A quick salute to those who went to Fredericton to compete in the CrossFit Games Canada East Sectional. This is a brief summary of the people who gave all they had.
Competitors 2010
Katie Andrien
Blue eyes, blond hair…you can now add “tough as nails” to the list of adjectives to describe this athlete. If there was a spirit award for the Sectional it would go to Katie. The excitement and passion exhibited by Katie was contagious. With her proud father Kevin in tow, Katie showed up in Fredericton and attacked each event with ferocious drive. Many people lose hope and begin to give up knowing they will end up on the bottom of the list. For Katie that only motivates her to push harder. There is no doubt that many others were thanking whatever Gods there may be that there was NOT a distance run as this marathoner would have had the tides turned her way. But the measuring stick is always changing and with rapidly improving abilities we will see Katie much further ahead next year.
Lindsay Taylor
Many years of rugby tournaments helped LT in what can only be described as an exhausting first day. Sandbag sprints were made easy (9th place) from years with the Halifax Tars and diligent lifting in the previous months pushed Lindsay even further into the standings following her 15th placement with the Clean & Jerk. However, she was also armed with a secret weapon. Fiancé Stephen MacDonald used his quiet pep talks coupled with all-out roars to help Lindsay find her true potential in all events. Unfortunately, Sunday ended on a frustrating note due to a rookie error. Too many repetitions of Muscle-Ups during the warm up period left LT with very little energy stores to complete the Triplet. The DNS (did not start) left her off the podium for one more year. Lindsay signed on for the Sectionals with the intent of gaining experience. And experience she received. Other girls were put on notice this past weekend that the CFK girls come to play. LT will be ready in 2011 and a force to be reckoned with.
Patricia Conrad
Trish was widely considered the “underdog” amongst the athletes at CFK. I doubt many will make that mistake again. With a mediocre run finished, Trish managed to Clean and Jerk approximately 105% of her body weight… not a small feat for a woman. With the sprint and max effort event finished, Trish began to climb out of the hole as she began to use her petite frame to her advantage in the following met-cons. Careful training paid off as the Deadlifts went smoothly in the Deadlift/Pull-Up event considering a back injury in the previous months. Moreover, ring pull-ups were made easy with her lower body weight. On Sunday Trish proved that a well paced effort on Muscle-Ups and steady form on Front Squats pushed her into the top 10 in that event and propelled her into a qualifying spot for the Canada Region. I’m told wine gets better with age; apparently so does Trish.
Sarah Campbell
We are incredibly proud of Sarah’s performances at the Sectionals. Only once out of 4 events did Sarah place out of the Top 15 notching consistent placements in the Clean & Jerk (13th), Deadlift Pull-Up (13th) and Triplet (14th). An obvious crowd favorite, Sarah drew cheers from other Affiliates as she competed all weekend. She was unfortunately undone by a slower run in the Sandbag Sprint (30th) and a developing Muscle-Up forced her to scale in the final workout. (Editors Note: These hiccups didn’t prevent Sarah from delivering all-out emotional performances leaving nothing on the table. Inspiring indeed!) Sarah’s competitive nature and developing abilities will ensure 2011 has a different result. Guaranteed.
Tanya MacKenzie
Tanya could only be described as one of Nova Scotia’s premiere CrossFitters. CFK knew competition would be tough in the female category but Tanya had the lifting experience, raw strength, and newly minted Muscle-Ups to end with an 8th place finish overall. She had consistently competitive times in the Sandbag sprint (21st place) and Deadlift Pull-Up (22nd place) and Top Ten finishes in the Clean & Jerk (4th place) and Triplet (9th place). With her son Zavier and husband Jim by her side, she had the support there to let her give her best without reserve. Tanya will be moving on to Calgary to show the rest of Canada how it’s done on the East Coast….Hulk style!
Andrew Thomas
Steady placements in the Deadlift/Pull-Up event (26th overall) and a 30lb Personal Record in the Clean & Jerk (230lb) kept Andrew in good standing with his contemporaries. However, being tall, dark, and handsome with an uncanny ability to plow through burpees weren’t enough to save Andrew from the 155lb Front Squats in the final triplet. While other competitors mucked their way through the Burpees, Andrew showed true grit and quickly made his way through the Burpees and back to the Muscle-Ups in good time but stalled moving the heavy weight in the Front Squat such a long distance. An emotional rock all weekend, Andrew kept the group anchored and feeling good. Our team isn’t complete without Andrew towering in the background.
