Karen Rackliffe is a 60-Plus Masters Division competitor from the 2011 Reebok CrossFit Games. She finished in fifth place. Her daughter, Kim Malz, was a Games competitor in 2009.
In November 2010, Rackliffe broke her foot on a rope climb. However, she didn’t let that stop her from competing. She completed the Open workouts in an orthopedic shoe and qualified for the Games.
“I had three goals. I said I wanted to have fun, I tried the very best I could, and I wanted to beat Jill Spealler,” she says. Chris Spealler’s mother had edged her out by one spot in the Open, and at the Games Rackliffe finished one place above Spealler.
Malz says she is so proud of her mom. She says she felt a role reversal cheering for her mother and keeping her focused during the Games weekend.
“I’m really glad that Mom put herself out there. Mom can sometimes have some confidence and self-esteem put-downs of herself, and I think CrossFit in general has really helped her to resonate as a person. And it might have taken 60 years, but she’ll now speak up for herself, and I’m really glad,” Malz says.
Rackliffe says she enjoyed her Games experience, especially being among her peers.
“It was an absolutely phenomenal experience. I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” she says.
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Additional reading: Masters Event 2 Results.