CrossFit Vision Comes to Life
By Lieutenant Will Deplitch, Hayward PD
Dictionary.com defines “vision” as a vivid,
imaginative conception or anticipation.
Three and one half years ago when Chief Diane Urban was hired
as the City of Hayward’s police chief, she set her sights on turning
vision into reality. As a former three-time Division II NCAA
champion in the discus, competing at the 1984 Olympic Trials,
as well as being a 30-year law enforcement veteran, Chief Urban
knows the benefits of fitness on physical, emotional, and spiritual
well being. CrossFit has provided her the roadmap to keep her
competitive spark alive as well as providing her a setting to share
her passion for CrossFit with her Hayward Police Department
family and the greater LEO community.
Chief Urban assembled a group of like-minded men and
women, from all ranks, to join her in developing a wellness
program aimed at educating personnel on the benefits of physical fitness, lessening work place injuries, minimizing workers
compensation claims, and encouraging a lifetime dedication to
physical fitness. The cornerstone of this vision was a Crossfit
based training facility. Through a collaborative effort between
Chief Urban and Hayward’s Human Resources Department, an
8,000 square foot state of the art training facility was funded to
further her vision.
On May 3rd, 2015, the official Hayward Police Department
“Barbells and Badges” CrossFit affiliate opened its doors and
celebrated turning an imaginative concept into reality. The LEO
community, along with their family and friends, were invited
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to celebrate the opening of our new training facility. The Open
House event included Hayward Police Department’s first annual
“Barbell and Badges Throwdown” for a little friendly competition
between law enforcement agencies. The only requirements were
that competitors be active duty LEO and the teams be comprised
of at least one man or women. Twelve three-person teams, which
had officers traveling from as far as San Diego, competed for the
crown during the event. Chief Urban’s daughter, San Diego Police
Officer Christine Jones, came to show her support as well as compete in the event.
Greg Amundson, CrossFit Headquarter’s Law Enforcement
Liaison, provided an inspirational speech, which set the competitive atmosphere for the event. Jordan Gravatt, from CrossFit
Headquarter’s Media Division, was in attendance as well. Brandon Gardner and Sam Capogrossi, both representing the International Association of Chiefs of Police, traveled from Alexandria,
Virginia to support the event along with the additional 150 local
attendees, family members, friends, and spectators.
After three grueling workouts, two teams from the Alameda
County Sheriff’s Department, and one team from the California
Highway Patrol, battled it out in a final “winner takes all” workout for top dog bragging rights. The honor was awarded to the
Alameda County Sheriff’s Department Eden Township Team. The
Open House and competition was a much-needed positive event
for our LEO community during these challenging times. We hope
to see you at next year’s event, which promises to raise the bar for
our LEO community. ■