Winning my First Medal: 2nd place

One thing I like about competition, it exposes my weaknesses. Although it doesn't necessarily come to my advantage *during competition*, it gives me insight on what I need to work on for the future.

And that's exactly what I did.


Competing at the Burn Room Crossfit Throw Down event today (13/7/20122) was, well, interesting. There were a total of four events, and they have announced the workouts, except the final, just two days ahead of the event.

First workout was:

300m Run
21 deadlifts @ 95lbs
200m Run
15 deadlifts @ 135lbs
100m Run
9 deadlifts @ 185lbs

*10 minute time cap


I knew that running is one of my weaknesses and that it was going to suck. So I paced myself in the runs. Deadlifts were okay, but that 185lbs after the run and the volume before it, my lower back was fried. I got a total of 42 reps, and I knew I have done my best in that workout, even though I wasn't entirely happy with my performance. But I knew, there is nothing I can do about it, it was a true all-out effort and that was good enough!

Second workout: 

As many reps as possible of:

1 minute of handstand pushups
2 minutes of box jumps @ 24 inch
2 minutes of kettlebell swings @ 16kgs
1 minute of burpees.


I was so excited for this workout, why? Damn I spent so much time trying to learn handstand push ups for the Crossfit Asia Regional Competition that took place 2 months ago. And all that hard work definitely paid off. I was able to rep 3 HSPU in a row & under a minute. That itself was a PR for me. And that's the coolest thing about the competitions, the butterflies in your stomach before you hear the 3,2,1...GO! can really add to your performance if you had the right mentality. I finished with a total of 98 reps.

Third Workout: 


12 minute cap:


3 overhead squats @ 65lbs
3 pull ups
6 overhead squats @ 65lbs
6 pull ups
etc....


This is the kind of workout I truly like and find enjoyable. However, I have to admit - I had a bit of a mental block with this workout. I achieved - in a way - what I aimed for, which was finish the 12s, but boy those OHS felt like something else. The weight itself was not necessarily heavy, however, my level of balance is completely off,especially having stopped going overhead in the past 6-8 weeks to allow my back to recover from a condition. Although I gave myself that excuse (not a good thing), I realized why I didn't do better or more in this particular workout, when I thought I will smash it. I got a total of 60 reps here.


After the third workout, they announced the top 5 men and women, and I was excited to hear my name! I actually had a shot of making into the top 3 given the cumulative of my previous scores!


There is that moment where you need to talk to yourself before a competition to tell yourself, this is it. You have this ONE chance. One moment to achieve what you came for, and that's what I did in this final workout.

So, fourth and final workout was:

60 Double Unders
50 wall balls @ 20lbs
40 Knees to Elbows
30 Sumo Deadlift high pull @ 16kgs
20 dips
10 squat cleans @ 95lbs.

* 20 minute time cap.

 
Whew. That was one long and killer of a workout. For me, wall balls were the hardest movements I had to do. I have always struggled with wall balls and had quite some misses. Especially with the ball being about 9kgs, I knew going in that will slow me down, and that was OK. I knew I could do the other movements if I broke them down into a specific pattern and still be able to get a decent score. However, surprisingly, I didn't just have a decent score, I have reached the point where I finished with 11 dips, putting me ahead. In the final workout, the main thing that kept me going and what I learned from previous competitions, is. STAY COOL. SHAKE IT OUT. FOCUS. & get back into the movement. Literally, my dips were one rep at a time. So I finished with a total of 191 reps.

The cumulative of my four scores have left me getting my first medal at 2ND PLACE! 

When they called out the 3rd name, I thought...damn, I wanted to make it top 3. Until, the organizer was looking for the 2nd place winner, and it was quiet...and suddenly I hear my name, I jump with excitement and I ran to the podium saying "Yey! My first time!" 
& everyone, obviously, laughed. I am cheesy like that =P.
  
Few days ago, when I was looking at a pictures of the medals on Facebook, I said, "damn, it would be nice to have one of those around my neck for once." I visualized it. For fun, more than anything else, really. But it shows the power of visualization and mental focus when it comes to competing. Believe it. Mentally see it, and let your body do the work.


