From teenage prodigy to Games debut: Erica Folo's comeback story

Some sports stories aren't about a straight line to the top. They're about detours, doubt, and a second chance. That description fits Canadian CrossFit athlete Erica Folo perfectly. What began as a promising career in the Teen division seemed to stall during her university years, yet in 2026, she finds herself on the sport's biggest stage as an individual competitor, armed with a new drive and a new coaching environment at HWPO.

An early highlight… and an unexpected pause
Folo started CrossFit at 14 and quickly rose to the top of the junior ranks. In 2018, she competed at the CrossFit Games as a teen, a milestone that, for many athletes, marks the beginning of a long elite career. For her, it felt different at the time.

After that appearance, she chose to step back and focus on her studies. The sport faded into the background, and it looked as though her chapter in competitive CrossFit had already been written.

Then she realized what she was missing: the feeling of competition.

That realization proved to be the turning point. Folo returned, cautiously at first, then with renewed ambition. Her goal: not just to participate, but to qualify for the Games again, this time in the elite division.

The long road back
The comeback was anything but smooth. She made her return to the highest level in 2023 through a team, but her individual goal remained clear.

In 2026, everything came together, or very nearly didn't.

During the Open, Folo fell ill with mononucleosis, which took a serious toll on her energy and training capacity. Her season hung by a thread. Against medical advice, she pressed on, completing her quarterfinals in minimal form and scraping through to the next stage. No in-person semifinal, no ideal preparation, just one objective: make the Games.

She did it. A spot secured through the online semifinals.

It perfectly captures her journey: not flawless, but relentlessly determined.

A new spark: teaming up with HWPO
A key factor in her resurgence is her recent move to HWPO (Hard Work Pays Off), the training program founded by four-time Games champion Mat Fraser.

Since the start of 2026, Folo has been working with coach Josh, who brings experience at the highest level. That partnership delivered structure, direction, and above all, confidence during a period when her career was still finding its footing.

The impact showed quickly:

• Greater focus in training
• Better balance between load and recovery
• A clear plan toward qualification

For an athlete who had previously struggled with consistency due to changing coaching situations, HWPO turned out to be exactly what she needed to unlock her potential again.

Explosive power as a weapon
With a background in track and field, particularly sprint events like the 200m and 400m, Folo is the archetypal explosive CrossFit athlete.

Her strengths are well defined:

• Barbell cycling
• Thrusters and classic engine-plus-power workouts
• Short, high-intensity efforts

Workouts like DT or fast thruster combinations are right in her wheelhouse.

On the other side of the ledger are her known areas for development: swimming and machine-based work. Both have been a focus within her new program over recent months.

Ready for her moment
At 25, right at the average age of the field, Erica Folo is back at the CrossFit Games. Not as a prospect this time, but as an athlete who made a conscious choice to return.

With 20 events and no cuts on the schedule, she'll have every opportunity to show what she's made of, not just physically, but as a more complete and mature competitor.

Folo's comeback is a reminder that a career in CrossFit rarely runs in a straight line. Sometimes you need to take a step back to ultimately move forward. With HWPO as her foundation and a rekindled hunger for competition, her story looks like it's only just getting started.