On Sunday morning at the CrossFit Games, I had the opportunity to change tires, workout, and chat with Christmas Abbott. No big deal.
Never heard of Christmas Abbott? Well, you’re missing out! She’s super cool. Christmas is an amazing Reebok CrossFit athlete (she’s qualified for the CrossFit Games twice now).
And she also changes tires for NASCAR pit crews. How cool is that?!?
Our workout with Christmas started with her teaching us how to change a tire on a race car.
For real.
I can honestly say changing a race car tire is something I never thought I’d do in my life! It’s actually not as hard as it looks, but in NASCAR races you have to do it really fast. Christmas said she can change two tires in 14 seconds!
Once we learned how to remove the lug nuts from the tire, it was time for a little competitionāāand, of course, it was CrossFit-inspired!
Here’s the WOD we did:
10 Burpees
5 Tire Flips
1 Burpee
Remove tire from car
It was awesome!
Once Christmas demonstrated the workout, we all had a chance to try it for ourselves.
The Burpees and Tire Flips were no problem for me.
But getting the tire off the car was stressful!
I sort of panicked and struggled with a few of the lug nuts, but, man, it was fun grabbing that tire off the car!
The group with Christmas!
Fitfluential bloggers with Christmas!
And here’s a short interview that Ericka, Anne, Gina, and I did with Christmas. We each asked her one question, including what she eats (I love what she says about fat), how she changed her unhealthy lifestyle, how she got into changing tires for NASCAR pit crews, and what’s happening with her new CrossFit box.
Questions of the Day
Have you ever changed a tire?
How knowledgeable/skilled are you when it comes to car repairs/maintenance or do you just go to your local mechanicĀ and hand them your credit card like I do?
63 Comments
What an amazing opportunity! She makes changing a tire look and sound so easy!
Christmas is adorable, but I bet she’s one tough cookie!
I know very little about cars. Thank goodness for Dad’s help š
That’s so awesome you got to get in there and change a a tire on a race car! What a fun experience. The whole event looks like a ton of fun, especially the workout.
I’ve never changed a tire before, and don’t think I ever will haha. I’m kind of useless with car stuff.
I definitely have never changed a tire in my life! I saw Christmas do it on YouTube though. Looks like fun!! š My husband definitely handles anything car or even bike related!!!
I wouldn’t know how to change a tire if my life depended on it! Guess it’s one of those things I should learn how to do but since I have AAA, I never bothered to learn.
I’m so impressed. I would not be able to do half of that! Change a tire for a pit! Amazing.
I don’t even know how to change my own car’s tire….that’s what husbands are for right?
Wow good job! I would be so nervous! ha-ha she seems awesome. š I do not know how to do much with my car… I get pretty impressed with myself when I know how to refill the windshield wiper fluid. :$
Gosh I don’t even drive to my car dealership, they come to me! With a loaner car… And my dad was a mechanic. Who will love the fact that he’s an original cross fitter of sorts, flipping all those tires way back when;)
Christmas is such a badass! How cool you got to hang with her.
I really ought to know how to change a tire, but I am totally useless with anything car-related.
Lol me trying to change a tire? The last time I had a flat I went into a panic-frenzy until I realized that AAA existed. That’s such a cool thing to be able to do!
I have never changed a tire, I guess I’m lucky that’s never come up as an issue. It must have been so cool to hang out with her and be around more cross fit.
That looks so fun! I generally ignore my car maintenance until a light comes on. Then I ignore it some more until I start to worry that something might be wrong.
Very cool experience! So I’m guessing you’ll be changing your own tires from now on? š
That is the coolest thing EVER!!!!!!!!!!!! What an experience!!!!!!!!!!!!
This sounds so cool! My dad showed me how to change tires on a car once, but I’ve never done it since that time. I think I’d need a refresher course! š
I love your blog and as always, I love your Crossfit posts (you’re my go to blog for all things Crossfit). But I have to admit…although I love this post (and the Yummi post)…I’m checking like crazy to see the actual Games posts (and the after party!) Can’t wait!! š
She is SO CUTE!!! Love Crossfit girls!
Oh wow how cool! Christmas is an amazing chick! She worked in Iraq at the same time I was working there and knew her then, she’s come so far its def. inspiring.
