Joann Tilton has been an athlete since playing softball for a youth league ran by Manteca Parks and Recreation.

Now 65, she’s still finding ways to physically challenge herself.

On July 21-23, the Manteca High graduate and former longtime Manteca City Clerk tested herself alongside some of the best CrossFit practitioners in the world.

Tilton finished in ninth place at the Masters CrossFit Games women’s age 65-69 division in San Jose.

“The podium is for first, second or third place, and going into these events you always want to shoot for the top,” Tilton said. “But just being there, walking through the door and seeing the floor was a win for me.”

Representing local CrossFit affiliate Excel Health and Fitness, Tilton got there by passing through a multi-stage gauntlet — open, quarterfinals, semifinals — that started late in February. She once previously advanced as far as the semifinal round but did not compete because of injury.

Athletes may go through each stage via virtual or in-person competitions. Tilton was an online semifinalist this year and needed to finish in the top 10 globally to make the Masters CrossFit Games — she placed 10th. The rest of the field includes five in-person qualifiers.

“I was right on the bubble, just above the cut line,”Tilton said. “To move one spot to ninth, I’m thrilled. It was an experience of a lifetime for me.”

It was also an historic event for CrossFit. The 2026 CrossFit Games is the 20th and was hosted near the birthplace of the competition the crowns the “Fittest on Earth.” The inaugural CrossFit Games took place at a ranch in Aromas and has since been featured in larger venues across the country.

While the 35-and-over Masters and Teenage CrossFit Games were at San Jose McEnery Convention Center and Arena Green Park, the CrossFit Games was over the weekend at SAP Center.

“What are the odds that I would qualify at 65 years old and have it be in San Jose so close to home,” Tilton said. “It was a perfect storm.”

The contestants were challenge in a variety of exercises in seven events over the three days.

The first event tests the competitors’ speed and endurance, which Tilton believed to be her weakest attributes.

That turned out to be her best performance of the competition.

The opener was at an outdoor course 600 meters long. The challenge required the athletes to run six laps, three of them while lugging a 14-pound medicine ball. They had 30 minutes to complete the objective, and Tilton’s time of 22 minutes, 7.2 seconds was good for sixth place.

“I’m not fast, but I can go forever,” Tilton said.

She attributes the improved stamina to marathon running.

Tilton was a softball player and gymnast in high school and later an aerobics instructor for three decades while working at city hall.

“After that, I wanted to try marathon running,” she said. “It’s not my strong suit, but I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I didn’t die after the first one, so I decided to keep going and ended up running nine marathons total. I improved on each one and it got easier. As I was wrapping up with that, I found CrossFit.”

Tilton has been with Excel Health and Fitness since 2011 and now serves as a level 1 trainer.

She is appreciative of the encouragement and help from the community. While Tilton was competing, gym members took breaks to watch a live stream of her in action.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to get a lot of support from the gym members, and some came to watch in-person also,” Tilton said. “While everyone is congratulating me and saying great job, it was really a community effort. They had shirts made with a collage of pictures with me on them, and they wore their shirts.

“I felt like I was representing Manteca and our Excel family.”