We started the awards to celebrate the community. To shine a light on the people who make OCR what it is: gritty, generous, and full of heart. But somewhere along the way, that spirit got lost. It started feeling too serious, too heavy. And for a small team already stretched thin, it became more than we could hold.
We made mistakes. We’ve learned from them. And yes, it’s hard not to take some of the comments personally—because we care. We care about this industry, this community, and the people in it. That’s why it hurts. That’s why we’re pausing.
This year’s calendar didn’t help. With Spartan World Championship scheduled for the weekend before Thanksgiving, everything got compressed. There was no breathing room to launch nominations, verify results, and do it all with the care it deserves. It became an impossible situation.
We’re under-resourced and doing the best we can. OCR Buddy is a small operation. Coordinating the awards on top of running the app, maintaining the calendar, supporting race directors, and showing up for the community—it’s a lot.
There’s also a lot happening behind the scenes. Life doesn’t stop just because a project gains traction. And when you’re trying to do right by the community while juggling everything else, it’s a lot.
Maybe the awards got too big. Maybe we need to rethink how we do this. But we’re not walking away. We’re just stepping back to breathe and reassess.
And I want to say something about Russ.
I work with him. I see it firsthand. The hours, the effort, the care. He’s not doing this for attention. He’s doing it because he believes in this community. He built OCR Buddy from the ground up. He maintains the calendar, supports race directors, answers messages at all hours. He shows up. Every day.
When people questioned transparency, it stung. Not because feedback isn’t welcome—but because it missed the truth of who Russ is. He’s a stand-up guy. He doesn’t cut corners. He works hard. And he deserves to be seen for that.
So yes, the awards are on pause. But the celebration continues. Watch our social media—we’ll be sharing fun posts, community spotlights, and moments that remind us why OCR matters.
Thanks for sticking with us.
—Bonnie, for the OCR Buddy Team