Honestly, winning second place was NOT anticipated AT ALL. But I believe giving and doing your best has it's own way of rewarding you, and all the training sessions you had, the sweat drops, blood and tears, is all worth it in the end. In many ways than just winning a medal. I have learned about further weaknesses I have in this competition, and knowing what I am capable of achieving, I want to work hard, to progress further and be my best.

Until next time!

Workout to raise awareness on human trafficking

Would you like to get fit while raising awareness about an important issue?

Katie Pattison-Hart, a Dubai-based resident and one of the five women who broke a world record by crossing the Atlantic Ocean unassisted in their "Row for freedom" campaign to raise awareness about human trafficking are continuing their efforts - and YOU can take part.

For the next 12 months, the 27 million project will announce physical challenges that will contribute to the overall aim of collecting 27 million reps to acknowledge the 27 million victims taken against their will and forced into slavery. Each meter ran, repetition performed, pound lifted is counted.

The project is in collaboration between the Row for Freedom team and the Crossfit gym, The Burn Room, in the United Arab Emirates.

Each month the challenge is different and announced ahead of time.

"The challenges are monthly although some months are proving difficult to rack up the numbers which means other smaller events will take place within the month," said Katie in an interview with 999fitness. "The first month [May] it was running. This month it's pounds lifted and next month it will be stairs climbed." 

Katie is working with UAE's government, The National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking regarding ways they can help with local shelters. She added that the NCCHT have also seen a reduction in cases last year. 

"If people are more aware of the issue they will be more likely to report cases," said Katie. "And if we can also raise funds for the shelters that really need financial support we will be helping the victims in their recovery once rescued."

So put your training clothes and shoes on, and donate some reps!

For more information:

Donations: http://www.rowforfreedom.com/donate/
More on the 27 Million project, go to: http://www.facebook.com/groups/134974549961125/
Stats on UAE human trafficking, visit: http://www.nccht.gov.ae/en/home/index.aspx

Yours Truly,

Moments

Moments. What’s in a moment? The concept of a moment can be described in many ways. 

Scientifically, physically or emotionally.

To me, moments are a non-existing reality. An event that has happened, you remember it, but are no longer tangible – can be seen, touched, heard, smelled, or tasted. A moment that was once actual that becomes like melting ice that eventually dries up – with no mark.  

You’re probably wondering where I am going with this post.

Well, I have a habit – might I add, a mentally draining one – where I find moments, moments, I don’t want to let go of (for whatever reason), and I am often stuck in and begin to dissect them – trying to find an answer, a reason, just something, to understand the moment.

Recently, someone close to me – my grandfather – has passed away. All I could think of when I got the text message from my sister that read “He passed away...” is the moment. The moment I read about it, where I was, who I was with, and what I was doing. As I got into my car, drove home – I was still in denial. I understood what I was being told, but at that moment I didn’t want to comprehend it. 

That day – from going to the Masjid to the graveyard - there were moments, moments that separated what was real and what was surreal. For a moment, my grandfather was alive. He was there. But then there was that one moment – when I knew, really knew he no longer existed.

And I was stuck in that moment. 

I felt anger, denial, grief, sadness...and I am still dealing with acceptance.

We all know that death is inevitable. It’s the “real” truth of life. I also know, our existing is temporary, but how often do we think of that? Think of the day we will die? We usually don’t. We carry on with our day as normal...

Wake up. Brush our teeth. Go to Work/University/School. Eat Lunch. Nap. Watch TV. Eat dinner. Sleep. Whatever it is. We do it every day.  

That day my grandfather passed away, I thought to myself – we just lost someone dear to us, we will mourn him, but...we have to move on? Eat, sleep, and go back to work – like nothing has really happened. Even though it did. 

He then becomes just a memory.

Then there is that one day – where you remember a special day, a conversation, a face expression, of your loved one who passed away – but you can no longer create another moment with them, and when you remember a previous memory it somehow dissolves away – you remember it, but the details starts to blur.

And then, there is that moment where you realize that one day that person will be YOU.

This...this is just one of my “moments” that I have been going through.

And here’s a newsflash – I get stuck in moments. I get stuck to the point I often forget that time has passed away. I get stuck in moments, because I want to hold on to them and not let go and not have them become just another distant memory.

