By Mike Curkov
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CEDARBURG, Wisconsin (WDJT) — CrossFit is a test. A test of strength. A test of will. A chance to find your limit. And for some, there may be no limit. As long as you can adapt.
“The impossible can become possible.” said Hope Kittel from Adapt and Conquer CrossFit in Cedarburg.
In March of 2023, Hope suffered an unknown ‘neurological event’ while in gym class at Cedarburg High School. She was paralyzed from the neck down, she lost her memory, she even lost her voice.
“I think it’s kind of a hard thing to describe,” said Hope through a whisper. “Because I could somewhere consciously understand that I was losing everything.”
Her memories from before still haven’t come back.
“That was terrifying to not be able to recognize my family members or my friends.” she said. “That was definitely hard for my parents and my sister to have me not be able to recognize them or find comfort in anyone. It was so lonely.”
As she put it in an Instagram post one year later, ‘It was the scariest thing, to live the life of a person I don’t even remember.’
It was her family that gave her the name ‘Hope.’ And her family and friends that never gave it, or her, up.
“For awhile I thought it was really annoying because people were like, your name’s so fitting,” said Kittel. “Because this wasn’t some prophecy that I’m fulfilling.”
Eventually she came around to its deeper meaning.
“The longer that I think about it, it’s kind of crazy.” she said, “I think Hope, when you’re laying in that hospital bed is all you have. Even I would say, the mental struggle, I lost hope at times. But I think it’s something that the people around you can hold for you. That belief. You can borrow their belief. Borrow their strength. Borrow their hope.”
Hope wasn’t down for long. She started fighting her way back. Little by little. She worked her way out of the hospital.
“A lot of times, they’re quick to say, you’ll never walk again, you’ll never use your hands again, you’ll never have this function or speak again but screw that, honestly. Screw the labels that are put on you.” said Hope.
She worked through nine weeks of intensive rehab at the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Michigan and with the neurological unit at Marquette.
She made immense improvements.
But her life changed again when she met Jason Olejniczak and Tom Miazga at Adapt and Conquer CrossFit and United Training Foundation.
“I mean Hope’s a survivor, a battler, a warrior.” said Olejniczak, founder of United Training Foundation which helps cover the costs for adaptive athletes to train. “All of the competitive adjectives, she’s got them.”
“I knew from the get-go that there was a bull-headedness about her that she was never going to quit.” said Miazga, the now 9-time consecutive ‘Fittest Seated Man on Earth.’
“She was never going to stop until she achieved the goals that she herself set for herself.” he said.
One of her first major goals was to walk across the stage at graduation. Which she did with Olejniczak helping to move each leg, one step at a time.
“He was like, we’ll find a way.” Hope said. “I kept that a secret from my family and friends so it was a complete and total surprise to them. I did it, not only for myself but for everyone who has been a part of this journey.
hen she found a new goal. A new ‘impossible.’
“Watching him [Tom] compete for his 8th title,” she said. “Seeing someone I’ve seen work so hard. His grit. His determination. Maybe I could do that too.”
Tom is now the 9-time defending ‘Fittest Seated Man on Earth.’ He earned that title this past September at the 2025 World Adaptive CrossFit Games in Las Vegas, a three-day competition with nearly 300 athletes from 29 countries. There are seven events across different classifications of ability and points awarded based on how you place in each event.
The 2025 games were also Hope’s first time competing. She won every single event.
“It’s pretty safe to say that she dominated the entire weekend which is a lot of fun.” said Jason.
“I did have this confidence kind of instilled especially from Tom and Jason. Just. ‘I got this.” Hope said. “Do everything that I can. Put it all out there, every time.”
19-year old Hope Kittel can now call herself the ‘Fittest Seated Woman on Earth.’
Not a bad way to be able to introduce yourself and a heck of an introduction to the world of adaptive competition.
“To see that many people doing such impressive work on this world stage was remarkable and inspirational.” she said.
Hope is coming to terms with the fact that she’s the inspiration now.
“It’s been a hard thing to hold onto,” said Hope. “but I think that constant reminder of ‘That is my name.’ That is who I am. And at times I think that I can be that Hope for other people.”
“I think that is where I find pride is being able to invite people into spaces where they can be supported and loved the same way that I was.” she said. “And if I can give that Hope and that love to other people. Then I can…that’s a proud name that I can hold.”
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