As CrossFit Games athletes return to training in anticipation of the 2025 season, NOCCO USA and CrossFit Invictus have come together to offer a “Rise and Perform” Scholarship. 

Announced last month, the scholarship is a joint effort to fuel, empower, and support young athletes who demonstrate incredible dedication and potential and have goals to compete in CrossFit.

Miki Huguet, Senior Brand Manager from NOCCO, explains how the collaboration with CrossFit Invictus came to be:

“We’ve seen Invictus as a staple in the sport since we launched in the US in 2019,” Huguet said. “ We recently saw an opportunity to partner up, but we wanted to put together a partnership that had more meaning than just a brand endorsement to a gym or a gym endorsement to a brand.”

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Huguet and CJ Martin, founder and owner of Invictus, started brainstorming about a collaboration. They realized that no one offers a training scholarship to teen or young athletes who want to excel in the sport.

“We wanted to provide that opportunity to those athletes who are sometimes forgotten; they don’t receive the attention that you know they deserve,” Huguet said. “And they’re the future of the sport.”

“We love to see these people be able to chase their dreams,” Martin elaborated. “We have a ton of athletes from Lauren Fisher to Chandler Smith who have been blessed, done great in the sport,…and are financially able to continue to pursue their goals. It’s that group of athletes that are still rising…this could be such a lifeline for those people.”

CrossFit Invictus has a long history of coaching young athletes who became rising stars, and Martin understands that often those athletes don’t have the funds or the life situation to support their passion. 

Does This Sound Like You?

NOCCO and CrossFit Invictus will award the scholarship to one lucky individual this season, so it is vital that they find someone who encompasses the type of athlete they are looking for. The team wants to ensure they find someone who relishes the opportunity and understands the value of the experience.

The details: The application process for the “Rise and Perform” scholarship is open until September 30th.

You must be 18-24 years old.

You must submit a recommendation letter from a coach or counselor. 

You must submit a two-minute video introduction.

Interested candidates can inquire via email at scholarship@nocco.com.

The letter and video will give the panel plenty of initial info about the applicant. Once the deadline hits, Huguet, Martin, and the team at Invictus will review all the applications. The athletes who stand out will get a phone call and fly out to San Diego to interview in front of a panel that includes Huguet, Martin, and a few other members of the CrossFit community. 

Tips for Applying

It’s not just about max lifts or crazy gymnastics skills; the selection committee will be looking for character more than anything, Martin said. This is important because younger athletes have a lot to deal with when breaking into the sport.

“As a newer athlete, you’re not guaranteed success — it’s going to be a bumpy road. Will they come into a group training environment, contribute, give back, and create positive energy?” Martin asked.

A compelling reason and a clear “why” is one of the things Martin is looking for.

“I want to know why they are so passionate about this,” he continued. “It’s a tough sport, and every day can feel like a grind. They’re going to walk into an environment with some really talented athletes, and that can be humbling. We want to know that they’re connected to understanding why they’re there and the vision for what they can do with their career in this sport.”

The scholarship recipient will jump right in with Invictus programming, joining their athletes in the two-a-day sessions, active recovery, and community activities. The scholarship will give a stipend to help the winner support their living in San Diego, but they will still need to find a part-time job to cover the rest of their expenses.

Learning to balance work, life, and training is a highly valued skill for Martin and something he wants the winner to understand.

“I was a college athlete,” Martin said. “You can train hard, go to school, get an education, and prepare for your future at the same time. We have had athletes training to be firefighters and paramedics, and we have had others like Devyn Kim and Lauren Fisher from San Diego State, and Maddie Myers graduated with a 4.0 from UCSD and is in Medical School.”

“All of these athletes did it while training hard and multiple hours a day. We want to make sure that people understand that being a CrossFit athlete doesn’t mean you give up everything else — you can do both,” Martin concluded.

One Last Thing

Want a tip to get noticed? Just be yourself, Huguet says.

“The video is what gives them an opportunity to show us who they are — that’s where they can shine and highlight who they are. We want to know who they are and why they’re applying for this scholarship, but they have two minutes to show us whatever they want!”

Remember, the application deadline is September 30th, so get everything in before that!

Featured Image: Miki Huguet

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