Ben Smith Bio: Early Life, Career, Personal Life & Net Worth

Known famously in the CrossFit community as “Garage Gym Yoda is Ben Smith, one of the best to grace the game.

Ben is one of the most consistent performers too. From 2009 to 2019, he competed in the CrossFit Games every year. He is the only athlete to make eleven consecutive appearances in the CrossFit games.

Throughout his streak run, he placed on the podium four times. He secured first in 2015, second in 2016 and third in 2011 and 2013.

In 2015, Ben Smith crowned the Fittest Man on Earth. And he achieved it all by training for years in his garage.

Nonetheless, Ben is a fantastic man who credits his family for much of his success. Recently, he started CrossFit Krypton, his own CrossFit Affiliate.

In this article, you’ll get to know more about Smith. So, let’s dig deeper into Ben Smith’s early life, career, and other information.

Here are some quick facts about the Crossfit athlete before we head any further into the details.

Quick Facts

Ben Smith | Early Life and Background

On May 16, 1990, Ben Smith was born in Wishaw, North Key West, Florida, United States. However, the family moved frequently because of the transfer of his father.

He was born to Chuck Smith and Kim Smith. His father was in the military (navy) when he was younger. Therefore, their family traveled a lot due to his transfers and postings.

Eventually, they landed in Chesapeake, an independent city in Virginia. We can trace the source of inspiration on why he picked up CrossFit back to his parents.

Ben’s parents encouraged each of their three kids to choose a sport and devote themselves to it. Consequently, at the early age of three, Ben began gymnastics.

Likewise, he discovered that playing sports was an excellent method of meeting new people. Also, Ben had aspirations of being a professional baseball player since he was a child.

He was dedicated from the start to flourishing in anything he picked up. Hence, Ben began lifting his father’s weights in his early teens to improve his baseball play. 

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Ben Smith | Career

Affinity Towards Sports

Ben Smith was on track to become a professional baseball player. As mentioned before, he was constantly training, and he enjoyed playing baseball while being good at it.

Moreover, he was already taking baby steps towards making it to the big leagues. Also, he played for the Great Bridge High School Wildcats from 2004 to 2008.

But destiny had other plans, it seemed. Ben completed high school in 2008. Then, he attended Lafayette College in Pennsylvania to play baseball.

However, he switched to Old Dominion after just one semester at Lafayette College. But, it was too late to try out for the Old Dominion Monarchs’ baseball club at that point.

Then, a friend of his father’s introduced him to some CrossFit videos. Immediately, he was blown away by the intensity of the exercises.

With the baseball tryouts missed, he slowly turned his attention toward CrossFit games. Additionally, a regional CrossFit tournament was scheduled for Virginia Beach.

Setting Foot

The 2009 Regional CrossFit tournament being held in his hometown was his entry to the game. He won the Mid-Atlantic Qualifier in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

And his accomplishment won him a berth in the CrossFit Games that year. But, Ben was relatively new to the game and hence lacked experience.

In CrossFit Games 2009, he finished in 64th place out of 74 competitors. Yet, despite finishing in last place, he was hooked on fighting against the finest the sport had to offer.

Consequently, he finished eighth in the 2011 CrossFit games. He qualified for the tournament through the Central East qualifiers, seeding second.

In 2011, he came close to the ultimate prize for the first time. He was dominant during the qualifiers finishing first in the Mid-Atlantic qualifiers.

Eventually, he finished third behind Rich Froning and Josh Bridges in the 2011 Games. This win was his first podium finish.

Road to Glory

The podium finish in the 2011 CrossFit game inspired him to dedicate everything. But, the competition was growing at a tremendous rate.

He qualified for the 2012 CrossFit games from the Mid-Atlantic qualifiers. Ben did so in a commanding fashion securing the first position.

However, he fell short in the main event as he finished outside the top 10. As a result, he could only take 11th position in the tournament.

Even the strongest fall down, but it’s the fighters who get up again. Ben was a fighter as he started staying healthy while training for the 2013 CrossFit games.

Eventually, he qualified for the main event of the 2013 CrossFit games. He came close to winning the event as he bagged the third position. This win was his second podium finish, but he didn’t give up.

Similarly, he finished in the 7th position in the CrossFit Games 2014. For outsiders, it looked as if he was falling short every time. But Ben always took it as a learning opportunity.

The Ultimate Prize

The 2015 CrossFit games would forever be memorable for Ben Smith. It had already been a turbulent year after four-time Games champion Rich Froning switched to team competition.

As per the experts, Mathew Fraser was generally predicted to win the 2015 Games. Also, he led by a substantial margin during the event after two days of action.

Nonetheless, Ben didn’t give up as he won two events: Heavy DT at the end of Day 2 and Soccer Chipper on Day 3. His win on Day 3 would be of utmost importance as Fraser stumbled in the event and failed to complete it.

Consequently, this handed the lead to Ben Smith. The events that followed after this were tightly contested between him and Fraser.

However, Smith’s consistent performance allowed him to hold off Fraser’s challenge and win in the end.

Ben Smith had done it. He was awarded the “Fittest Man on Earth” in the 2015 Cross Fit games.

Engaging Career

Ben Smith also looked at taking his winning form in the 2016 CrossFit games. Unfortunately, he couldn’t go all the way but claimed a podium slot with second place at the 2016 Games.

The 2016 CrossFit games were all about Mat Fraser, who dominated the Games for the next four years.

Similarly, he qualified for the 2017 CrossFit games, securing the Atlantic Qualifiers’ third position.

