Mathew Fraser

Mat Fraser, or simply "Mat" as he prefers to be called, is considered by many to be the best in the industry. CrossFit athlete of all time.

Winner of five consecutive CrossFit Games titles (2016-2020), his meticulous approach, ability to constantly improve and unwavering work ethic led him to dominate an era of the sport like no other competitor.

Son of two figure skating OlympiansMat grew up in a competitive environment. He began his athletic career in Olympic weightlifting, but a serious back injury in 2009 led him to discover CrossFit as part of his rehabilitation.

Unbeknownst to him, he had found his new passion.

2025

HWPO as a performance empire

Mat is currently leading his brand HWPO Traininga global training program for athletes of all levels.

He has built a strong community and leads a competitive team that participates in semifinals and Games.

He lives with his wife Sammy in Vermont, where they have developed several businesses together. He is co-owner of 321Podiuma brand of sports supplementation and While On Earth, sneakers and sportswear.

2024

Mentor and key community figure

Although away from competition, Mat is still present as a mentor, entrepreneur, and respected voice on the "Podium" podcast and interviews with media outlets such as Morning Chalk Up. He continues to promote the HWPO: Hard Work Pays Offwhich is already synonymous with his legacy.

2023

In 2023, Mat and his wife Sammy welcomed their first daughter, marking the beginning of a new phase in his personal life alongside his role as an entrepreneur and mentor.

2021 - Official retirement from competition

On February 2, 2021, he announces on his instagram that he will stop participating in CrossFit competitions. He said goodbye after five consecutive titles as Fittest on Earth. He will continue to be part of the community but without competing. He will focus on raising a family and taking care of those close to him.

In an emotional letter, he thanked the sport, his friends, his wife, and the community for accompanying him on that journey. He recalls how he found CrossFit and unexpectedly met his best friends, wife, business partners and 5 gold medals.

Book by Mat Fraser

Once he no longer has to keep secrets about his workouts, he decides to share his advice in an autobiographical book.

Controversy with Froning and reconciliation

That same year, Mat shared publicly in a podcast details about his estrangement with Rich Froning. He revealed that they went more than two years without speaking to each other. Froning responded by pointing out that "there are always two sides to the story." Shortly thereafter, the two posted a photo together on social media to show that they had put their differences behind them.

2020: The freehold

5th and last CrossFit Games title

Absolute dominanceMat Fraser won 10 of the 12 events of the weekend, showing an overwhelming superiority over the rest of the competitors.

Fifth consecutive titleWith this victory, Fraser made history by outperforming Rich Froning with five consecutive CrossFit Games champion titlesbecoming the most decorated athlete to date.

Strong startFrom the first event on the first day, he took the lead and never let go, winning tests of strength, endurance, technique and strategy.

Competitive spirit intactEven with a mathematical advantage that assured him of the title, he continued to compete at the highest level, winning events such as the bike sprint and the hero WOD "Atalanta".

📊 Unbeatable advantageEnded with more than 400 points of advantage over his pursuers. His performance was so dominant that the excitement of the competition centered on who would be second or third.

1st in Strength in Depth and Rogue Invitational

Mat also won Strength in Depth and the Rogue Invitationalconfirming that even outside of the Gamess, it was still the most dominant.

2019

1st in the Games and Dubai CrossFit Championship

Mat Fraser was proclaimed champion of the CrossFit Games 2019 with a hard-fought victory, achieving its first fourth consecutive title like Fittest on Earth. In this edition, marked by a new and controversial system of cuts, Fraser had to face more than 140 athletes at the start of the competition and survive 6 elimination rounds to finish in the top 10.

Throughout the championship, Fraser showed consistency, strategy and endurance. He won key events such as the Split Triplet, the Clean, the Ringer 2 and the final event, The Standardwhere he sealed his victory with a flawless performance against his main rival, Noah Ohlsen. Despite receiving a Ruck Run penalty that caused him to lose valuable points, Fraser came from behind and finished with 984 pointsnarrowly beating Ohlsen (949).

The 2019 edition was the most unpredictable to date, but Mat Fraser proved, once again, that he is capable of performing under pressure, dominating in multiple disciplines and winning even when the format doesn't play in his favor. His victory further cemented his legacy as one of the greatest in CrossFit history.

Mat Fraser won in a landslide the Dubai CrossFit Championship 2018thus securing its direct qualification to the CrossFit Games 2019. Sumó 935 out of a possible 1000 pointsafter win all the events of the last day and maintain extraordinary consistency throughout the competition.

He excelled in tests in both gymnastics as of strength and endurancewon the demanding "Monkey Business" event (rope and handstand walk), dominated in the sprint with sandbag and Assault Bike, and topped it off with an unbeatable performance in the complex final event that combined devil press, toes-to-bar, d-balls, wall balls, cleans and lunges overhead.