Lately, to some, I have come across as aggressive and reckless. I admit. I have been. It’s because I have been stuck in a moment for such a long time and I can’t seem to let go and allow things to take their course naturally. 

This last month quite a few things has happened – from a high to going to Crossfit Asia Regionals, to lows, such as; the need to quit my full-time job, the passing away of my grandfather, and injuring my back which limited my training to a large degree (in my opinion.)

Through this last month, I realized by being in stuck in some “moments” didn’t allow me to create other moments, and I have been trying to break free. Although, I am still stuck in “one of the moments” that may or may not explain some of my reactions – all I know is, in life, there are no perfect or right moments for anything. 

I am well - living, breathing, walking, eating , probably talking bullsh*t right now? – All I know is that I should take each day as if it’s my last, because I never know if I will ever wake up the next day and see the sun again.

 

Leaving you all with a poem I wrote two years and a half ago...seemed relevant.

Because death is
nothing
but
a bleeding cord
waiting to be played.

Because life is
nothing
but
a last breath
about to be slaved.

No matter
what words
are to be said

about the stay
about the departure
It is all
a beginning’s
end. 

 

Ramadan Project: "UAE building a Better World"

Ramadan is approaching us soon and unfortunately many spend their time overeating, watching TV shows and socializing till midnight - often forgetting what Ramadan is all about, feeling for those less fortunate.

But this Ramadan, YOU have the chance to take part of a life-changing project where you can not only explore a new culture, but have the opportunity to make a real difference in a family's life - through building a house for families without proper shelter in Kenya & Jordan.

The Arab Youth Venture Foundation and the UNA-UAE operating under the World Federation of United Nations Associations teamed up to support the good work of Habitat for Humanity in their "Building a Better World Project 2012". The organziations are non-profit.

So I am calling out to all of those who enjoy volunteer work - both male and female! This project is going to be successful only through volunteer work & donations from the UAE community. So lets put our hands together and show our spirit in helping those in need!

Project details for Kenya:

WHO: Needed a team of (10 minimum to 40 maximum) UAE male volunteer builders, ages 18+
WHAT: A 10-day mission to build a home and deed for African families in need + 1 day safari
WHERE: Africa, Kenya
WHEN: 3-12 of August, 2012 or 21-30 of August, 2012. Includes return date.
COST:  17,950/person (inclusive of: donations, accommodation, tickets, visa...etc)

Project details for Jordan:

WHO: Needed a team of (10 minimum to 20 maximum) UAE female volunteer builders, ages 18+
WHAT: A 7 day mission to build and deed a home for an Arab family + cultural activities
WHERE: Middle East, Jordan
WHEN: 3-9 of August, 2012. Includes return date.
COST: 12,950/person (inclusive of: donations, accommodation, tickets,...etc)

*Wanted: individuals with some muscles and heart, but don't worry - no construction experience or hard skills are required!

Why should YOU take part?

Each one of you will have a different answer. Giving your time and effort to build a home that provides basic shelter, safety, privacy to someone in need is a personal decision, but giving back to society - even not your own - can impact each one of you differently, but it will definitely be a life-changing experience with long-term impact.


So if you're interested in more details about the project, organizations involved, nature of volunteering, and costs/donations, drop me a line at info@999fitness.ae and I will supply you with full details.

Yours Truly,
Amna Al Haddad

 

Competing in the Crossfit Asia Regionals in Seoul

I am not sure how I should start writing this blog post, because everything has happened in the past week was beyond overwhelming, with many highlights and special moments.

As some of you know, last week I went to Seoul South Korea to compete in the Reebok Crossfit Games Asia Regional 2012 with my team, Crossfit LifeSpark. Since there is SO much to say, I will break down this post into headlines/days (so you can always come back to read the rest =P). Also there is a link in the end to a photo album.

 

Preparation - Airport & Flight:

My teammates & I
Thanks for Adventure HQ for providing us
with UAE Flag buffs!

The last time and first time I ever traveled was 13 years ago. The simple action of packing, driving to the airport was an overwhelming experience. At 8:30pm, my mom dropped me and my sister to the airport and walked in with us to wish me and my team good luck. I almost cried, leaving what I've always known was scary. As we dealt with the procedures, it slowly started to hit me. I am really traveling for a competition.  

