The UAE resident looks to be the first to qualify for the 2019 CrossFit Games.

The eyes of the fitness world will be looking to Dubai next month because of the Dubai CrossFit Championships, where the highly anticipated changes to the 2019 CrossFit Game will finally start to take place.

One of the athletes who will be stepping up to the plate is Jamie Greene, who won’t have to travel too far to compete. Since she herself lives in Abu Dhabi, it will be right in her part of the world. She also has some history with the event, having won it in 2014. Clearly the stakes are higher as she hopes to take the win for the second time.

Greene spoke with FloElite about her own journey as well as her thoughts about other fitness-related topics.

Athlete Info

Height: 5-foot-4 (163cm)

Weight: 136 pounds (62kg)

Age: 27

City You Live In: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Occupation: Coach at CrossFit Yas

Instagram: jgreenewod

Career Highlights

• 2014 Dubai CrossFit Championships Female Winner
• Three-time CrossFit Games athlete

FloElite: Even though you’re a gymnast and rugby player, you transitioned smoothly into CrossFit. You have an Open win and third-place finish at the Games. How did you get into CrossFit and when did you realize you could succeed in competition?

Green: My mum brought me a six-week pass, then I continued for a year or so. Then I somehow managed to qualify for the Australian 2014 Regionals.

There are many new people starting CrossFit all the time and they hope to someday reach your level of fitness. Is there anything about competing at your level that the novice fitness person might not be aware of? 

The time it takes to prepare for training and recovery and all the extras that go on rather than the actual training.

You obviously know that the Dubai event is the beginning of a new system of qualifying for the CrossFit Games. What are your thoughts about the new qualifying process for the CrossFit Games? 

I think it's cool, lots of competitions. Lots of time to do what I love.

Thanks to the new process athletes are taking different approaches to competitions with some jumping in one while others commit to several. Do you have plans to do any other contests after this or are you taking it one event at a time?

My plans were to do Wodapalooza on a team in January of 2019. 

You've won this event before but the stakes are higher now. Do you think that will add to the competitiveness this year?

Yeah, I think so, but everyone's so competitive anyway that I think every year it still has that push. I think it's not quite as cutthroat as some other events since it's the first one in the new system. 

Anything specific to your training that you're working on as the Dubai event gets closer or does your training remain the same throughout?

Just like any other competition to lead up to, you start upping the volume and trying new things you wouldn't normally try like a lot more outdoor work.

Do you feel you have any advantage since you're familiar with the climate and competed at this competition before?

Maybe, but the weather is not bad this time of year. I think it will be perfect for competing so that won't bother anyone. Also all the competitors know what to do in unfamiliar environments now so it evens out.

Who all do you feel plays important supporting roles in your contest preparation/success?

A long list of people here. There’s everyone at Yas, my bosses who help out with plenty of parts, all the other coaches who help out with covering work, my coach Andy Edwards on the U.K., Jen my physio, the people I live with who get to put up with everything, and Elliot, my fiancé who sorts everything for me (laughs). It's a good bunch down at Yas in Abu Dhabi.

Roger Lockridge is from Lewisburg, WV. His work has been featured on numerous platforms and magazines in the fitness industry over the last 10 years. You can find him on Twitter and Instagram @rocklockridge.