Although he was already assured of victory before the last WOD, Mat competed with maximum intensity to also take the special prize of US$30,000 reserved for the winner of the last event. Despite not needing the result, he proved once again his competitive nature and why he is considered the greatest CrossFit athlete of all time.

After the championship, he stated that he would take advantage of his early qualification to lower his training volume a bit, but would continue to compete in other Sanctionals during the season.

2018

1st in the Games and transition to Cookeville

That year Mat stopped training with Ben Bergeron and moved to CrossFit Mayhem to train with Tia-Clair Toomey.

Mat Fraser achieved his third consecutive title like Fittest on Earth at the 2018 CrossFit Gamess with one of the most dominant performances in history. He added 1162 pointsby far outperforming its rivals and winning five individual eventsincluding such demanding and diverse tests as 30 Muscle-ups, Fibonacci, Bicouplet 2 and Aeneas.

Although he did not lead in every event, his incredible consistency-rarely coming out of the top 5-allowed him to keep the white leader's jersey from the first day to the last. Even in long events such as the rowing marathon, where he did not win, he accumulated key points. His strategic approach, resilience and ironclad mentality cemented him as the man to beat in the modern era of CrossFit.

2017

Earn your second CrossFit Games

In 2017 he won with a historic lead.

Mat Fraser revalidated his title of Fittest on Earth in 2017 with an even greater superiority than in 2016, accumulating 1132 points and leading the second place by more than 200 points. He dominated the competition from day one and won multiple events, including such varied events as the Triple G Chipper, Heavy 17.5and the 2223 Intervals.

He showed overwhelming consistency: he rarely dropped out of the top 5 and was always in contention for the win. Although Brent Fikowski stood up to him in several events, Fraser never let up. In total, he managed to top four positions and several second places, consolidating himself as the most complete athlete of the moment. His performance was so dominant that even before the final event, he was already assured of victory.

2017 confirmed what was already intuited the year before: Mat Fraser was not only the champion, but a legend in the making.

As he finished, he stated, "My planning for the 2018 Gamess begins tomorrow."

On a curious note, 2017 was the year that third place finisher Ricky Garard tested positive for doping after the fact.

2016

2022 Dubai Fitness Championship winner

Earn your first CrossFit Games

Mat Fraser was crowned champion of the 2016 CrossFit Games with a dominant performance from start to finish.

After finishing second two years in a row, he finally won the title of Fittest on Earth with an overwhelming lead of almost 200 points over second place.

He stood out for his consistency in all 15 events, achieving multiple podium finishes, including victories in endurance, weightlifting and technical skills.

With a total of 1096 points, he left behind Ben Smith (899 pts) and Patrick Vellner (863 pts), marking the beginning of his era of absolute dominance in the sport.

Fraser also changed his approach to training and focused on attacking all their weaknesses. Everything he wasn't good at was no longer an impediment to his claim to be the fittest man on the planet.

2015

2nd in the Gamess, change of mentality

Mat Fraser lost to Ben Smith in the 2015 CrossFit Gamess, in what was his first major title shot. For the second year in a row, he came in second. While many would consider this an achievement, Mat experienced it as a defeat. That was the turning point: he changed his diet, his approach, and set out to become unbeatable.

Fraser admits that in 2015 he didn't train with the intensity or commitment needed to win a Games. He says he relied too much on his talent and underestimated the importance of consistency and daily discipline.

In his words: "I was training like I was already the champion. I wasn't pushing myself hard enough."

2014

2nd in the Games in its first year and rejection of Reebok

Mat was runner-up without sponsorship as a "rookie" (the name given to first-time participants), and was the only one in the top 10 without brand support. He told how he was treated with contempt by a Reebok employee, and how he turned down their offer even when they offered him a contract after his success.

Fraser explained that when he was about 23 years old he was invited to Reebok headquarters in the USA along with other athletes.

There he had a run-in with one of the employees. Mat recognized that he had afro hair, a beard... and that he looked like a hobo. The worker kicked him out of the gym because he wasn't wearing Reebok, Mat told him that he didn't know he had to wear the brand and that in fact he was wearing what O'keefe had given him because he didn't have anything better. This worker asked him to stay outside until they came to pick them up, being very unpleasant with him. Fraser was offended with the treatment and told his manager. "Get the car we're getting out of here." 

In 2014, Fraser entered the Games with his hair cut and no beard, and placed 2nd. He was the only athlete inside the top10 who did not have a sportswear sponsorship. 

O'Keefe heard from Reebok again, they wanted to have dinner together. Mat accepted the proposal but when he got there he met again the same person with whom he had the bad experience at the Reebok gym but this time he was received in a different way: "Mat what a pleasure to meet you (with the change of look I didn't even know it was the same) what an illusion that you are part of the Rebook family". So, although Fraser recognized that he was in a financially delicate situation, he decided to behave in the same way: "O'Keefe get the car we're out of here." 

From weightlifting to CrossFit

Fraser suffered a serious back injury in 2009 while training weightlifting.

