Ability
Competition
All these variations in competition make it hugely assessable to any person who competes. This can be seen in one of the countries biggest team competitions, the filthy 150. It began in CrossFit Navan in 2013 with 6 teams entered in it. Then in 2014 it moved to CrossFit swords in Dublin where it grew to 75 teams. In 2015 it grew even bigger moving the national basketball arena where I competed myself alongside 800 other people in a 200 team competition. This year due to its popularity increasing even more 250 teams entered it. This rapid rate of increase in participation shows that it is a sport for everyone of all ages and abilities.
The CrossFit open is a competition that is open to everyone anyone. There is an online competition that is the first step in the process of qualifying for the CrossFit games. Each week for 4 weeks a workout is released online were people must record themselves doing it and they submit their score. At the end of the 4 weeks, the top 30 males and females will be invited to regionals which is the next step to qualification. This is the only sport that I know of where anybody no matter who they are get an opportunity to qualify for its sports main event.
Influencing Other Sports
It is a sport that I have huge respect for the people that take part in it as the moves are so technically difficult to execute perfectly and take hours upon hours to perfect. In Phoenix S&C gym where I train over the past three years I have witnessed people join the gym to get fit and lose weight like many people do and then they get hooked on the lifting bug and now dawn their weightlifting singlet and step out on a platform on their own and lift in front of a crowd of people every couple of months. These people range from a man that repairs rowing boats to a mammy of three young kids. It just shows that there is a level and ability in what is deemed sports for “fit people and strong” for every single person out there once they believe in their own ability and try their best at what they do.
I hope reading this piece has opened up people’s eyes to the fact that CrossFit and weightlifting are not sports for “fit people” and that in fact any person of any age and ability is more than capable of going to a class and doing a simple workout or standing out on a competition floor and working out in front of a crowd of people no matter their age or ability. For anyone who would like to try a class in their local CrossFit, our S&C gym follow this link to the Caffiene TV website to find your nearest gym.
Author: Michael O'Rourke
4th Year BB (Hons) in Recreation and Sport Mangement Student