In just his second HYROX race ever, ATA Seminar Staff member Tom Miazga proved once again that he doesn't lose.
Big news out of Stockholm: ATA Seminar Staff member Tom Miazga is officially the HYROX World Champion!!!
It was only his second HYROX race ever, and his first attempt at Worlds.
If you know Tom, that kind of debut probably doesn’t surprise you. He’s a former U.S. Paralympic swimmer. A five-time Games champion. A five-time Wodapalooza champion.
👉 Annnnnnnnd, he has never finished worse than first in any competition.
Now “HYROX World Champion” joins that list too.
A Quick Primer on HYROX
For anyone new to the sport: HYROX is a race that alternates running with functional work stations, things like sled pushes, rowing, wall balls, and farmer’s carries, all inside one continuous event.
HYROX also runs an Adaptive division for athletes with permanent physical impairments. Seated athletes like Tom compete within specific categories based on their function. Tom races in the Seated With Hip Function division.
At Worlds, he lined up alongside two other athletes in that exact category, as part of a full field of adaptive men racing the same course together. That kind of head-to-head field is rare in adaptive sport, and Tom loved every second of it.
Tom performs wallball shots during the championship race.
A Course Full of Curveballs
Tom’s only other HYROX was a qualifier in Dallas, raced on smooth, even concrete. Stockholm was nothing like that.
The surface was rough road and gravel. The rowing setup was completely different from anything he’d trained on, and he had to solve his stroke mid-race with his heart rate already climbing toward 190. Even the burpee broad jump standards changed.
None of it slowed him down. Tom shaved nearly 100 seconds off his qualifying time and finished strongest of the field, laying down his two fastest splits in the final stretch of the race.
The Winning Mindset
Ask Tom where that composure comes from, and he doesn’t hesitate.
“The best athletes figure a way out,” he said. “That’s how life comes to you as an adaptive athlete. A lot of hurdles come your way, and you have to figure it out on the fly.”
He calls it an adapt-or-die mentality, built from a lifetime of solving problems most people never have to think about, from an unexpected snowstorm to a rowing machine that wouldn’t cooperate 40 minutes into a world championship.
“I want to know that I’m super hard to kill,” he said. “That I can handle any situation, and adapt on the fly.”
That belief, he says, traces back to his family always telling him “yes, you can.” Stockholm was just the latest proof.
Tom completes his 900m row during the championship race.
He’s Just Getting Started
For most athletes, a HYROX World Championship would be the highlight of a career. For Tom, it’s another line on an already stacked resume.
Up next: this summer’s CrossFit Games (July 23-26), followed by his first Ironman a few weeks later, and the New York City Marathon this fall.
Tom at an Adaptive Training Academy trainer education seminar teaching coaches how to spot a wheelchair user.
The Impact Behind the Medals
Medals are only half the Tom Miazga story. The other half happens off the podium, as a member of ATA’s Seminar Staff.
Tom travels the country and the world teaching coaches, gym owners, and therapists how to build truly inclusive fitness spaces. He brings the same technical depth and firsthand experience to a workshop that he brings to a start line.
“I’ve learned so much through Adaptive Training Academy and teaching adaptive fitness,” he said. “And I want to pass my knowledge on to the next generation of adaptive athletes.”
That’s what makes Tom’s story bigger than any single race. Every title he wins opens a door for the next adaptive athlete, and every seminar he teaches gives a coach the tools to help them walk through it.
Congratulations, Tom. The whole ATA community is proud to call you one of our own.
*You can become an adaptive fitness trainer and learn from Tom. Check out the link below to make an impact!