We still had about an hour before the flight aboard at 10:55pm, and it was a good time to catch one last meal before traveling.
As we reached the gates to the flight, there was a bit of a situation. One of our team members has been delayed at the airport due to visa issues. Therefore, one of our team members was left behind as we had to leave. Due to that, there were a few complications competition-wise due to the situation, which will be discussed below. 

As for the flight, it was a bit scary for me, the idea of being in the sky with no place to be "grounded" for 8 or so hours was just nerve wrecking, especially there was some turbulence. I couldn't catch on some sleep as I hoped I would, nor did I watch movies either. I would still NOT choose to travel unless necessary! 

DAY 1 - Landing, Hotel, Exploring Seoul: 

We landed in the Incheon International Airport at noon time. The day before we landed, I called the UAE Embassy in Korea just to inform them about what we're doing in Korea and ask them a few questions about Seoul. They were very friendly and immediately suggested they send us drivers. We had a driver waiting for us with my name tag (ow, I felt special!). They immediately welcomed us, and took our bags in a swift manner (I swear, they were like agents, swift and smooth and fast!). Three cars were waiting for us, we unloaded the bags in one car, the ladies left in one car, and the boys left in another car. 

Our driver was telling us about Seoul, the city, and out of no where he started playing Emirati music, and we couldn't help by smile/laugh. It was CUTE! 

Getting a mini workout at the Hangang park

After an hour drive, we reached our destination. We were staying at the Ritz Carlton hotel which was located in the business side of the city. As we went into the rooms to unload, one of our team members, Brian Sigafoos said he's going to explore the city. So myself, my sister, Tess, Yaseen went to explore Seoul on foot. We walked in the city, across the streets, down and uphill. People in Korea barely stared at us (even though we were very stare-able!), and the streets are usually busy with a lot of people walking on foot. There are plenty of hills and bridges, food stalls on the street that sell really greasy seafood stuff. One of the most interesting thing I found about Korea, is that in every corner, small park, there are exercise equipments (like the bench press, chest press, pull ups bars, and anything you could think of!).  In the end of the day, we went to a big park/river called the Hangang, a really huge and beautiful park. We spent about an hour there, playing around like in the picture above, before we walked back to the hotel as we reached around 7:30pm.

*PS: I will posting a video of us exploring Seoul soon....watch this space.

So, it was food time. Hm. 

Some people are aware that I am very picky with food, and I am intolerant to many others. Such combination didn't work to my advantage in Korea. Beyond that fact there is no halal meat/chicken in Seoul for the most part - eating food was a struggle for me the whole week.

So having not eaten all day (and walking for four hours), as you can imagine...got me starving. However, the team couldn't find food that is suitable for me and for everybody else at the same time. Brian was nice enough walk me through the city and find me some prawns. I had two plates of that, each cooked differently. All I knew at that point, I needed to eat!

 

DAY 2 - Unfortunate News & Registration: 

On the 2nd day of my stay in Korea, I got a couple of unfortunate news.

Before I went to Korea, I have spoken to the management of Ritz Carlton to explain to them the situation of requiring halal meat. Luckily, they were very helpful and friendly and said they will provide the food as I request in advance. 

When I woke up the next morning to go to the breakfast buffet, I found out that they didn't really understand what "halal food" meant, and thought it is a type of food, rather than "meat butchered in an Islamic way." All I can say, the hotel has been great in trying to accommodate us, but the language barrier (very common in Korea), resulted in miscommunication.

Luckily enough, I grabbed some cans of tuna, avocado and coconut milk from home and they kept me somewhat sane leading up to the competition day, as post-competition diet didn't really matter (I ended up living on bread the rest of the week!)

Also, as I mentioned earlier, one of our team members was delayed at the airport. We then later found out the only time the member can join us was the night of the first day of the competition is over. So, we had to double-check with the director of the Asia Region if that could possibly effect us to compete. 

We are originally six members, one of our team members was delayed, and the other member reached on Thursday afternoon as planned. We went for the early registration on Thursday afternoon to the venue, which was in the Peace Institute at the kyunghee University.

