27 Facts About Samantha Briggs

Samantha "Sam" Briggs was born on 14 March 1982 and is an English CrossFit athlete best known for winning the CrossFit Games in 2013.

Samantha Briggs has qualified for the CrossFit Games seven additional times: in 2010,2011,2015,2016,2017,2019, and 2021.

Samantha Briggs finished four of her seven appearances in the top 5 overall.

Samantha Briggs worked as a firefighter with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Samantha Briggs then took a sabbatical to concentrate on CrossFit fulltime.

In February 2022, Samantha Briggs announced that she would retire from CrossFit after the 2022 season to return to firefighting in August.

Samantha Briggs earned top 10 event finishes on 7 of the 10 events, including two event wins on "The End 2" and "The End 3".

In 2013, Samantha Briggs returned to competition with the drive of an athlete who had been forced onto the sideline for a year.

Samantha Briggs won the worldwide Open, and then the Europe Regional to qualify for the 2013 CrossFit Games in Carson.

At the Games, Samantha Briggs put in performances that helped bolster her nickname of "The Engine" such as completing a half-marathon row of 21,097 meters on an indoor Concept 2 rower that Samantha Briggs finished in one hour and 27 minutes.

Samantha Briggs had three event wins, and won decisively overall, with a 79 points lead over second-place finisher Lindsey Valenzuela.

The next spring, Samantha Briggs won the Open yet again but failed to qualify for the Games after placing fourth at the 2014 Europe Regional.

Samantha Briggs became the first reigning individual champion to be eliminated at the Regionals.

At the 2015 Games, Samantha Briggs was able to finished 4th overall.

Samantha Briggs nearly missed the 2016 CrossFit Games due to an issue with visa.

Samantha Briggs again finished just out of podium in fourth place this year.

At the 2017 CrossFit Games, Samantha Briggs started strongly and tied first place with eventual winner Tia-Clair Toomey after the first day.

In 2018, Samantha Briggs suffered from a severe elbow injury and had to undergo surgery.

Samantha Briggs competed as a Master at the 2018 CrossFit Games, but again nearly missed the Games due to visa issue.

Samantha Briggs won the first ever sanctional, the Dubai Crossfit Championship, in December 2018 to qualify for the 2019 CrossFit Games.

In 2021, at the age of nearly 40, Samantha Briggs finished fourth at the Dubai CrossFit Championship.

Samantha Briggs managed to qualify for the 2021 CrossFit Games; she finished 6th originally at the German Throwdown, but Emma Tall was penalised in one event in a review and Briggs was elevated to fifth to qualify for the Games.

However, At the Games, Samantha Briggs was placed 21st after 10 events, just below the cut line and she did not participate in the final five events.

In 2022, Samantha Briggs announced that she would retire from CrossFit after the 2022 season in August to return to the fire service.

Samantha Briggs retired after failing to qualify for the 2022 Games at the Strength in Depth semifinal.

Samantha Briggs continues to compete in the age-group division in 2023.

Samantha Briggs autobiography, Start Your Engines: My Unstoppable CrossFit Journey, was released in 2020.