Nate Hardy with his infant son Parker

As many rounds as possible in twenty minutes. Damn. I hate these ones.

2 Muscleups. My wrists are going to bleed.

4 Handstand pushups. My shoulders will be in agony.

8 Kettlebell swings. Breathing is going to be heavy.

It’s called “Nate”.

This workout isn’t so bad after all.

“Nate” is Chief Petty Officer Nate Hardy, a Navy SEAL who enlisted in 1997. He was following in the footsteps of those before him. Both his grandfathers served in World War II. Growing up in Durham, NH he played lacrosse and soccer, but he always fostered a dream that started in sixth grade. He knew then that he wanted to become a Navy SEAL.

He enlisted in the Navy in November 1997, and graduated from boot camp in January of the following year. That same month, Nate entered the toughest training in the military with Class 221 of BUD/S. Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training at Coronado, California makes the deadliest fighting men in the world, and Nate was no exception, graduating in May of 1998. He then went on to serve with East Coast SEAL teams and made multiple deployments to Iraq.

On his fourth deployment to Iraq, Nate was with his SEAL team on patrol in the early hours of February 4th, 2008. His team was tasked with taking down a compound littered with terrorists. The insurgents inside were responsible for numerous improvised explosive devices and suicide bombings. Soon after entry, a small arms battle erupted. When it was all over, the building was reduced with every terrorist dead. Nate, along with his teammate Michael Koch, had died in the gun battle.

CrossFit’s Heroes

So why is “Nate” now forever synonymous with a CrossFit workout? I asked Coach Glassman about these heroes once. He told me that every hero that has a workout on CrossFit.com was an avid CrossFitter, and their family has given the Glassman’s permission for the use of their name. What he didn’t tell me then, but I know is also the case, is this: The hero workout is an amazing way of honoring these men.

Nate in Iraq

How does this honor the Heroes?

When a new Hero WOD hits the CrossFit website, you get the workout, a picture of the dead, and a short writeup on the circumstances of their death. People who never knew or would have never known about this individual leave heartfelt condolences and thanks for their sacrifice. People like myself research that individual. We take time out of our day to see who they were and exactly what they did for us. Our thoughts are with them.

Each time that Hero WOD is repeated, millions more know their name and see their sacrifice. CrossFitters worldwide not only rejoice in being able to know about such an amazing person, but they also share in the collective pain of the workout in his honor. We might think about the temporary pain of the moment but we are reminded to endure because men such as Nate endured far worse, and they did it for us.

So don’t feel sorry for these heroes. They knew what they were doing. Feel joy in knowing that we live in a world where men are on guard, willing to lay down their lives for us each and every day. Take heart in knowing that our country is safe because of people like Nate Hardy. Simply honor these men by thinking of them. Through our thoughts, and through the continuation of CrossFit’s Hero workouts, their memory will never die.