Illawarra will be well represented at the Australian Regional Games at WIN Entertainment Centre over the next three days.
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Australia is one of 17 crossfit areas in the world where Regional Games are contested as a qualifier for the World Games in California in July.
Crossfit events comprise a broad range of functional movements which shift large loads long distances at speed.
These movements also form the basis of an exercise program. The goal is to find the fittest athletes and test their abilities.
Participants from throughout Australia and New Zealand will compete in the Wollongong event.
In individual competition, Illawarra will be represented by former Thirroul and Illawarra Division rugby league player Mark Corrigan and Illawarra Stingrays football goalkeeper Dimi Poulos.
The Illawarra competitors are Corrigan, Poulos, Justin Bird, Tim Bransdon, Ben O’Reilly, Chris Adams, Lena Plambeck, Anita Graham, Teresa Kay and Deanne Ashford.
‘‘You’ve got to have every area [of fitness] covered,’’ Bird said. ‘‘The whole idea with crossfit is to have no weakness.
‘‘You can’t be super-great at body weight exercises and no good when it comes to the heavy stuff. You’ve got to have everything covered.
‘‘Some people just pick it up a whole lot quicker than others. Some have been at it for three or four years. Some come into it with elite sporting backgrounds to begin with so their transition time’s nowhere near as long.
‘‘Other people walk in just for general fitness and then find that they get that competitive bug whether they knew they had it or not, and it starts to take off from there.’’
Corrigan is an example of a player who took to crossfit competition after retiring from rugby league.
‘‘It’s just one of those things. I started training to keep fit and then one thing led to another, I kept training and training. Now it’s something to strive for. I’ve trained all year for this,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s a different kind of fitness [to rugby league], with all the heavy weights and stuff. Mentally, you have to push yourself a bit more, probably.
‘‘The same as footy - it’s like anything, I suppose - you set yourself and you go for it.’’
Graham said competing in the Australian Regional Games in her home city was fantastic.
‘‘The pressure’s on,’’ said Graham, who has been competing at crossfit since December.
‘‘It will be good as well to show my friends what the contest is all about.
‘‘I was doing a lot more of endurance events and I realised that strength and this type of training is much more suited to my body type.
‘‘So that’s why I got into it, started it and loved it. I haven’t looked back.’’
The Games are the world’s premier test to find the fittest on earth.
‘‘The WEC believes that this event will showcase Wollongong beaches and other natural assets, as well as provide a top-class facility and accommodation offering to this international competition,’’ WIN Entertainment Centre general manager Stuart Barnes said.
‘‘Not only is this a test of fitness, and a qualifying stage to the Reebok World CrossFit Games in California, it will prove to be an amazing spectator experience, as Australia’s strongest and fittest men and women take to the WEC auditorium in search of crossfit glory.’’