Although he managed to make a full recovery and returned to competition for another year, he acknowledges that had he not been injured, he probably would have continued his Olympic lifting career for longer.

In episode #1618 of the podcast with Joe Rogan, Fraser explains that he fractured two vertebrae in training (the L5 and L4), which sidelined him from competitive weightlifting. During his recovery, recommended functional exercises that reminded him of CrossFit.although at that time I did not even know it existed as a discipline.

After that first contact, discovered a local box and began training there just to stay in shape, with no initial intention of competing. It wasn't until a friend told him about a local competition that he decided to participate "for fun". Surprisingly, he won that competition ($500) with no real prior experience in the CrossFit competition format. That was the trigger that made him consider CrossFit as a new competitive path.

Subsequently, he started to take it seriously and, with his strong foundation in weightlifting, he progressed rapidly in the sport until 2014 when he made his debut in the CrossFit Games, where he already achieved an impressive 2nd place as a rookie.

Stage in professional weightlifting

Competed during 10 years in Olympic weightlifting.

Their goal was to qualify for the Olympic Games.

Arrived at living at the Olympic Training Center from the U.S., where he was a member of the junior national team.

Serious injuries

He suffered a fracture in the L5 vertebra on two occasionsseparated by one to two weeks. He describes feeling a loud "click" and immediate swelling.

Despite the pain, he continued training and competed in the Junior World Cup in Romania, where he performed very poorly. The fractures were later discovered by X-ray.

System pressure

He was not allowed to stop his preparation nor was he given a proper medical evaluation prior to the World Cup.

He recounts how the U.S. weightlifting system was pressured for results, and how coaches sometimes prioritized achievement over athletes' health.

He acknowledges that many countries competed doped and that the U.S. was one of the few that did so cleanly, which made it very difficult to stand out on the world stage.

End of stage

After his injury and negative experience, left weightlifting with resentmentcutting ties with the sport and related persons.

He put himself through college and drifted away from training for a while, until he eventually found CrossFit.

Achievements in CrossFit Games

Your personal marks

Lifestyle and curiosities

In interviews he has recounted that he used to vomit before most major events. Nausea was a regular part of his pre-competition routine, to the point that he remembers few events where he did not retch or vomit before going out to compete.

Drinking problems

• Early startMat mentions that he started drinking at a very young age, around 12 years old. At first it was a social thing, but it quickly became a destructive habit.
• Excessive consumptionHe describes how in his adolescence and early adulthood he drank to excess, without control. It got to a point where he would go out drinking every day, regardless of whether there was something to celebrate or not.
• Negative consequencesBecause of his drinking, he had problems at school, with the law, and it also affected his personal and family relationships.
• Decision to quitHe admits that alcohol did him no good and that it was a barrier in his life. At one point he decided to quit completely, especially when he started to focus on his sports career and on improving his physical and mental health.

This change was pivotal to his later success as a CrossFit athlete, allowing him to focus fully on his training, nutrition and recovery. His decision to stop drinking marked a turning point in his personal and professional life.

Food and discipline

Fraser radically changed his diet after his second place finish. Although he does not follow a specific diet as a paleo, he focused on the functional nutrition. Your partner Sammy Moniz has been key in this change, and together they created Feeding the Frasersa healthy recipes platform.

Book: HWPO

In 2022 he published his book HWPO: Hard Work Pays Offwhere he shares his story, mentality, training and advice for athletes and people looking to improve in any area of their lives.

Tattoos with meaning

Mat has a tattoo on his left arm with the text of the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr, which speaks of accepting what cannot be changed, having the courage to change what can, and the wisdom to distinguish between the two. On his chest, he wears a bull skull with the phrase: "Thanks to all the bulls that bucked me off", an ironic tribute to those who underestimated him.

You've probably wondered at some point what it says on Mat's tattoo on his left arm.

The text comes from the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr whose Serenity Prayer he says:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

God, give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to understand the difference.

Passions: guns and coffee

He enjoys shooting sports and is a coffee fanatic. He has thoroughly studied its preparation, and usually starts the day with a quadruple espresso.

The athlete likes to disconnect from his workouts by firing his rifles, pistols and more weapons in your collection. Mat shares this hobby on his social networks.

Another quite different hobby is coffee. The athlete has studied to the millimeter how to prepare the best coffee, from the origin of the coffee, the machine, the best brewing process... He says he always starts his morning with a quadruple coffeeand often a double after lunch.

Legacy

Mat Fraser didn't just win more than anyone else: changed the standard of the sport. His meticulous approach, his obsession with weaknesses and his absolute mastery turned every Games into a spectacle of excellence. He was the first to make first place seem unattainable.

Its motto HWPO has transcended CrossFit, and his legacy lives on in athletes, coaches and fans around the world who are inspired by his story.

Mat Fraser was not only the fittest man on Earth. He was the most relentless, the most disciplined, and perhaps, the most complete of all time.