Local fitness teams topping regional contest

| 18/04/2011

(CNS): Some of Cayman’s local residents are taking fitness to a new height and are currently leading competition tables for the region in the CrossFit Games. The competition, which includes 30,000 people world-wide, has turned a workout into a professional sport. Sponsored by Reebok, the games are described as "the ultimate test of fitness". Ten athletes from CrossFit Cayman are competing to land a spot at the 2011 games, which is scheduled to take place in California in July. To qualify athletes must complete one gruelling workout per week for six weeks and rank in the top 60 positions within their region.

As the defending Latin American team champions, CrossFit Cayman has their sights on a repeat victory at the regionals and another chance at the elusive CrossFit Games championship.

Tarasa Barnett, one of Cayman’s competitors and and co-owner of CrossFit Cayman, explained that the workout is posted each week for a six week period and, after completing the workout of the week, contestants post their scores and times to the game’s website. Ranking is determined by how good your score or time is each week compared to everyone else competing in sectionals.

“Each week your scores accumulating which can move you up and down on the Leaderboard. There are over 20,000 competitors worldwide competing in these sectionals,” she explained.
Tarasa and her husband Matt who are competing as individuals as well as part of the Cayman team, are in first place atop the leader board in the men’s and women’s divisions, with Ashley Puschman in second place and Krista Pell in fifth place. On the men’s side, James Melen is currently in 7th place, Tim Pell is in 15th place and Fabio Sordinelli is in 18th place in Latin America

As well as the bragging rights for winning, the contest has a total purse of over $1million. Although based on the regular workouts that people do in gyms every day, Barnett said the sport of CrossFit is intense and unlike any other.

“It’s a combination of Olympic weightlifting, power lifting, gymnastics, and cardio all mixed into one workout. CrossFit is high intensity interval training. We incorporate a wide array of movements, put it to a clock, and make it like a sport," she added. “The workouts are constantly varied so there is always the element of change, which is what our athletes love about the programming. Because everything is quantified there is no doubting that your fitness levels are improving.”

To track the results of CrossFit Cayman and the Barnetts, log on to the Reebok CrossFit Games Open website and view the Latin America leaderboard. If you would rather check out their performances in person, CrossFit Cayman can be found in the Industrial Park area off Sparky’s Dr in Lincoln Dr Warehouses Unit #2, and information on how to participate in a free trial class can be found at www.crossfitcayman.com

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