International CrossFit competition

The annual 5-week international CrossFit competition is underway.  The event involves more than 100,000 athletes worldwide, including almost 3,000 from across western Canada.  Last night I covered several local strong contenders at The Habit & Black Bar CrossFit gym in Morinville, Alberta. 

The Habit was a busy and loud place as people cheered their favourite athletes while nightclub tunes dominated the gym.  Energy and excitement was in the air.  Everybody was there to participate in week two of the competition that began Feb. 26 and concludes on March 25. 

Four CrossFit certified judges made notes on clipboards as they carefully observed each athlete do their gruelling workout. The  competitors pushed themselves to the limit on fixed routines that consisted of timed events on a rowing machine and lifting a barbell for a certain number of repetitions.

You can monitor the 2016 CrossFit Games online at www.CrossFit.com and scores from competitors around the world were regularly updated on that site. It included scores achieved by the Morinville competitors, and they were tallied with everyone else over the five-week competition. Those results will determine the top 20 athletes from western Canada. Local participants will find out next month if they’ve been selected to travel to Washington state for the regionals scheduled in May. 

The regional event will determine the top two athletes chosen to compete at the world CrossFit Games at Carson, California in July. That’s when super-fit athletes from around the globe will compete for the coveted title of Fittest In The World.

The worldwide CrossFit phenomenon started 16 years ago in the U.S., and has since spread to approximately 10,000 gyms around the world. It’s a strength and conditioning program that mixes aerobic exercise, gymnastics, body weight exercises, and Olympic weight lifting. The sport is promoted as a physical exercise philosophy and incorporates elements from high-intensity internal training, plyometrics, powerlifting and calisthenics.

Grant Cree is an Edmonton-based photojournalist focusing on photo and video event coverage to help clients connect with their audiences. www.grantcree.ca  780-940-3228