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Crossfit Coach Severed Spine :-(

Posts: 5,797 Member
edited February 11 in Fitness and Exercise
http://www.outsideonline.com/news-from-the-field/CrossFit-Coach-Severs-Spine.html

Crazy. He must have been from a bad box. What a crazy accident. And a coach no less. Can't imagine what might've gone wrong; and there was probably no way to prevent.
CrossFit coach might never walk again after he severed his spine during a competition in California on Sunday.

Kevin Ogar was competing at a CrossFit event when he attempted a snatch—a lift in which a barbell is raised from the floor directly to an overhead position in a single motion—but dropped the weight on his back. According to his friends, Ogar separated his T11 and T12 vertebrae, severed his spinal cord, and is currently paralyzed from the waist down.

Because Ogar is uninsured, the CrossFit community has rallied together to help pay for the medical bills. In fewer than 48 hours, people from around the world donated more than $100,000, CrossFit Unbroken owner Matt Hathcock told CBS.

“It was just kind of a freak accident,” says one CrossFitter who competed with Ogar last weekend.

CrossFit’s high-intensity workouts have exploded in popularity, and there are now about 10,000 CrossFit gyms worldwide. Though CrossFit injury numbers vary, studies have pegged the CrossFit injury rate from as low as 16 percent to as high as 74 percent.

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Replies

  • Posts: 4,885 Member
    Horrible
  • Posts: 1,146 Member
    Jeez...I cringed reading that.
  • Posts: 1,893 Member
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  • Posts: 4,323 Member
    ouch. and with all those qualifications. yikes.
  • Posts: 4,123 Member
    that's awful! must have been, as they said, just a freak accident. if anyone is totally prepared and trained, it's a coach.
  • Posts: 1,508 Member
    Though CrossFit injury numbers vary, studies have pegged the CrossFit injury rate from as low as 16 percent to as high as 74 percent.

    That's an interesting statistic.
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  • Posts: 492 Member
    That could happen to anyone at any time, whether you are a crossfit coach, workout at a cf box, Olympic athlete or just a regular Joe lifting at a gym or at home . Very sad. So proud of the cf family coming together to support him.
  • Posts: 8,646 Member
    I may never touch a snatch again...

    seriously, that's unfortunate for the guy.
  • Posts: 1,573 Member
    That is AWFUL!!!
  • Posts: 4,440 Member
    I kind of hold my breath anytime I see anyone doing a snatch, just because of the potential for injury, so I can't imagine how this played out.
  • Posts: 22,281 Member
    :frown:
  • Posts: 6,833 Member
    That's sad, but how was he allowed to work as a coach without health insurance? I believe it's a requirement in the UK if you want to be a Personal Trainer.
  • Posts: 22,281 Member
    That's sad, but how was he allowed to work as a coach without health insurance? I believe it's a requirement in the UK if you want to be a Personal Trainer.

    It's America, we are free to do whatever we wa--...oh wait, NVM.
  • Posts: 1,623 Member
    He is a Crossfit coach at a box here in Colorado

    What "appears" to have happened is as he missed the Snatch he went to fall down to the ground (as in the sitting position). The barbell that he dropped behind him bounced off a stack of bumper plates (which were too close to the lifter) and his lower back landed on it as he was going down. From what I could see, if the plates weren't there, this would have never happened.

    Anyway, I hope all the Crossfit haters will have some respect - a young athlete may never walk again and I personally think it's in VERY bad taste to bring that crap into this thread.
  • Posts: 49,213 Member
    That could happen to anyone at any time, whether you are a crossfit coach, workout at a cf box, Olympic athlete or just a regular Joe lifting at a gym or at home . Very sad. So proud of the cf family coming together to support him.
    While true it could happen to anyone, competitions will encourage attempts of maxes that people may not have attempted before or never completed before. I'm not against trying to be your best, but there is a limit to what the body can really do. Would he have tried that amount if it wasn't a competition? Who knows.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Posts: 739 Member
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  • Posts: 1,623 Member
    That's sad, but how was he allowed to work as a coach without health insurance? I believe it's a requirement in the UK if you want to be a Personal Trainer.

    As a trainer either you or the gym/box you work at has to have liability insurance. Don't know why it would affect my clients if I didn't personally have health insurance? That's a non-issue IMO
  • And THAT is the wrath of what a snatch can do to someone if you aren't paying close attention! That really sucks.
  • Posts: 3,550 Member
    Sucks...but at the same time it is at a competition...not your everyday Crossfit gym. Want to point out that this could happen in any sport. Paula Radcliffe, Derek Redmond, Kerri Strug. Injuries happen, and usually at the worst times.
  • Posts: 22,281 Member
    Sucks...but at the same time it is at a competition...not your everyday Crossfit gym. Want to point out that this could happen in any sport. Paula Radcliffe, Derek Redmond, Kerri Strug. Injuries happen, and usually at the worst times.

    ALL the times are a bad time for an injury.
  • Posts: 518 Member
    This is so sad:(
    I hope our box is doing something for him.
  • Posts: 3,550 Member

    ALL the times are a bad time for an injury.

    Chocolate...go back to licking your fingers! :laugh:
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  • Posts: 1,669 Member
    I wasn't dissing him. Football, hockey, basketball, all the sports have broken heros. I was just saying that doing that kind of job without insurance is kind of irresponsible. That's all. It's not a client issue or anything. I mean, it's all on him. It's horrible, the whole thing is horrible. And, it's great that people are coming to his aid with cash, but that will run out as the med bills continue. So, I don't know. It's just very irresponsible to be doing that without insurance.

    I completely agree. Athletes of any kind should really have insurance.
  • Posts: 2,724 Member

    As a trainer either you or the gym/box you work at has to have liability insurance. Don't know why it would affect my clients if I didn't personally have health insurance? That's a non-issue IMO

    In the land of Obamacare? I think it's against the law now to not have insurance. Oh well. Silver lining though-No pre-existing conditions!
  • Posts: 53
    That's sad, but how was he allowed to work as a coach without health insurance? I believe it's a requirement in the UK if you want to be a Personal Trainer.

    The UK has universal health care.
    Personal trainers need a liability insurance though.
  • Posts: 10,161 Member
    That's rough. I'm trying to understand what happened. Did the plates land on his back?
  • Posts: 915 Member
    OMG :( So sad for him..Hope he recovers :cry:
  • Posts: 2,873 Member
    Terrible story
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