Sweeney Qualifies for Third CrossFit Games

By Jill Thompson — Fallon’s own Sean Sweeney is a CrossFit legend – but a lot of people don’t know that. Yet. You wouldn’t know it just by talking to the jovial Fallon native, but Sweeney is one of only four male CrossFit athletes that has qualified for the CrossFit Games thus far this year. Recently returning from an underdog victory at CrossFit’s Fittest in Cape Town competition in South Africa, we spoke with Sweeney about his career and passion. Sweeney’s path in CrossFit was not on his radar while growing up on a ranch in Fallon. After high school, Sweeney joined the Navy and was introduced to CrossFit there through a friend. He was instantly hooked. Within three years, he had qualified for the Regionals and competed there with a team, narrowly missing qualification for the CrossFit Games. After his stint in the Navy, he returned to the West Coast to begin coaching in California at the gym of one of his teammates. There he met his girlfriend, Emmily Butz, and on a visit back home, purchased his gym, CrossFit Powerstroke, on a whim. Going back to his roots, he uses his Fallon ranching background as part of his CrossFit persona. With his signature cowboy hat and laid-back attitude, he has earned the nickname of The Cowboy. In the last five years, Sweeney has now qualified for the CrossFit Games and been named the Fittest in Nevada three times which is no small feat. Hundreds of thousands from all over the world attempt to qualify and only the top forty get to compete. For Sweeney, this means that training is a daily part of his life year-round. “After finishing the CrossFit Games last year, I took only a week off and then was back into full motion in preparation for the next year’s (Games),” said Sweeney. In addition to his continual training, Sweeney has his hands full running his local gym, which recently opened a second location in Fernley, connecting with other business ventures, working on kids’ programs, and fitting in personal time where he can. Although growing at an amazing rate, the CrossFit industry is still young. As of yet, the top athletes aren’t recognized as elite as is seen in most other sports. “For winning Fittest in Cape Town, I didn’t even earn enough money to cover my trip out there,” Sweeney explains. “It’s tough mentally, physically, and financially, and honestly, without the support I get from my agent Billy Thompson and Lumegent, I wouldn’t have even been able to compete in Cape Town, and now here I am sitting after winning the competition. So, yeah, it’s hard, but I do all of this for only one reason - to positively affect lives through fitness. It changed my life and I intend to give that to as many other people as possible.” The Cowboy lives for giving back to others and remains dedicated to his rapidly growing fan base. “After I won, I didn’t go out celebrating, I didn’t go out to party. I went back to my room and made a video for my fans. I wanted to thank everyone for the support and provide my followers with time back to them.” Sweeney, who gained six thousand followers over the competition weekend alone, remains dedicated to each and every one of them. He stays up late at night to personally respond to comments and messages. “It’s very important to me that I respond to as many as possible. This isn’t something I hand off, but I take the time for those who support me and so I support them back.” The approach Sweeney gives his supporters is unique to someone in the public eye. This genuine attitude is what drew local marketing agency, Lumegent to sponsoring and representing Sweeney, signing him on in early 2018 and continuing to support him on this path to the 2019 CrossFit Games. “Sean is exactly who we want to represent and who we are proud to have represent the Lumegent brand. He isn’t in it for the money or the fame. The Cowboy is truly in it to change lives and bring something positive to everyone around him. We are proud to be a part of that and continue helping him reach his dreams,” says Billy Thompson, president of Lumegent. “Sean is an athlete that you can see truly enjoys what he is doing. He’s joking during the competition, motivating every competitor to finish at each event, stays late to take pictures and sign autographs with fans regardless of how tired he is after an event, and so much more.” For Sweeney, winning Fittest in Cape Town is just the beginning. “Now the real work begins,” he explains with a smile. With his ticket punched for the 2019 CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin, Sweeney will now begin preparation for an anticipated wild card entry into an upcoming competition to stay focused and will train non-stop to earn his place as one of the Fittest in the World.