But, he failed to impact after missing out on the podium finish in the 2017 CrossFit games. Ben finished eighth in this event but was able to secure a top ten finish.

2018 saw him qualify for the CrossFit event, making him the first athlete to qualify for the event ten times consecutively.

Additionally, he tied for the most individual qualifications too. But, he crashed out of the event without a podium finish outside the top ten in six years.

The Injury and Recovery

Ben Smith began 2019 with surgery on his left knee to address several concerns he had been experiencing.

He didn’t compete again for over four months until the Rogue Invitational in May. Similarly, he did not qualify for the Open or Sanctionals because he was recuperating from knee surgery.

But, he won a wildcard invitation to the 2019 CrossFit Games. Therefore, it extended his record for the most straight Games attendances to 11. This event happened barely seven months after undergoing surgery.

Ben gradually returned to training over the CrossFit Games Open five weeks. In an interview, he revealed it was the first year of the Open when he wasn’t competing for one of the top places on the scoreboard. Despite this, he managed to finish all five workouts.

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Ben Smith | Nutrition and Training

Ben is a dedicated worker. He teaches training sessions three times a day at CrossFit Krypton.

And he also devotes the time between courses to his training regimen. Being an athlete at the pinnacle of his career, he needs to stay fit and healthy.

He usually does 10-30 minutes of endurance before his first session. Then, he follows it up with a complex and heavy metcon (metabolic conditioning, an aggressive circuit-style exercise). Some strength training accompanies this session.

Moreover, he alternates between lifting and a metcon between his afternoon and evening classes. Finally, he ends the day with something rapid and endurance-based.

The exercise in this phase usually includes sprints or burpees and some skill training.

Smith eats whole mainly foods and maintains a high carbohydrate and protein diet. However, he does not follow the paleo diet that has become fashionable in the CrossFit community.

Milk, eggs, sweet potatoes, and bacon provide most of his calories. In addition, protein powders are used to complement his diet.

He indulges in pizza, ice cream, and burritos on weekends to break up the diet. At this point, Ben lives and breathes CrossFit and considers it a way of life.

Is Ben Smith Married? | Know About His Marital Status

As per notable sources like his interview with Boxlife magazine, Ben has been married to Noelle Smith since 2014. The couple got married in October 2014 after dating for a long time.

Ben has known Noelle since they were both in Junior High. They’ve been dating since they sat next to each other in chemistry class in high school.

Ben Smith proposed to her in the same classroom where they met for the first time in February. At first, they planned to marry in August after she said yes, but it got postponed two months back.

As of the present, the duo lives with their kids in a separate, contemporary home in Lanarkshire. They have a property in Marbella and enjoy wonderful vacations.

Ben Smith | Age, Height and Personality

Ben Smith turned into a CrossFit athlete after missing tryouts for the baseball team. Throughout, he has worked on himself immensely to match the athleticism required.

Ben is currently 33 years of age. However, he looks at the top of the game. Going through his daily schedule shows how dedicated he is to stay fit and healthy.

The routine he follows can be seen in his body as he looks fresh and fit. You don’t expect something diluted from the former fittest man in the world.

Additionally, he has been extra careful after tearing a muscle before regionals. Moreover, he weighs around 195 lb. (88 kg) and stands at an astonishing height of 5 ft. 11 in (1.80 m).

Ben has a down-to-earth personality and believes in passing on the arts to others. Also, he thinks that we were all created on this planet to serve a purpose. Thus, he is passionate about helping people grow and improve.

He fulfills this objective while also increasing the quantity of his training by instructing at his CrossFit box.

Ben Smith | Net Worth & Earnings

Ben Smith accounts for much of his net worth as a professional CrossFit athlete. Since his professional debut in 2009, he has competed in several tournaments.

According to Pilot Online, he had won prize money totaling $487,086 by 2017 alone. At the time, he was already the sixth best-paid CrossFit competitor, per multiple sources.

He has an added interest in teaching newcomers from his CrossFit Krypton. The gym was founded in 2013 and, over time, has grown to host hindered of athletes and members. The earning from the gym add substantially to his net worth.

He has several brand sponsorships to his name because he is one of the top CrossFit athletes in the world. The most noteworthy ones are Rogue Fitness, Reebok, and Prognex.

As per Bestcrossfitshoe, he is the fifth richest all-time CrossFit athlete globally. Hence, Smith’s net worth is estimated to be around $2 million.

Ben Smith | Social Media

Ben Smith is frequently seen posting on social media platforms. And he is adored by fans worldwide for engaging with his audience. Further, he is active in fitness training awareness.

He is active mainly on his Instagram handle. His Instagram bio highlights his belief that his best is yet to come. Also, you can catch the athlete on Instagram, posting snaps of his workouts, family, and his time with the members of the gym.

Similarly, Smith also has a Twitter account under the username @Ben_Smith13. 

He is also verified on both of the major social media platforms. This demonstrates how influential he is as a professional athlete.

Additionally, he has an interactive Facebook page with the username of @Ben Smith. 

Regardless, we can only hope he keeps his social media accounts updated. As a result, his admirers reached out to him and expressed their love and support.

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is the one superpower he’s always wished to have since childhood?

In an interview with Box Life Magazine, he revealed that he had always dreamt of super strength as the ultimate superpower ability.

Where did Ben Smith begin to train at first?

Ben Smith started training at home like every amateur. He would train in front of his now-famous refrigerator in his garage and backyard.