Due to the technicality our team member faced and couldn't make it on time for registration on the first day of the competition, Friday morning, the Asia director said we could compete, however, unfortunately we weren't "officially" competing.  In other words, we wouldn't given a score/rank. However, we got media coverage during the competition nonetheless.

There is nothing we could do about the situation, but the fact we were allowed to compete on its own had to be good enough. The whole situation from being qualified, to finding sponsors, to travel arrangements, and making it there had been a roller coaster, but thank God, despite all the lows, there was light in the end of the tunnel on each situation. That's all that mattered to me.

DAY 3 - Competition Day:

This was it. This day has been the day that I've been training the past 5 months for. The day I put my body through hell for. The day that, well, I cried many times, not knowing whether I will make it or not. 

But here it was. The 4th of May. Regionals day.

I woke up at 5am (12am UAE time) to get ready. As an organized freak, I prepared my clothes, gym bag, food, all the night before. I didn't want to worry about anything. It was then 6am and the whole team met in front of our rooms to walk to the Gangnam bus station, which was about 15 minutes walk from the hotel.  

It took us about an hour to reach the institute where the competition was taking place. So we went to the warm up area, and many crossfitters from all over the world where present. Some you'd recognize their faces as  they have been featured in the Crossfit Games website. I got to meet Feng Yi Chew, who came out first in the Crossfit Games Open in Asia (1st stage of the competition).

Some people approached me to take pictures, and the person behind the twitter handle @CFGAsiaRegion to tweet the news of me making it to regionals and being the first Emirati to do so.  

As we were warming up, they announced the plan for the day. The first heat of the day included us, among two other teams. The competition kicked off at 10am sharp (they were very specific on time!).

My whole being was nervous, excited, just want to jump out of happiness and I kept telling myself (somewhat in denial still), "This is real! Is this real?!" It was VERY real.

The team and I spent about 2 weeks trying to learn the movements of the first event. The workout went like this: 

20 partner deadlift (455lbs)

20 handstand pushups

20 partner deadlift (315lbs)

20 handstand pushups

^ minimum requirement to move to the next workout.

20 handstand pushups

20 partner deadlift (455lbs)

20 handstand pushups

20 partner deadlift. (315lbs)

Here's a video of the competition that I put together:

Here's the summary video by the Crossfit Games website where they took a shot of me failing HSPU (haha!):

Handstand pushups seemed to pose a challenge to many athletes that day as the wall was set up too high, and our hips didn't have something to lean on. 

As for our team, I couldn't be any prouder of everyone's efforts. Before training for regionals, two of our members (myself too) never done a handstand push up before. Tess and I both had a new personal record which we achieved DURING the competition itself. It couldn't get any better than this. Although we didn't meet the minimum requirement to advance, we did an awesome job for ourselves, and we worked very hard. 

As for myself, five months ago I had a goal. My goal was simple. Make it to Regionals and be able to start a workout. Even if if I just get the chance to lift a bar once, I would've been happy. If anything, I have exceeded my expectations. I lifted the bar 20 TIMES & did a total of 5 HANDSTAND PUSH UPS, when I couldn't get one in a whole day! 

The whole experience has been just amazing, rewarding, and humbling. Seeing all of these athletes neck and neck, their strength despite their sizes, their beautiful technique, and hard work, was just beyond inspiring.

For that, I plan to continue my training in Crossfit and hopefully make it to regionals next year as an individual. I may never earn the title "Fittest woman in Asia", and that's fine. For me, by just taking part on its own is something that makes me happy and satisfied. And maybe, just maybe, my calling is to encourage other women in a similar situation like myself to come out. I don't know what it is, but each day I am loving sport more and more - and know, in my heart, it's where I belong. 

& big thanks to my sister Sara, who came with me this week to show support and take pictures of the team and competition. She was great emotional support during the whole week.  I couldn't have kept it together without her.

DAY 4 & 5 - Spectating & Interview

During the last two days of the competition, we were spectating the event and cheering for our coach, Candice Howe, who was competing as an individual for the second year. The competition is definitely a lot of harder than it was last year, the workouts, the athletes are all top notch.

