*No teens finals were held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Emma Lawson (born Jan 5, 2005) is a Canadian CrossFit athlete known for her achievements in the CrossFit Games, since her first appearance at the 2019 Games where she achieved a third-place podium finish in the Girls (14–15) division. In 2020 she placed 1st worldwide in the Girls (14–15) quarterfinals, but no Teens event was held at the games that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After winning first-place in the Girls (16–17) division in 2021, she has competed in adult Women category, achieving sixth-place in 2022 and second-place podium finishes in 2023 and 2026.
In addition to the CrossFit Games, Lawson has competed in the CrossFit event held at the Rogue Invitational, with a third-place finish in both 2022 and 2023.
Lawson's experience with CrossFit began by watching her parents' workouts when they joined the sport in 2011. Shortly after, she began participating in the sport herself by joining a CrossFit Kids program at age seven.
Professional career
Lawson competed in the CrossFit Games Teen competitions from 2019 through 2021. She made the podium every year, including a first-place finish in the Girls 16-17 age group in 2021.
In 2022 she competed in the Women's division at the age of 17 as the fourth-youngest competitor to compete in the adult division at the Games. During the 2022 Games she briefly held the first-place position, making her the youngest to ever lead the games as an individual. She placed 6th overall and won the "Rookie of the Year" award for her performance.
At the 2023 CrossFit Games Lawson had her first career win in an individual event at the Games by winning the first event "Ride". She had a consistent performance and was the only woman to place inside top 15 in all events, and led the field after the second and third day. She lost the top spot in the final day to Laura Horvath who achieved three consecutive event wins in the final four events, and finished on the podium in second place, making her the youngest individual female competitor to podium in games history.
Lawson's training includes strength, skills, and interval training as well as longer aerobic workouts. She has stated that her training takes five to six hours per day, six days a week, in addition to a daily nighttime mobility routine. Even as a high school student, she maintained twice-daily workouts.
She is coached by former University of Waterloo hockey player Josh Woolley, Mammoth Training Methods and also has a swimming coach. She trains at CrossFit PSC in Kitchener with fellow CrossFit Games athlete Jack Farlow, as well as in her home gym.
She employs a nutrition coach and has stated that a key component of her diet is high-carb snacks like bagels and protein smoothies to ensure she has enough energy for the demands of her training schedule. She also takes quick-digesting foods during her longer aerobic workouts, such as apple sauce pouches, fig bars, and liquid carb supplements.
