Strength On and Off Duty: McCall Hoyt

When you think about strength, what comes to mind? For McCall Hoyt, strength shows up in many forms. Sometimes it looks like pushing through the final minutes of a race. Other times, it’s showing up for someone on the worst day of their life.  

As a paramedic with the Nashville Fire Department and a dedicated HYROX athlete, McCall spends her days responding to high-stress emergency calls and during her off hours preparing for one of the most demanding competitions in fitness. It’s a balance of service, discipline, and resilience, one that has already led her to qualify for the HYROX World Championships, in multiple categories, for two years in a row. 

This Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating athletes like McCall Hoyt who redefine what strength looks like. 

McCall had always known she wanted a role centered on helping others. “I knew I wanted to do something in the care capacity,” she explains. “But I also thrive on adrenaline.” That combination ultimately led her to paramedicine. What began as a steppingstone toward nursing quickly became a calling. “I fell in love with prehospital care. What I loved most was the unknown adrenaline rush and the opportunity to care for people during the hardest moments of their lives.” 

Working as a paramedic means constant unpredictability. Long shifts, little sleep, and emotionally intense and straining situations are part of the job. But that environment has also shaped how she approaches life and training. “It’s a constant reminder to stay level-headed no matter how big or small the situation feels,” McCall says. “I see people in their darkest moments still show gratitude for life. It reminds me not to take what my body can do for granted.” 

That perspective drives her training. “The stronger I am physically and mentally, the more I can give to others.” 

Training for elite competition while working as a paramedic isn’t easy. McCall works a demanding four-days-on, four-days-off schedule, often completing training sessions before or after her multiple 12-hour shifts. Some weeks, sleep is limited. Calls run long, recovery becomes complicated, and things just don’t go to plan. That’s where discipline and the ability to adapt quickly come in. 

“I’ll push through 90% of sessions no matter what. But I’ve learned that modifications are powerful. Movement is always better than none.” When time allows, her training schedule becomes more intense. Morning sessions often focus on endurance with long runs or aerobic work on Concept2 Ergs. Then in the evening she will do strength, EMOM intervals, and other HYROX-specific conditioning. The goal is simple for McCall: build the engine and resilience needed to compete at the highest level. 

As both a first responder and competitive athlete, McCall has seen firsthand how women’s strength is often misunderstood. “There’s this idea that if you’re tired, sore, or mentally drained you just need to work harder,” she says. “But recovery isn’t (a) weakness. It’s strategy.” Women’s physiology adds complexity to training; something she believes should be embraced rather than ignored. “Our hormones shift weekly. Our stress loads fluctuate. Understanding that isn’t fragility and that it’s intelligence was a hard lesson for me to learn.” 

One of the most defining challenges in McCall’s life came early when she lost her mother. Her parents had been constant supporters throughout her childhood, never missing a sporting event. Even today, that absence can feel profound. “There are moments at start lines or after finishes where I still instinctively look for her,” she says. But the lessons her mother taught continue to shape her approach to life. “I try to live as if she’s on the sidelines cheering me on.” Her mother’s resilience during illness also changed how McCall views her own health and strength. “Taking care of my body isn’t just about performance, it’s about honoring the resilience she modeled.” 

Throughout her journey, McCall has drawn inspiration from women who demonstrate what strength can look like. HYROX champion Lauren Weeks, for example, stands out as someone who balances elite competition with motherhood. “I also am constantly inspired seeing her little girl grow up doing the things she does on a daily basis. Being strong. I grew up in a society where skinny was pretty, but I loved playing sports, and those two never could go hand in hand.” Athletes like Lucy Proctor, known for their transparency about both success and struggle, also remind her that even elite competitors are human. That honesty matters. “It makes the sport feel real and accessible.” 

For McCall, smart training tools are essential when balancing a demanding career and elite performance. Her favorite? The Concept2 BikeErg. “It’s humbling but enjoyable at the same time,” she says. “It’s honestly like a secret weapon.” The BikeErg allows her to build aerobic capacity without the constant impact of running, a critical advantage when managing fatigue from long shifts at work. “It’s amazing how much aerobic progress you can make on it.” When she wants an added challenge, she turns to the SkiErg. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see improvement on that machine. You can feel the progress.” 

For McCall, HYROX offers something deeper than competition. It brings back the joy of sport. “It makes you feel like a kid again,” she says. “You have something to train for, something to chase.” The sport’s blend of endurance and strength also makes it accessible. “Anyone can do it. You see people from all walks of life competing.” That inclusivity, and the challenge itself, is what keeps her coming back. 

This Women’s History Month, McCall’s story reminds us that strength goes far beyond physical performance. It’s compassion in high-stress moments. It’s resilience through grief. And it’s the commitment to keep showing up.  

To McCall, being a strong woman in sport means embracing all of it. “It means carrying compassion with competitiveness,” she says. “Strength isn’t just how much you can lift or how fast you race, it’s how confidently and authentically you show up.” And for athletes like McCall, showing up is what strength truly looks like. 

Want to follow McCall on social for all things HYROX, fitness, and emergency medicine? You can find her at @mccallmemaybe22 on Instagram.