Without swimming, Capt. Marie Docken probably would not be an elite CrossFit athlete in the U.S. Army.
Last month in Johannesburg, South Africa, Docken's Army Warrior Fitness Team placed fifth in the highly competitive Rebel Renegade Games CrossFit Semifinal, four spots shy of qualifying for the 2026 CrossFit Games.
It wasn't the first time she and the Warrior Fitness Team competed overseas, but Docken never would have imagined being on the stage she is now on more than a decade ago, when she wore the navy blue, silver and white for the Fairmont High School Firebirds. She excelled at swimming, not only setting a record in the 100 breaststroke at a district swim meet that still stands, but being recruited by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for the academy's swim team. The opportunity was both “really cool†and allowed her “to do all the things I was interested in doing.â€
The military wasn't on her mind when she started high school, much less CrossFit. Swimming was what Docken was known for, and her dedication to the sport shaped her into the soldier and elite athlete she is today.
“I think that was a large part of my upbringing,†she said of her swim community. “I really learned to be part of a team and work really hard.â€
Pre-dawn and evening practices not only taught Docken about dedication — and utter appreciation for her parents, Charles and Michelle, who drove her — as well as grit and physical and mental toughness. Those were skills she would need later in life, though she didn't know it at the time.
“It's just you staring at a black line all practice long, and you sing to yourself in your head to motivate yourself,†she said. “It was very mentally challenging, and I wasn't always good at that. It definitely shaped me and something I carried with me a lot in CrossFit and in the Army as well.â€
Her military career came about because she had a high school advisor plant the idea in her mind. Then she became more familiar with opportunities in the service.
“I was just fortunate that I swam and I really liked swimming, and I wanted to swim in college,†she said. “That was a goal of mine; I wanted to serve and I wanted to swim if that was possible.â€
Before graduating from West Point in 2021, a couple of her coaches suggested she try out for the CrossFit team after her swimming career. A friend at West Point also had a brother on the Army's team — another sign to look into it.
Docken had no idea if she'd be any good at CrossFit, at least competitively, but said she would never know if she didn't try, “so I just gave it a shot.â€
She was surprised not only by how she adapted to the sport but also at its scalability, seeing that “anybody can do it.â€
CrossFit is a branded fitness program built around high-intensity workouts, functional movements, and strength and conditioning exercises. The training style is often associated with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and is practiced in around 10,000 gyms worldwide, according to BarBend.com.
It has also developed into a growing, competitive sport. In 2024, the CrossFit Open — which is from late February to mid-March, is the beginning of the sport's annual competition season — drew more than 344,000 participants. The event had about 26,000 participants when it launched in 2011, a growth that industry outlets like TheBarbellSpin.com report as being one of the fastest-growing sports in recent history.
The Army Warrior Fitness Team took fifth place in the 2026 Rebel Renegade Games CrossFit Semifinal, a four-day competition consisting of nine events, with each division having only one qualifying spot.
Docken has been with the AWFT for several years but became a full-time member in 2024. The team is part of the Recruiting Outreach Company, under the U.S. Army Accessions Mission Support Battalion and Army Marketing and Engagement Brigade at Fort Knox, Kentucky. After living halfway across the country, she is now a three-hour drive from her hometown.
Army Capt. Marie Docken has been with the Army Warrior Fitness Team for several years but became a full-time member in 2024. The team is part of the Recruiting Outreach Company, under the U.S. Army Accessions Mission Support Battalion and Army Marketing and Engagement Brigade at Fort Knox, Kentucky. After living half-way across the country, she is now a three-hour drive from her hometown. Contributed
She recalled the tryout for the team as a fresh second lieutenant and being “surprised†to receive a callback. Making the team was her end goal, but she was still gauging her CrossFit abilities.
“I really wanted it,†she said.
Though making the team on her first try wasn't expected, especially since she was new to the sport, but her competitive nature, grit and mental toughness pushed her. But realizing she went from no CrossFit experience to an elite athlete was a humbling realization, she said.
Before she joined the team full-time in 2024, she had to fit training around her daily military duties. “It all takes time, and it takes patience, and it takes daily effort,†she said. “Sometimes it's hard to do with other things going on.â€
Being just a few hours away from Kettering, she gets to go home more often to see two of her biggest fans: mom and dad.
“The amount of commitment that they had to my sister (Grace Docken) and I, and our journeys — so much of their time and energy growing up was dedicated to my sister and me so we could do what we wanted to do, and be successful in whatever we wanted.â€
Outside of training, Docken leans into her hobbies, like photography and videography. Long-term, she hopes to stay within the Army fitness community after her competitive CrossFit years.
“I want to have an impact and spread awareness of all things health and fitness to my soldiers, and make them fitter because of the experiences I have had,†she said. “The Army is so much more than I ever thought it would be for me. Some of my greatest experiences that I have had have been with my soldiers or my teammates in the Army.â€
