CROSSFIT: Mustering every last ounce of his strength, the athlete firms up his grip on the bar and drives the weights skyward to smash out the last three reps.
His teammates crowd around him, screaming his name and carrying him over the line with their encouragement.
Crossfit South West owner George Lock says she has never been involved in any other sport that has such a strong focus on team spirit and camaraderie.
Lock said this attitude was the driving force behind the rapidly growing sport and the key to success for the competition held in Bunbury across the weekend.
Crossfit South West hosted the Battle in the South West II, attracting 300 athletes to Bunbury to test their skills across weight-lifting, cardio and agility.
Bunbury was well represented by both Crossfit South West and Crossfit Bunbury competitors, with many placing in the top 10 in their categories, split between beginner, intermediate and RX or advanced.
The community spirit and positive atmosphere is unbelievable
- Crossfit South West owner George Lock
Lock said there were a lot of Perth competitors taking the winner’s podium but Bunbury man Dan Fuller took out first place in the beginner’s category.
She said the event had more than doubled since it first came to the city earlier this year and was expected to continue to gather momentum.
“There is a high demand for competitions as the popularity of crossfit keeps growing – everyone just comes together to support each other and have a blast,” she said.
“I’ve been involved in a lot of different sports over the years and I’ve never really stuck with anything until this – the community spirit and positive atmosphere is unbelievable.”
Perfect weather at Hay Park on Saturday was followed by heavy rain on Sunday, which meant the competition had to move into the Crossfit South West box on Picton Road.
Lock and her partner Joel Oliver opened their box about one-and-a-half years ago and will celebrate the two year milestone with another competition in May 2015.
