Blaze Foster Tests Himself Against The World’s Best In Two Different Sports

When he trains for powerlifting, Blaze Foster is mostly on his own. When he switches to CrossFit, he works out regularly with other athletes.

Despite the different routines, Foster excels in both sports.

The 35-year-old from Monroeville, Pennsylvania, competed in the 2024 Adaptive CrossFit Games, which took place in Sept. 19-22 in San Antonio.

Foster, who was born with dwarfism, finished seventh in the men’s short stature classification.

“I was going in hoping top five,” said Foster, who competed in the CrossFit Games for the third time. “So, I’m not too happy with the result. I’m a lot better at CrossFit than I was last year. I’m looking forward to competing again next year if I qualify. They only take top 10. I was hoping to do better, but it is what it is.”

While Para powerlifting focuses only on the bench press, CrossFit involves several different movements and workouts, which is what Foster enjoys most about the sport.

“You do a little bit of everything,” he said. “That’s what’s really nice about it. It’s not just one movement. It’s very diverse as far as the exercises and workouts. It gives everyone a fighting chance to win. That’s what I really like about it.”

With the CrossFit competition in his rearview mirror, Foster has shifted his focus back to powerlifting, a sport he picked up in 2017. Four years later, Foster competed in the world championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, where he finished 19th in the men’s 59 kg. weight class.

Foster’s weekly training routine now includes three bench press days doing high volume. He adds accessory workouts and sprinkles in CrossFit sessions for cardio.

Foster said he’s been able to successfully juggle competing in two different sports. In the rare times when he faces a scheduling conflict, powerlifting remains his top priority.

The sports require different training regimens, and the setting for Foster’s workouts is drastically different for the two sports as well.

Foster discovered CrossFit in 2021 when he moved to Raleigh, North Carolina. He trains at Neuse River CrossFit, which has a specific program for adaptive athletes.

“Having the community right in your backyard, it does make a difference,” Foster said. “You actually know these people. You spend time with these people. You break bread with these people. The camaraderie is really nice.”

Foster’s U.S. powerlifting teammates are scattered across the country, so he trains on his own for that sport. However, that doesn’t diminish his enthusiasm for powerlifting.

“I just love that sport. It’s tough,” Foster said. “I’ve always worked out and was really into bench pressing for a long time.”

Foster began competing in powerlifting in his late 20s and said he wished he knew about it much earlier in his life. To amend that, he is determined to promote the sport to younger generations.

Even though he got into the sport later in life, Foster could still lift for years to come. Many Para powerlifters successfully compete into their 50s — including Team USA’s Bobby Body, who finished fourth in the men’s 107 kg. class during his Paralympic debut in Paris this summer — but that comes with a toll.   

“Physically, you can deal with it,” Foster said. “Your body can take it, especially with just lifting and just bench pressing. But it’s the lifestyle outside of the sport that is harder to get away with when you’re in your 30s or in your 40s.”

Foster, who will get married in April, said diet and family commitments can be challenging for aging powerlifters.

“We can’t order pizza because I have to make weight in about two weeks,” he said. “It’s small things like that.”

After not qualifying for the Paralympic Games Paris 2024, Foster’s focused on the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

There are five mandatory competitions for powerlifters leading up to the LA Games, beginning with next October’s world championships in Cairo.

“A lot goes down in a quad,” he said. “You just take it one event at a time. You can’t look too (far) ahead.”

Though still in the 59 kg. weight class, Foster could drop down to 54 kg. to give himself the best chance to qualify for the Paralympics.

“We’re getting a lot of new athletes on the team, and 59’s going to be a little crowded,” he said. “Probably by early next year, I’ll be able to see where I’ll best fit in the lineup. I’m going to continue to try to improve on my craft and see what it leads to.”

Bob Reinert spent 17 years covering sports for The Boston Globe. He also served as a sports information director at Saint Anselm College and Phillips Exeter Academy. He is a contributor to usparapowerlifting.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.