Tiverton Woman Competes Among World’s Fittest at CrossFit Semifinals

Emily Burnett is the fittest human being on the SouthCoast. Don't agree? Read on.

The 31-year-old Tiverton woman not only trains at CrossFit Dartmouth but is also a member of the CFD coaching staff.

This past weekend, Burnett competed against some of the fittest athletes in the world at the CrossFit Games Semifinals in Knoxville, Tennessee. To reach this stage of the in-person competition, she had to rank in the top one percent worldwide.

Think about that. She performs better than 99 percent of the world's CrossFitters. Imagine how she stacks up against a general public that doesn't even workout?

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Burnett's semifinals appearance was due to her ranking in the top 40 in her region, which includes the entire eastern section of North America. You read that right. For the geographically challenged, yes, that is a very large region.

Despite her elite ranking, Burnett admits the achievement hasn’t quite sunk in. She’s only been CrossFitting since 2017 and didn’t compete in any high school or college sports.

“When I came here to CrossFit Dartmouth, that was the first time I ever tried working out,” said Burnett. “I played rec volleyball once in a while, but I never trained for anything.”

How CrossFit Improved Her Mental Health

What drew Burnett to Crossfit Dartmouth? It was more than just physical fitness. When she began to experience the mental health benefits of CrossFit, she was hooked.

“There’s no doubt about it. There’s a real connection between a healthier mental state and exercising. It just makes me feel better. That drove me to commit even more.”

Battling Imposter Syndrome Despite Her Success

Still, Burnett admits she deals with a bit of imposter syndrome.

“There’s always still a part of me that wonders if I’m only doing well because of luck... like the workouts happened to be formatted toward my strengths. That’s just how I am. I’m not very self-confident.”

Surprisingly, she says her motivation didn’t come from winning. It came from not wanting to be bad at something.

How Did Burnett Do at the Semifinals?

Only two tickets to the CrossFit Games Finals were handed out at the conclusion of this weekend’s semifinals round in Tennessee. Burnett wasn’t one of the two athletes to advance, but she has no regrets.

“The amount of support and kindness in my corner was truly overwhelming this weekend. This week has been a crazy ride.”

Right now, there’s no new goal, and Emily is just fine with that.

“That’s been the magic. There really never has been a big goal. Just the question in my mind of what would happen if I kept trying... and the fact that I really dislike being bad at things.”