Rec Center Spotlight: Chris Ibarra

Published on August 25, 2025

If you’ve spent time on the fitness floor at the Lenexa Rec Center, chances are you’ve seen Chris Ibarra — focused, friendly and quietly intense. But behind that calm presence is a relentless drive that started with youth sports, grew through college football, and now fuels his rise in the world of elite CrossFit. 

Today, Chris ranks 13th in the world in the men’s division of the 2025 CrossFit Games Season — and he’s just getting started. 

“In 2020, I realized I enjoyed the workouts more than the game itself,” Chris says. “So I left football and committed to CrossFit full time.” 

CrossFit — a demanding blend of weightlifting, gymnastics, and cardio — quickly became his new passion. Originally from Oklahoma, Chris relocated to Kansas City after a CrossFit athlete invited him to train together. That move led him to the Rec Center, where he has become a familiar face as a fitness attendant. 

Now, his daily routine is simple but intense: train, work, recover. In competition prep mode, Chris clocks six to eight hours of training a day, relying on consistency, focus and mental grit to push through. 

That dedication has paid off. Next up: the CrossFit Games — the ultimate test for the Fittest Man and Fittest Woman on Earth™. 

Off the gym floor, Chris has a surprising way to cope with the strict demands of an athlete’s diet: watching cooking shows. 

“What I eat — mostly ground beef and rice or chicken and rice — isn’t very exciting,” he admits. “So I watch cooking shows. It kind of tricks my brain into thinking it’s getting pizza.”