It's a fitness craze that prides itself on creating a positive community among its members — but some are now divided over a decision to award Glock pistols as prizes for this year's CrossFit Games in Southern California.
More than $2 million in prize money will be given away to the winners, with the top male and female athletes receiving $250,000 each. Every member of the winning team will also receive a pistol, according to a post on the Games' official Facebook page citing director Dave Castro.
The post has outraged some fitness buffs, who believe the prize is inappropriate. Facebook comments have called on CrossFit to retract the post and apologize.
"After what the country has been through with so many recent shootings, 49 in Orlando, two men last week killed by cops, the five cops in Dallas — it was just tacky, to be quite honest," said CrossFit member Scott Cooper.
A petition on Change.org urging the Games to cancel the Glock prizes garnered more than 10,000 signatures in less than 24 hours. Social media sites were filled with CrossFit members weighing in on both sides.
"You see a whole bunch of arguing about whether you're in favor or against guns and what the benefits are, so it didn't have a positive effect in that respect," said CrossFit member Craig Spano.
Castro showed no signs of backing away from his decision.
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"Glocks are legal in all 50 states, and they are legal in California. Unless that changes, this is not changing," Castro wrote in an email to NBC4.
Some CrossFit members are considering boycotting the competition, which will take place from July 19 to 24 at the StubHub Center in Carson. It's the third and final stage of a contest that began in February and aims to "determine who is the Fittest on Earth," according to the Games' official website.
