburger, and throw in some CrossFit,” show host Tommy Marquez said.

The team hopes its sudden recognition will spark further participation. It’s excited about its progress and looks forward to seeing where members will go from here.

“Our club started from only a couple barbells, a few guys, and a whole lotta love for fitness,” Boland said. “It is amazing to see how much the club has grown simply through sharing a passion and working hard. You won’t find a more dedicated, crazy, and fun group of people at Penn State.”

But the club is more than just a love of challenging workouts. The group remains heavily involved in THON and has a close relationship with its THON family, the Jordans. The relationships built through the organization are some of the members’ favorite parts of being in the club.

“I joined this club last year, and could not have imagined that we would be able to accomplish so much in just a year,” Boland said. “I could not be more proud of all of the members in this club for the hard work they put in every single day.”