My husband recently made me learn how to pump gas, never mind change a tire.
I acutally help out on my BF’s sons dirt late model, changing tires, adding fuel, and just about anything else that is needed. I also cook and take good food to racetrack, no hot dogs and french fries for us. I have a girl crush on Christmas, love her youtube videos.
What a cool idea for a workout! I am DEFINITELY not knowledgeable about cars. Leave it for the experts is my opinion :-). However, I would have loved to learn and try that workout!
My husband races dirt stock cars so I’ve changed plenty of tires. I always feel like when racing season starts I need to get in shape FAST if I’m not already. Being apart of a racing team is both mentally & physically challenging. Christmas is a badass!
I don’t have a car anymore and…that is..not easy.
BUT, I definitely don’t miss visiting the mechanic every 2-4 weeks ….
My routine was just to hand over the keys and say “do what you gotta do” and hope for the best.
That is so cool! What a fun workout & experience too.
I don’t know how to change a tire…that’s what cell phones & husbands are for! š
Car maintenance is what husbands are for in our home. I do the laundry, he does the car repair.
We have the Nascar Hall of Fame in Charlotte and there is an exhibit to change a tire and put gas in the car. Holy hard! Kudos š
That sounds like so much fun!!
gosh i love hearing your voice! š
I know how to change a headlight and add windshield wiper fluid and that’s it. Anything else on my car and I’m taking it in, I wish I knew more but don’t.
Such a cool workout! I’ve never changed a tire and have no plans to unless I get REALLY stuck! Mechanics all the way! Christmas has the most amazing quads ever…I have quad envy! š
I can’t change my own oil, but I’m sure if I wanted to, I could figure it out, considering my job is writing manuals for the operation and maintenance of tanks.
Meeting Christmas = awesome! Unfortunately (or fortunately for experience) I’ve had to change a tire or three in my adult life. I grew up around muscle cars and motorcycles and have helped worked on many, so I like to think I am somewhat knowledgeable, although no expert by any means, so I still leave the major stuff to the guys who get paid to do it. š
So bummed I didn’t get a chance to meet you. Stuck at my booth all day on Saturday.
Aww, bummer! Sorry!
My husband works in the service dept of a car dealership, so he is the car guy š But he used to do dirt track racing and I was part of his “crew”. While I didn’t change tires, I lugged them around a lot!
Wow…what an interesting way to workout…certainly out of the box!
Wow, so cool! I always wished I was more handy with my car – maybe someday!
What’s Christmas’ birthday š If it’s not December 25, it should be.
I hand my keys over to my dad and say, “my car is making a weird noise somewhere,” or, “it’s bumping when I’m at a stop light.” He takes care of it. I’m lucky!
once again, so lucky š
Looks like fun! Wish I would have know about this because I would have loved to come watch! A group from my box went to The Games. So fun!
Freakin’ awesome!!! I haven’t a CLUE when it comes to car stuff. lol
I know absolutely nothing about anything to do with my car! Except how to put in windshield liquid, that one I know.
My husband actually just said the other day that he is going to teach me to change a tire because it’s something I should really know how to do. My response? “isn’t that why we have AAA?”
Quite the experience.
I was a bit (maybe still am) a smart-alec in high school. When the driver’s ed teacher was trying to teach us how to change a flat, I got called out because I was talking to my friend. I told him I’d just call AAA and wouldn’t need to know how to change it! However, now I think it’s something I should know how to do.
I actually got a flat tire today and promptly called AAA haha i have zero knowledge about cars. The mechanic made it look so easy though!
cool that you got to meet Christmas! Which one was your question?
oh my gosh! I know zero when it comes to cars! I always tell myself I’ll learn how to actually do something but….that never seems to work out!
I’m pretty good at um, filling up the windshield washer fluid when it’s low. That’s about as far as my maintenance expertise takes me. I’m with you when it comes to handing my credit card over to the mechanic!
I have never changed a tire and would be lost if I had to! Last week was the first time I put air in my tires.
Looks like an amazing opportunity!
AAA changes my tire if need be!
I LOVE Christmas Abbott! She is one of my favorite Crossfitters!! So awesome that you got to meet her!