In the morning of the final day of the competition, I was approached by Mike Mogard, an athlete who was competing, who wanted to do a short interview with me and do a photo shoot to upload it on his website once it's up and running (will post when it's up!). The gist of the interview was to encourage women in Brunei to start a healthy lifestyle and exercise.

In the end of the day, I was also approached by a number of people, some from the US military, and other athletes who said they were happy to see me come all the way to Seoul to compete and take part. They really respect what I do, and hope to see me competing next year. I just couldn't help but have a big cheeky smile on my face. I was overwhelmed with the positive comments and support.

In the end of the day, all the winners were announced, and Candice ranked 2nd.

Lotte World

My sister and I in our last night in Seoul, decided to go Lotte World, an amusement park with games (indoors and outdoors) and a big ice rink and may other activities. I personally am not a FAN of playing scary games (none were really, but I am a scaredy cat, while my sister is very adventurous). We spent a good couple of hours walking around, playing some rides, and we had plenty of fun. We were both dead tired in the end of the night.

As we went back to the hotel, I started packing, as again, I didn't want to worry too much in the morning as we had a flight to catch!

DAY 6 - Heading back to the UAE! 

Waking up in the morning, I realized wow...a whole week of madness and fun has passed, and it has passed really fast. As we got ready to leave at 10:30am, we left the hotel by a taxi bus going back to the airport. By 1:55 pm our plane starting to aboard. The flight was really long, and very uncomfortable with a lot of turbulence. I couldn't really sleep, so I watched all kind of movies, shows, and listened to music to let the 8-9 hour flight pass by, but each minute felt like forever. 

I had some spicy noodles in the airplane as that's the only thing I could've eaten. A lot of the food they served was not halal/had alcohol in it. The smell of beer/alcohol really makes me feel sick, dizzy, and gives me a headache.  So that was very uncomfortable for me. 

As I stared at the time, it was finally close to landing on UAE ground. I couldn't be any happier to be back home. I literally shouted in the plane "Yeeey! I am back home!" This is how excited I was to finally be back to where everything is known to me.

FINAL WORDS

There is really a lot to say, a lot that I probably have forgotten to mention, but this week has been in one word, overwhelming. Everything from experiencing travel for the first time in 13 years, and staying in another country other than my home, and to take part in an international competition has just been an emotional time for me.

It feels like everything just happened too fast, flew in front of my eyes, and is already a distant memory, but it's a memory that I will never forget. It's just the beginning for something bigger, a bigger test, more failures and successes in the future. And you know what? I cannot wait for the challenge. Just BRING. IT. ON!

Before I conclude this very very very long post, I have to thank Sultan Al Darmaki and his business partner for being our main sponsor who helped facilitate for my team and I go to Seoul South Korea for the competition, without them we couldn't have gone, at all. Also thanks to Adventure HQ for giving us UAE flag buffs that came in very handy as we wore them throughout the city. Finally, thanks for Reebok Middle East who provided us with track suits, shirts, and the awesome new Reebok Crossfit shoes. 

 

To see more pictures of my time in Seoul, visit my Facebook page HERE.
Yours truly,

 

Updates: sponsorship, going to regionals, and gymnastics certification

This month has been crazy.


Finding out that I can compete in the Reebok Crossfit Asia Regionals in Korea came as a big surprise to me. I had all kind of emotions swimming in my head - from happy, to nervous, to excited, to being worried. 

Seeking Sponsors: 

The moment I found out I qualified, the first thing I did was look for sponsors for my team and I. Being I made history of competing in this international event, I thought finding sponsors won't be so hard.

Dead wrong.

My experience with finding sponsors was really disheartening. I got plenty of no's, plenty of rejections, plenty of lack of belief in what I do. Just last week, I pretty much threw my hands in the air in defeat. Time has run out for my team and I to make any arrangements (as many of us are full-time employees).

I had given up.

Only soon after, a lovely gentleman who wished to remain anonymous heard of what I am doing and teamed up with his partner, Sultan Saeed Al Darmaki to support me and my team to go to regionals. They understood the value of empowering an Emirati woman who is active in sports and highlight the UAE on an international stage. They are not only supporting my individual dreams, but they're helping me raise the UAE flag internationally.

