Dylan Woolard is just 12 years old, but that hasn’t stopped him from beating athletes twice his age — and even his own father — in CrossFit competitions over the last year.

Dylan first got into CrossFit thanks to his dad, Joey Woolard. He was instantly challenged by not only the raw athleticism and strength required, but also by being smaller than most people he was competing against.

He got past that hurdle quickly. Dylan began in a CrossFIt class geared toward children. It wasn’t long before he started looking for something tougher.

“He wanted to do the stuff I was doing,” Woolard said. “He’s good enough and knows his way around enough that he can do the adult class.”

Dylan added, “It was way more challenging than the kids’ class. There was more stuff to do. It’s the same kind of stuff, there’s just more weight and more to do.”

Dylan participated in his first competition last summer in Virginia Beach. He placed first overall. His most recent endeavor was a bigger competition in Charlotte. The crop of talent in the Queen City was a lot better than what he faced his first time out, but Dylan rose to the occasion.

“It was a big deal. There were probably 80 kids there,” Woolard said. “It’s bigger in other places versus here (in Washington). … He did the RX (prescribed) weight class. He was the youngest and smallest one there to do the RX division.”

Dylan said Charlotte was his favorite destination thus far. He placed second there, despite having to balance baseball and his training, all while recovering from the flu.

Woolard enjoys training and competing, but has really taken to observing his son. He finds Dylan’s athletic feats something to behold. There’s also a sense of pride in watching what his son can accomplish when he works for it.

“I’d rather watch him do it than actually do it myself,” Woolard said. “To see kids that little actually push themselves past their limit to do something that they don’t have to do, it’s pretty amazing to watch. I’d rather watch him than the adults anytime.”

CrossFit is one of Dylan’s many athletic passions. He plays baseball, used to play soccer, is considering trying out for football, and enjoys dirt biking.

“I’m hoping he’ll stick with it. I always tell him, ‘Do what you like,’” Woolard said. “If you like it, do it. If you don’t, don’t do it because you’re not going to be as good at it because you won’t put the effort into it.”