The smiling assassin of Hyrox
Linda Meier is one of the most successful and consistent competitors in all of Hyrox. Last season, she finished in the top three in all four major races. This year, after dealing with injury and illness, she reestablished herself at the top of the sport with a third place finish in the Las Vegas major (1:03:06), securing her spot in the Elite 15 at the Hyrox World Championships in June.
The Hybrid Letter spoke with Linda about how she competes at an elite level with a full-time desk job, clocking in 10,000 kilometers on machines, and why she smiles so much during the race.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The Hybrid Letter: Are you a full-time Hyrox athlete?
Linda Meier: Currently, I work full-time in information technology for the government. I studied International Management for Business and IT, which doesn’t have much to do with sports. So no, I’m not a full-time professional athlete.
THL: How did you first get involved in Hyrox?
LM: I had never heard of Hyrox before. About four years ago, I was training at my gym, and a few people around me were preparing for the Essen race. They invited me to join because of the way I train—they thought I’d enjoy it.
I started training a bit more specifically for Hyrox, and my first race landed me in the Elite 15—back then, it was the Elite 12. I’ve loved the sport ever since and have somehow managed to stay in the Elite 15.
THL: How do you balance elite-level training with a full-time job?
LM: I usually wake up around 5 a.m. to train before work. That works best for me because my work schedule can be unpredictable, and I don’t always finish at 5 or 6 p.m. If I have to work late, knowing I still have to train adds stress. On weekends, I do double sessions. For example, on Sundays, I have a long run in the morning and a strength session in the evening. But generally, I train once a day before work.
THL: How did last season feel for you?
LM: It was a very successful season. In my five most important races, I made the podium four times. The season itself was long, though—I had no real off-season. That caught up with me in the World Championships. My legs felt heavy, and I wasn’t 100% on point, even though it was the most important race of the season. This year, I’m trying to balance things differently so I can peak at the right time, especially for Worlds in June. But overall, last season was great, so any complaints are really minor.
THL: You took a step back from some major races at the start of this season. What was the reason?
LM: I was injured and didn’t feel ready to race again. The off-season was short, and I couldn’t train for two months due to the injury. Then, just as I got back to training, I got sick—twice. It became a cycle. Jumping straight into a Hyrox race at 120% didn’t seem like a good idea, so I skipped a few. You probably saw me in Hong Kong, but that wasn’t really me. That race was a mistake. Over the holidays and into January, I refocused on training and mindset. It paid off in Las Vegas. Now, Glasgow feels like a fun run—I’m enjoying it more since I’ve already qualified for Worlds.
THL: What was your injury?
LM: I had a bone bruise in my right foot, with fluid around the bone. My doctor warned me to be careful to avoid a fracture, so I had to stop all high-impact activities—no running, no burpees. Instead, I spent a lot of time on the bike and the ski erg—probably covered 10,000 kilometers!
THL: How has your training changed to prevent further injuries?
LM: I’ve cut back on running. I felt like my previous volume was too much, especially with everything else we do—rowing, skiing, etc. Recovery is also a big factor. I don’t have the luxury of training, resting, and seeing a physiotherapist regularly. My routine is: train, go to work, and that’s my recovery. I’ve had to adjust my approach to keep everything balanced.
THL: In Vegas, you were behind at the sled push but made a huge comeback. What was going through your mind?
LM: Normally, I’d panic, but when I finished the sled and looked around, no one was there—I was all alone. I thought, What is happening? Where is everyone? But I managed to stay calm and focus. It was only the second workout of the race, and I knew my stronger half was still ahead. I just told myself, Run your race and see how it plays out.
THL: Was there a moment in the race when you felt your podium spot was secure?
LM: The battle was really tight, with positions constantly changing after each workout and run. After lunges, though, I felt confident. I was solid, moved through them smoothly, and came out in third place. That’s when I thought, Now it’s time to compete and fight for this podium spot.
