“I empty my mind”

Courtesy of Jon Wynn

Jon Wynn, an Australian currently residing in Spain, has been able to consistently improve his performances in Hyrox competitions to rapidly become one of the best in the world. Wynn improved from 1:07:51 in April 2022 in Vienna, Austria, to 56:58 in April 2023 in Malaga, Spain. He also finished fourth in the world in the 2023 Hyrox World Championships despite running an extra lap.

The Hybrid Letter spoke with Jon, a former member of the Australian Special Forces, about his biggest learnings from his early Hyrox races, the mentality that allows him to compete at an elite level, and how hybrid fitness has impacted his journey to sobriety. 

The interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

The Hybrid Letter: If people follow you on Instagram, they’ll see you are up very early. It’s very regular, very early, and you are getting your work in. You tell people what you are doing in terms of training every day. What is it about this sport and training style that motivates you to spend so much time doing it? 

Jon Wynn: What attracts me to it is that I can see progress regularly. All this gives me a purpose again because I was lost for so long — not really knowing what to do for my addiction. And when I found this, and I looked at it on paper, it was hard. At first, I thought I could just do interval running and strength training, and I’d be OK. But then I learned there was so much more. There are so many moving parts. And it’s just really fulfilling. There are so many things to work on. I have no idea how fast I can get, but I like to see progress. And when you see progress, that keeps you turning up.  

THL: So far, you’ve raced in nine individual Hyrox races. What are some major adjustments you’ve made to your training as you’ve become more familiar with the event and the demands it puts on your body? 

JW: After my first race, I learned I needed a big aerobic base. I’ve never had that I was just doing intervals. After my first race, I realized quickly it really is a running race, and I needed to run for longer periods of time. After that, I figured out I was going too hard from the start. For three races, I tried to lead. And I started to blow up. I pushed the SkiErg too hard. I pushed the sled too hard. And then I would hurt for the rest of the race. Now, what I do is go slower at the start, and I finish hard. 

THL: Elite hybrid competitors are able to tolerate a lot of discomfort. When they start to feel the wear of the race, they are still able to continue to push forward at a high level. What are some strategies you use to push through when things get hard?

JW: I empty my mind. If you’ve followed me for a bit, you know that in some of the big races, I’ve run an extra lap. It’s costly, but it's literally because I had this disconnect. I’m in so much discomfort I just detach from my body. I’m just moving. My background and experience allow me to go to that place and stay in it. 

I don’t really try to catch other people. It’s really me against myself. I use the philosophy of Bruce Lee: be water. Go with the flow, and don’t try to resist it. I just float. I just let it be. 

THL: You talk a lot about your journey to sobriety and how it has brought you to where you are now. How has hybrid training and competition helped you? 

JW: It has allowed me to find myself again and demonstrate qualities that I had when I was a kid and when I was in the military. So there is discipline. Another big one is building resilience again. Building that toughness and being able to handle situations because everything about this sport is tough. And it takes a strong mindset. 

Making progress [in my training] is building my self-esteem. I’m doing things I’m happy and proud about. And I have a structure, a training program. And once I started competing, I got feedback. That’s the gratification.

When I would drink, it would be to escape something. So, I would drink to detach from it. Now, I have this healthy mechanism in place where I work hard for a period of time and get a reward. I am fit, I am healthy, I am inspiring others — that is a big one. I am showing others there is a way through this, and they can get out of addiction and mental health issues. 

THL: You mentioned that these races are hard. Do you think that it's something that is attainable for a large percentage of the population? Do you think these competitions can be done by anyone? 

JW: The best thing about this race is it is repeatable, and in the end, you are racing yourself. You can take those weaknesses in the race, work on them, and make progress. So yes, I think anyone can do it as long as the expectation is realistic. You may not become an elite or be the fastest, but there is so much progress that can be made within a race that is attainable as long as you have the right mindset. 

THL:  My guess is that there probably are some mornings where you wake up, and you've got a big block of training in front of you, and you do not want to do it. A lot of people struggle to train consistently. What do you do those days you just don’t want to train? 

JW: You do it. It’s as simple as that. Where there is resistance, there is growth. Just do it. Don’t sit there and question it. Just get moving. You will start overriding that negative voice in your head which is trying to talk you out of it. After a while, it becomes automatic. It’s discipline, not motivation. 

You can follow Jon Wynn on Instagram, where he details his daily training, or check out his recent conversation with World Champion Hunter McIntyre. 

Hybrid athlete of the week: Sarah Cotter 

Name: Sarah Cotter
Age: 33
Hometown: Ambler, PA 

When/Why did you start Hybrid training? I started Hybrid training in Feb 2023 to prepare for my first race in June. I hadn't run with any sort of consistency since 2020, when I had a partial hip labral tear and hamstring tear. Hybrid training was a way to get back into running in a safe and intentional way while still building effective and functional strength. When you work in fitness, it can be tough to dedicate time and effort towards just one physical challenge. There is so much out there, and so much of it is fun. Hybrid has been the one challenge that hits the part of fitness I love most (and least.)

Do you have a race goal? Ever since I had Covid, my heart rate will spike to upwards of 211 bpm regularly anytime I do heavy cardio or machine work. (My first Hyrox race, I spent 70 minutes at 190 bpm+.) My goal for this upcoming race in Chicago is to see a little more Zone 3 and Zone 4 time while still maintaining intensity. 

Favorite race to date: I've only raced NYC 2023 this past June. But check back with me after Chicago on Saturday :)

Favorite Station: Wall Balls are hands down my favorite station. I had to work really hard to regain hip mobility after my tear, and this station is where it has paid off most. The Wall Ball station is the only station that has a judge holding you and only you accountable for every single rep. I always perform better when I have someone else to help hold me accountable and push me a little farther and quicker than I could push myself. 

Least Favorite Station: My heart rate was 207 during Burpee Broad Jumps in NYC. 

Things you wish you knew when you started training/racing?  Consistency is everything. You'll fall back on what you've practiced when you're in the middle of your race and counting laps. Race brain is too real, so set yourself up with the best auto-pilot out there. 

Podcast rec: Tim Wenisch on improving your running

Tim Wenisch, an elite hybrid racer and one of the most accomplished runners at the top level of the sport, breaks down how to improve your running for Hyrox and other hybrid competitions. Wenisch’s suggestions are refreshingly practical and attainable.