McKayla O’Connell

From Figure Skater to Grid Competitor: McKayla O’Connell Trades Blades for Barbells

Thirteen years on the ice, two surgeries, and a complete reinvention of her athleticism later, McKayla O’Connell found her next arena in the Grid. The 28-year-old Strength Specialist for the New York Wolves spent her early life as an elite figure skater before injuries forced her off the rink. But instead of stepping away from competition entirely, O’Connell redirected her discipline into weightlifting, seven years under the bar at Garage Strength in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, and eventually toward the multifaceted demands of CrossFit.

O’Connell’s transition to CrossFit roughly 3.5 years ago marked a pivot from specialized strength into varied athleticism. She qualified for the 2025 CrossFit Games as an individual athlete representing Stroud CrossFit, reaching the Quarterfinal round and ranking 177th worldwide. That same year, she earned spots in the Elite Division semifinals for both Metcon Rush and Fittest of the Coast, proving her capacity to compete at the sport’s highest level. Her strength foundation runs deep: she holds a USA Weightlifting Level 1 certification and spent years refining technical precision under elite coaching.

Off the platform, O’Connell works as a full-time real estate agent across the Lehigh Valley while juggling part-time event planning, a dual career that mirrors her athletic duality. At 5’4″ and 160 pounds, she carries the compact, powerful frame of someone built for strength athletics. The Easton, Pennsylvania native now calls the Grid her stage, bringing the resilience that comes from rebuilding an entire athletic identity.

This is O’Connell’s first season with the New York Wolves. For someone who’s already reinvented herself once, adding another chapter to her competitive story feels inevitable.