Patrick Vellner
A very good friend of Brent Fikowski. We got to know them both better as CrossFit athletes in 2106 when they both stood on the podium representing Canada.
Biography
Patrick works as a chiropractor in Toronto, Canada.
Age: 31
Place of birth: Canada
Height: 1.80 m
Weight: 88 kg
Instagram: @pvellner
2022
CrossFit Games 2022
6th in CrossFit Games 2022.
He considers himself satisfied for having finished the competition and having given his all.
However, he was disappointed to have finished 6th, although he understands that many athletes with whom he shared the track would change for him. He admits to having had some mistakes and plans to work on them to get back to the position he desires.
Atlas Games
Finishes in second place to qualify for the CrossFit Games 2022
Open
10th open in which he participates and debuts in the 22.1 live launch against Noah Ohlsen.
Wodapalooza 2022
He repeats as winner of the Wodapalooza. He shared the podium with his compatriots Samuel Cournoyer and Alexandre Caron.
2021
ROGUE Invitational
Finished 2nd, 80 points behind Justin Medeiros.
CrossFit Games 2021
After a start with a 35th place that was reminiscent of 2018, Patrick Vellner again gets a second place finish in the CrossFit Games 2021.
Won the Atlas Games online semifinal, which earned him a ticket to the NOBULL CrossFit Games 2021.
Withdrawal of Fraser
He dedicated an emotional Instagram post to Mat Fraser on his retirement:
Dear Mat Fraser, thank you.
Thank you for being a good friend.
Thank you for being a fierce competitor.
Thank you for pushing me and making me improve.
Thank you for welcoming me to the sport in 2016.
I always enjoyed every second of our time on the ground together and am saddened that it has come to an end. Now I will have to treasure the memories.
Selfishly, seeing you leave the sport makes me sad, but I couldn't be happier for you.
Congratulations on manifesting your destiny. Maybe someday we will have another dominant male champion, but there will not be another like you.
Now go get fat and enjoy everything you've worked so hard for.
I love you man, I miss those sweaty hugs already.
2020
He fails to pass the first online phase of the Games and therefore does not participate in the face-to-face phase at the Ranch.
In that year he managed to be the Open champion worldwide and won the Wodapalooza.
2019
CrossFit Games 2019
He missed the final Games cut-off that reduced the field to just 10 athletes. His final position was 16th.
He was expected to be the only one capable of standing up to Fraser after the Canadian won the Wodapalooza again and 2 second places at the ROGUE invitational and Dubai Fitness Championship.
2018
Patrick Vellner falls at Battle Ground
One of the most memorable moments from the CrossFit Games 2018, was the fall suffered by both Mat Fracer and Patrick Vellner on one of the event, the Battle Ground. Fortunately, despite the seriousness of the fall, the Canadian received medical assistance without any further inconvenience to continue competing in the week's challenge.
Vellner brands
| Movement / WOD | Stats |
|---|---|
| Back Squat | 206 Kg |
| Clean | 170 Kg |
| Clean & Jerk | 161 Kg |
| Snatch | 131 Kg |
| Deadlift | 270 Kg |
| Max Pull-ups / min | 64 |
| Fran | 2:14 |
| Grace | 1:17 |
| Helen | 9:46 |
| Filty 50 | 20:16 |
| Sprint 400m | 1:06 |
| 5k run | 18:50 |
CrossFit sports achievements
| Year | Games | Regionals / Competitions | World Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6º | 2nd Atlas Games | 69º |
| 2021 | 2º | 2nd ROGUE invitational 1st Wodapalooza | 20º |
| 2020 | 9º | 1st ROGUE Invitational 1st Wodapalooza | 1º |
| 2019 | 16º | 2nd ROGUE Invitational 1st Wodapalooza | 30º |
| 2018 | 2º | 1st East | 5º |
| 2017 | 2º | 2nd East | 11º |
| 2016 | 3º | 3rd East | 8º |
| 2015 | 20th in Team | 5º East | 548º |
| 2014 | - | 5º | 1200º |
Vellner has always been very involved in the world of sports and his background is gymnastics. For him, CrossFit has always been his way of escape during his studies and the way to feed his great competitiveness.
He started training in the sport in 2013. His first year at the Games was as a team in 2015 with Team CrossFit Plateau 2.
From here, he participated as an individual in 2016 and 2017, placing third.
In 2017, he placed 4th, but after obtaining the anti-doping results of the athletes, they withdrew the medal of third to Ricky Garard.
Vellner was unable to enjoy his moment of glory on the podium on the closing day of the 2017 Games, but Dave Castro personally presented him with his well-deserved medal at the 2017 Invitationals.
After two years in third place, the athlete has shown that he has not reached the podium by chance. At the regionals of this 2018 season, he has made it clear that he comes with all the desire to crown himself the Fittest On Earth, after winning the CrossFit Open.
Michele Letendre is Vellner's coach
Veteran ex-athlete Michele Letendre is currently Patrick's coach. Athletes that have been trained by Letendre include such well-known names as the Hungarian Laura Horvath and the French national champion Willy Georges.
About Vellner
Vellner's philosophy of life is very different from what we are accustomed to from other athletes such as Mat Fraser or Rich Froning.
With well-known slogans such as Fraser's "hard work pays off" emphasizing all the dedication he puts into the sport. His whole day revolves around his training hours, his nutrition to perform well, his breaks that allow him to train again.
Froning famously said "what is Rich doing?", referring to the fact that the athlete is training most of the day.
Vellner seems to make the opposite case and argues that a different approach works for each person because each person is different.
The fact of having to focus on the his chiropractic studies has made him have this other perception: train at high intensity for as long as you can dedicate to it, and when you are out of the box, disconnect and enjoy something else.
Time efficiency over volume.