THL: Do you have any mental strategies for handling tough moments in races?
LM: I try to have fun. Sometimes, you’ll see me smiling—it’s my way of reminding myself that I love this sport. Hyrox is painful, and anyone who has done it knows that. But I focus on the joy of racing, not just against the other women but with them.
THL: What are your plans for the rest of the season?
LM: My last major race will be Glasgow. I’m also doing mixed doubles that weekend with my coach, Brian Shenker from Strong Move Club—that’ll be a fun one. After that, I’ll shift focus back to training. I had planned to race the last-chance qualifier in Barcelona, but thankfully, I don’t need it now. I’ll spend the next three months preparing for Worlds. I might do Pro Doubles in Paris, but that’s still up in the air.
You can follow Linda on Instagram.
A SkiErg tip from a master
Hyrox Brisbane featured instruction from James Hall, a coach who holds multiple world records on the SkiErg and RowErg. If you weren't able to make it to Australia, Hall shared some of his tips on Instagram. In this video, Hall demonstrates how many athletes stay with each stroke for too long, putting themselves in a suboptimal position.
CrossFit gets serious about Hyrox
For about a year, more and more CrossFit athletes have been giving Hyrox a shot. In most cases, these athletes say they are racing for fun or just to try out a new sport.
But now, things are changing.
Tia-Clair Toomey, a 7-time CrossFit games champion, is teaming up with one of the rising stars of Hyrox, Joanna Wietrzyk. The pair will compete in the Pro Doubles division in Hyrox Houston, which takes place March 15, to try to qualify for the Elite Doubles competition at the Hyrox World Championship. To do so, they will need to finish in the top three women’s teams.
Toomey's decision to pair up with Wietrzyk, who has already qualified for the World Championship in elite singles, shows she is taking this race very seriously. Wietrzyk recently signed with PRVN, the coaching company Toomey created with her husband, Shane Orr.
Toomey's move into Hyrox comes at a precarious time for CrossFit. Registrations for the CrossFit Open, the biggest CrossFit event of the year, are down 32% from last year — from .343,496 registrants last year to 233,815 registrants this year. Some of the decline is attributable to discontent about how it handled the tragic death of Lazar Dukic during a swimming event at last year's CrossFit games. Specifically, CrossFit has refused to release the results of an independent investigation of the incident.
As a result of lower registration, the prize money for the CrossFit Games will also be lower than last year. The projected first place payout for the CrossFit games this year ($286,423) still dwarfs Hyrox ($25,000). But top athletes rely more on sponsorships than prize money to earn a living. And if participation in Hyrox continues to grow while CrossFit declines, there will be greater incentives for top athletes like Toomey to seriously participate.
Hybrid Athlete of the Week: Roy Mitchell
Name: Roy Mitchell
Age: 35
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa
Why did you start hybrid racing? I had a lot of friends from the gym compete in Hyrox, and so I said, "why not give it a try?" I said I would only do one race (Hyrox DC 2024) and here we are now still training and competing.
Favorite race to date? Hyrox Chicago 2024 was my favorite so far. My partner Emerson led me through the race, even though I was not feeling my greatest. We set our best time to date. I mentioned to him that if we PR that I would spontaneously buy tickets to the Ohio State Northwestern game, and since we accomplished our goal, I spent the afternoon in Wrigley Field watching the Buckeyes.
Do you have a race goal? With each race, my goal is always the same, which is to do slightly better than my previous race. I have never enjoyed running, but as I continue to sign up for races, I continue to enjoy the process that comes with it.
Favorite station? I love Wall Balls because we are at the end of the race, and all the hard work begins to set in. But you also know there is just one last task to accomplish.
Least favorite station? Sandbag lunges because my legs feel like Jello at that point.
Things you wish you knew when you started racing? How fun this sport could be. I've played sports my entire life and my biggest focus was always chasing after a ball. It has been an adjustment but something that I have really enjoyed and will continue to enjoy for years to come.