CrossFit competitor Luke Parker has found purpose and a renewed identity in Cookeville, TN. 

He stated, “I was playing college baseball and my dream was to play in the big leagues, but that didn’t work out. I felt like God was calling me to something else and it wasn’t professional baseball. In that same season of life, I was introduced to CrossFit and was training in Georgia. During this time, my sister signed me up for a reality TV show (The Bachelorette), and while many people knew me from that show, I look back on that time as one of suffering but also of growth. It feels good now to be known as a Crossfit athlete who lives in Cookeville, TN.” Parker continued, “What led me here was meeting the CFO of CrossFit Mayhem (Brian Nelson). He and Rich Froning started the nonprofit Mayhem Mission. I am known as a faith guy in the CrossFit community and my relationship with God is everything to me, and when I saw that a 10-time champion (Froning) was founding his gym and nonprofit on faith, family, fitness, and service, I wanted to be involved.” 

After relocating to Cookeville, Parker immediately dove into the world of competitive CrossFit, eventually climbing the team ranks en route to the 2022 CrossFit games. 

“The last two years have been incredible. Two years ago was Rich’s 10th and last gold medal. I was in the team division and got to train alongside him and we went head to head all year long. He won his last year competing which was amazing. My goal was to come as close to him as possible and my team came in fifth, which was really cool,” Parker stated. 

On the transition from team to individual competition, he reflected, “I competed as an individual this past year. My ultimate dream when I moved here was to compete as an individual and this last year I qualified which was a big deal. Overall it was my rookie season as an individual and I came in 28th out of 40 in the world. I am excited about the result, but I am hopeful that I can continue reaching new heights as I compete throughout this year and beyond.” 

Luke views being a professional CrossFit athlete as an opportunity for the communal pursuit of excellence. On the misconceptions surrounding the sport, he said, “CrossFit itself can easily be misunderstood or intimidating, but I think it’s truly beautiful to see people come together who are just trying to be the best version of themselves and make themselves do hard things. To grow together and walk alongside each other in the pursuit of being the best version of yourself is awesome to see.”

Despite moving here for CrossFit, the area has won Luke over in ways far beyond training and competition. 

He met his wife Jennifer (Mayhem social media director and athlete partnerships coordinator) after moving here. 

He also found a network of friends, and a community built to last at CrossFit Mayhem. 

Basically, this city (along with commitment and hard work) has changed his life. 

“Cookeville feels like home,” he stated. “It’s a small country town in the mountains of Tennessee and there’s something different in the air, it feels like home. My wife Jennifer and I both would never have imagined moving to Cookeville, but the longer we’re here, the more we realize there’s nowhere else we’d rather be.”

Luke Parker has big goals, a huge heart, and deep roots planted in Cookeville, TN. For that reason, we’re proud to call him a 2024 Mover and Shaker. 

– by Andrew Buckner, photos by Abby Weeden