NZ's Fittest Converge on Auckland

BATLLE OF THE FITTEST 2013 – PRESS RELEASE

NZ’S FITTEST CONVERGE ON AUCKLAND

This coming weekend November 8 – 10 marks the fifth annual CrossFit Auckland Battle of the Fittest where 140 kiwis will compete for the title of New Zealand’s Fittest Man or Woman. Athletes will be tested across 10 events spanning three days of competition. The maxim of CrossFit being ‘train for the unknown and unknowable’ has competitors train across as many athletic tasks and disciplines as their lifestyle will allow. For a growing number of internationally ranked NZ CrossFit Sport competitors, the CrossFit Auckland national championships will test the efficacy of their training methods and rank them against New Zealand’s fittest.

The Sport of CrossFit continues to grow at a rapid pace seeing new talent emerge and seasoned athletes step up their game in hope of qualifying next year as one of just three men and three women to represent the Australasia region at the 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games, held in Carson, California.

CrossFit clubs in New Zealand now numbering 80 and growing, host regular community events similar to a local fun run with hundreds gathering for a weekend of friendly CrossFit competition. CrossFit Auckland’s national championships are considered ‘the event’ of the year with the top male and female from each club being invited to compete under the scrutiny of trained judges from the host club. “We are extremely proud of our member community, 70 volunteers train for around 3-months each year to help us run a professional event of the highest standards. It’s our intention to not only raise support for the sport, but to give it credibility and provide a platform where high caliber athletes can test themselves at international standards.” – says Event Manager Lisa O’Neill, co-owner of CrossFit Auckland.

Manawatu athlete Mahdi Te Heuheu is competing at the Battle of the Fittest for the third year previously having placed 4th in both 2011 and 2012. Mahdi has qualified for and competed at the CrossFit Games Australia Regional three times 2011-2013 placing 33rd, 8th, and 7th and is focusing his energies toward achieving a podium finish, earning him an invitation to the 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games.

"The CrossFit Auckland, Battle of the Fittest plays a vital role in my build up for the CrossFit Games season. The competition is bang-on halfway through my training year so it’s timed perfectly for me to make sure my training is on track and I get to test it out against New Zealand's best CrossFit athletes. There are a lot of CrossFit events around NZ now but this is the one that all the top dogs will turn up to. 10 events this year over 3days, this is going to be brutal."

Event tasks are usually kept under-wraps until immediately prior. In an unprecedented move, CrossFit Auckland has announced the first event, the Friday competition, two-weeks ahead of time. Traditionally athletes are kept in the dark effectively forcing competitors to train for the broadest range of skills and fitness demands in the hope of being ready for anything.

This year Battle of the Fittest day one is an Olympic style weightlifting competition using the technical rules specified by the International Weightlifting Federation. Competitors were given two weeks notice to familiarize themselves with these rules and the flow of a weightlifting meet. As for the remainder of the event tasks, all will be revealed the morning of day two and three respectively – the public announcement via www.crossfitauckland.com at the same time as the competitors are briefed.

For many CrossFitters their journey into the sport was simple: they joined a CrossFit gym, became scarily fit and thought “What am I going to do with all this fitness?” and the sport of fitness was the natural answer.

Most CrossFit competitors are everyday normal people. Some have been athletes in other codes who have hung up their boots and retired their rackets in favor of this new addiction. Many came to CrossFit with little to no athletic ability or history and found themselves transformed and hungry for competition. Whatever the path taken, taking CrossFit training into CrossFit competition seems to be a very organic process, and the sport of fitness it is an exciting game people can play for the rest of their lives.

Get along this weekend to Battle of the Fittest in Hall-1 at Big Boys Toys, ASB Show Grounds, Greenlane. And if you find yourself looking for the next thing in your athletic journey, you can speak to the friendly team at the Help Desk of Battle of the Fittest.

Visit www.crossfitauckland.com for full event details and more information.

ENDS

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