How Timekettle X1 Connected Coaches and Athletes Across Languages

CrossFit’s Global Reach and the Challenge of Multilingual Training

CrossFit has grown from a niche training method into a truly global fitness movement. Today, there are nearly 10,000 affiliate gyms worldwide, spanning more than 150 countries, with the United States alone hosting roughly 3,800 gyms. (source: CrossFit Official Website) Its appeal is clear: athletes of all levels are drawn to the community, the high-intensity workouts, and the shared goal of pushing personal limits. 

This global reach creates incredible opportunities—and challenges. Coaches travel across continents to teach, athletes attend workshops in cities they’ve never visited, and gyms host participants from multiple countries. In these international settings, language differences can become a subtle but real barrier, especially in intensive training environments where every instruction, correction, and feedback matters.

It’s in this context that CrossFit gyms began exploring new ways to bridge the communication gap. Hong Kong’s THE PROCESS gym, hosting a multilingual workshop with athletes from across Asia, faced this challenge firsthand. Coaches wanted to maintain the depth and precision of their instruction without slowing down for translation. Athletes wanted to learn and interact fully, without relying on peers to interpret.

That gap—between people who wanted to learn from each other and a language barrier standing in the way—is what started this story.

Hong Kong: Where the First Connection Happened

On the first morning of the workshop at THE PROCESS, the room was loud with excitement. Barbells clattered. Athletes from Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Mainland China, and the U.S. warmed up side by side. The coaches rehearsed their cues one last time.

But there was a question hanging in the air: How do we make sure everyone understands everything? For years, the gym had relied on makeshift solutions. For instance, bilingual athletes stepping in to translate, or a Mandarin-speaking coach repeating directions slowly and carefully. It worked, but it also limited what they could achieve.

For this workshop, they tried something new: Timekettle X1 Interpreter Hub.

When the Presentation Started

During the first lecture at THE PROCESS gym, Coaches spoke as they always do naturally and at his usual pace. But this time, the multilingual audience had a new advantage.

The Timekettle X1 Interpreter Hub was in Presentation Mode. As the coach spoke, the translation appeared instantly on a large screen for everyone in the room. Athletes could also scan a QR code with their mobile devices to see the translated content directly on their own phones, choosing the language they preferred.

Therefore, everyone followed along in real-time, at their own pace, without slowing down the lecture or needing bilingual peers to interpret. 

One of the athletes later remarked that, "For the first time, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything in a workshop. Every explanation was right there in my language."

And after the workshop, we talked to the coaches and asked them what stood out to them most about using X1. They said, “Honestly, it was the way it brought everyone onto the same page. Many of our participants come from different countries, especially Mainland China, where CrossFit is really taking off. These athletes are super passionate, but not everyone is confident in English.

In the past, we tried hiring translators or asking bilingual participants to help—but it was never seamless. There were always delays, misunderstandings, or people falling behind. With X1, though, that completely changed. Everyone could follow instructions in real-time, engage fully, and interact without hesitation. It made the workshop feel unified, no matter where people were from or what language they spoke.”

This success in Hong Kong set the stage for the next challenge—one that would push the technology and the coaching community even further.

Bali: A New Challenge, A Bigger Stage

They were preparing for an intensive three-day CrossFit event covering everything from Olympic lifting to mobility. Coaches from different countries were flying in, and so were athletes. With more than five languages in the room, communication was shaping up to be a real obstacle.

This time, X1 was ready to support a larger, more diverse group, ensuring that every athlete could follow along—whether during theory sessions, technical demos, or hands-on coaching.

In Bali, the X1 stepped back into action just as seamlessly as it had in Hong Kong. During the opening presentations, Presentation Mode handled the multilingual setup effortlessly—coaches spoke normally, while athletes followed along in their own languages through the screen, their phones, or earbuds. The workshop stayed smooth, fast, and fully inclusive.

One-on-One: When Athletes Started Training Together

Once the theory is wrapped up, athletes communicate directly with each other. This is usually where language barriers become obvious. Corrections happen quickly, cues are subtle, and technical details can disappear in translation.

But X1 took on its second role- a personal, two-way simultaneous interpreter.

Two athletes—one speaking Korean, the other Spanish—each wore a single earbud. They trained together, fixed each other’s form, and even joked around, all while speaking their own languages. The translation reached them instantly.

Listen & Play: When Group Discussions Began

Group discussions followed next—normally the toughest part for athletes who aren’t fluent in English. Conversations move quickly, ideas bounce around, and newcomers often struggle to keep up. But Listen & Play Mode changed that dynamic entirely.

Athletes followed the discussion in their own languages, asked questions, shared experiences, and participated without hesitation. They weren’t just listening—they were contributing. Language stopped determining who could join the conversation.

For three days, the gym felt like a global classroom.

What These Experiences Revealed

Neither THE PROCESS nor Technogym planned to “test technology.” They simply wanted everyone in the room to learn without barriers.

But through these workshops, one thing became clear: When communication becomes effortless, collaboration becomes natural. And when collaboration becomes natural, learning goes deeper. Coaches teach the way they always do. Athletes absorb more, ask more, and try more.

And Beyond the Gym: Where This Matters Even More

What happened inside those two CrossFit gyms is really a snapshot of something much larger. Any space where people gather to learn—whether physical, intellectual, or spiritual—faces the same challenge:

• fitness workshops
• corporate training sessions
• ESL classrooms
• international conferences
• academic lectures
• coaching and consulting programs
• retreats and seminars
• church services and community events

In places where real-time understanding matters, more and more professionals have started using the simultaneous translation devices or AI translators like Timekettle X1 to support communication in ways that feel natural, not disruptive.

Business Conferences & Corporate Trainings

Panel discussions, breakout rooms, product demos—everyone follows at the same pace, in their own language. In this case, simultaneous translation helps trainers don’t slow down then participants don’t fall behind.

Global Collaboration in the Workplace

Multinational companies use X1 during onboarding, cross-country meetings, and daily team communication. It keeps teams aligned without depending on bilingual staff.

ESL Classrooms & Education Programs

One place where we’ve seen a surprising impact is the ESL learning environment.

Teachers often struggle to balance different language levels in the same room. When some students grasp instructions faster than others, the flow breaks.

With X1, teachers can:

• Speak once while students read or hear translation in real time
• Run multilingual group activities without language gaps
• Support new arrivals who don’t yet speak English
• Reduce classroom anxiety for students who hesitate to ask for help.

Learn More about how Timekettle X1 helps to solve language barriers in ESL classroom: How to Use AI Translator Earbuds to Overcome Language Barriers in Education

Churches, Faith Gatherings, and Community Spaces

Another area where X1 has quietly made an impact is within churches and faith communities.
Many congregations are multilingual, and sermons, Bible studies, and community events often require interpretation. Traditionally, churches depend on volunteers or run separate-language services, solutions that help, but also unintentionally divide the community.

With X1, pastors speak once, congregants choose their own language, and everyone worships and participates together.

Conclusion:

From these experiences, one thing became clear: when real-time understanding is effortless, people participate more fully, communicate more openly, and connect more naturally. Across different environments and communities, the X1 Interpreter Hub continues to show that removing language barriers isn’t just about translation—it’s about creating spaces where everyone can belong, learn, and engage together.