These two gentlemen have given me hope and they took a huge load off my shoulder because they believed in me. I cannot thank them enough for their support and making my dream come true. We will make you proud!

HERE is an article Sultan wrote about us, please read it!

Going to Regionals:

So the preparation for traveling to Korea has begun. Flights are booked, accommodation is being sorted out - and I will be hoping on airplane (for the first time in 13 years) next week on the 1st of May.  Our departure will be at 10:55pm.

I think I am more nervous about being in a plane for 8.5 hours than competing (haha!), but it should be an interesting experience. Well, Crossfit does prepare you for the unknown! 

My team and I are currently preparing for the competition and what will be thrown at us. The workouts were announced on Thursday last week. You can see the hell we'll go through HERE.

The competition dates are from 4-6 of May, and I believe it will be aired on ESPN. More details to come soon.


So who's my team?

- Tessa Richardson
- Lorraine Muzadzi
- Brian Sigafoos
- Yaseen Kafafi
- Ben Ford (our coach!)

Last week, we got a two-page spread coverage in sport 360. Click here to read a snippet from the article.

Gymnastics Course and Certification: 

This weekened, 20-21 of April, the first EVER Crossfit trainer course took place in the Middle East, which took place at Reebok Crossfit LifeSpark in Dubai.

 

The course was the crossfit gymnastics trainer course, which delved into beginner, intermediate and advanced gymnastics movements. The course was delivered by Dusty Hyland, who has extensive knowledge in gymnastics, in form of a lecture on a specific topic followed by a practical session.

We learned everything from how to warm up, to floor work, to ring work, to bar work, handstands, how to spot, and how to scale movement progressions. 

I learned a lot more about gymnastics and how gymnastics actually has tremendous benefits to other sports, medline stability, and strength. 

I had quite a few highlights during the course - I got my FIRST FULL ROM HANDSTAND PUSH UP during the second day, and I got the chance to do a MUSCLE-UP!

By the end of the course, we were awarded certificates for successfully attending the course. 

So I am officially a certified gymnastics trainer!
Never thought my first certification would be in gymnastics!
Life is weird, eh!

Group who attended the course
with Dusty (left with a green shirt)

It has been truly a crazy month.

My Experience: CoreFit Games

I love competing. It's not like training - not close at all. There is a sense of adrenaline rush. Shaking off your fears and being your best. The crowd shouting your name in encouragement...and most of all, for me, it's breaking down some misconceptions. 

The competition, Corefit Games, was organised by Core Direction during the Good Health Gulf between 6-7 of April. I would say it was one of the best and well-organised local competition that I have been part of so far.

During the competition, a woman approached me and said: "A lot of people probably don't think you're strong because of your size, don't they?"

I replied saying "yes", with a smile.

There is nothing wrong with misconceptions, and to be honest - it's fun dispelling some of these misconception along my journey as an athlete. 

So what went down during the competition? Here's a short video! 

The first workout was a little devil - tough, required capacity, and some serious muscle endurance. The hardest part of the workout was simple - push ups. But I had to keep pushing through!

As for the second workout - I had two choices: 1) Do the workout as given, or 2) a scaled version (i.e. lesser weight load). The 40kgs is fairly heavy for someone my size and getting 10 reps and finish 3 rounds would've been tough.

However, I went there to compete, to show what I am made of, to push my body beyond what I think are my limits. I knew I have a 40kgs power clean. I've done it many times - just not the same repetition range. For me, in this workout, I knew I wouldn't score high enough, but I had to GO BIG or go home. I chose to go BIG.

I literally had to get 1 repetition at a time. I had a few misses, but to have done 10 power cleans with 40kgs was baffling to me - not only that, I finished one round and on top of that, I got 4 MORE power cleans (my 1RM is 45kgs). When the time cap was up - I was amazed by how well I did. Sometimes, in sport, you end up not surprising others, but yourself - and nothing feels better than that sense of achievement.

In the end of the day... I may not be the best out there, strongest, or fittest - but I have the heart and passion to be the best I can be for me, and I am strong for me. Not because of where I am from, what I wear, or my skin color - it's simple, because in the end, it's just Me vs. the Barbell.

For the full photo album, click HERE. 

Yours Truly,