Brandon Swartz
Shift work and a dedication to training others at CFK were the top priorities for Brandon in the weeks approaching Sectionals. However, technique means everything. A 7th place finish in the Clean & Jerk by Brandon proved that brute strength is no match for a technically sound lift with a confident attitude. Not known for heavy lifts, Brandon managed to surprise other competitors with a smooth effort that put him in an eight-way tie with a Clean & Jerk of 245lbs. The Deadlift/Pull-Up showed that a well timed kip and steady pacing gave this CFK trainer a competitive time placing 30th. A relaxed attitude and strong recovery abilities gave Brandon a fresh start in Sunday’s triplet to be consistent enough to notch another 30th place finish. There is little doubt that a distance run (anything exceeding 1000 meters) would have placed this competitor, and running fanatic, much further ahead than his bulkier counterparts. Look out next year.
Jim Hardy
Jim was the unsung hero during the Sectionals. What many people might not realize is Jim has put all of his clients and their needs ahead of himself and his own training. His training was lacking in the previous months but you wouldn’t know it from his met-con performances and speedy recover time. He managed a competitive time in the Sandbag Shuttle run and gutted out the max effort Clean and Jerk event. However, riding on a great met-con base and raw natural ability Jim was able to put together a jaw-dropping performance on the Deadlift/Ring Pull-Up event. During said event, Jim’s effortless kip garnered cheers from the audience as he strung together an endless set of repetitions putting him at 12th place for the event. His exhaustion did not show when back at the 225lb Deadlift as he entered a rhythm that looked more like a first set rather than a last set.
Sunday proved Jim can pace workouts well. Again, effortless work on the rings coupled with diligent Front Squats and Burpees thrust Jim into the running for Regionals in Calgary. However, heartbreak set in later as an irreversible scoring error followed the all-out performance and he plummeted in the rankings. Our gracious head coach was unfazed by this issue and took pride in what he had accomplished. Jim was able to program, train, and coach a wide range of athletes at CFK and managed to put three strong competitors on the podium. One of whom was his very own wife. The only thing that exceeds Jim’s CrossFit ability is his character.
Ryan Kells
One thing that can be said about Ryan; he is consistent. Never dominating any of the events and never falling behind, Ryan was able to place 24th in the Sandbag Run, 15th in the Clean and Jerk, 23rd in the Deadlift/Pull-Up, and 23rd in the Triplet. While other competitors had overwhelming performances followed by disappointing finishes, Ryan managed to stay slightly ahead of the curve as the workout stats were compiled. At the end of Day 2, the total point count was enough to squeak onto the next level of CrossFit games.
Mohammed Al-Shaghay
Competition is no stranger to Mo. A former football player for the Saint Mary’s Huskies and current CrossFit athlete Mohammed used his experience at the Sectionals. Playing high pressure football games to earn two Vanier Cup rings made Mo steady as a rock from the word go. Never complaining about sore shoulders or being in the first heat of the day, Mo did an incredible amount of work throughout the weekend and was able to brief fellow competitors on what to expect in their upcoming events. But his work isn’t done. Back at CFK, Mo has put together a game plan to keep doing what he does best; never quit, never say die. Will we see him at Sectionals next year???…C’mon man! (Perhaps with younger brother Abdullah in the same heat!!!!)
Luke Dalton
When Luke Dalton began CrossFit in the fall of 2009, CFK knew there was something special about this diminutive competitor. Not many people with only a few months of experience have the courage to enter the arena and go toe-to-toe with Canada East’s finest. Even fewer can do it without having to scale the exercises. With girlfriend at his side, Luke in his humble, quiet way managed to attack each workout and come off the floor with nothing but smiles and sore muscles. Weightlifting, gymnastic rings, met-con…Luke can do it all and continues to improve every workout. He was a truly pleasant to have on the CFK team as his relaxed manner was welcomed during a frantic, nerve-wrecking weekend. If there is a guy at CFK who “punches above his weight class”; it truly is Luke Dalton
Billy Grace
It is very rare that part-time training leads to full time results. Billy would train at CFK while on leave for a month. However, engineering work in Northern Ontario would drag this competitor to remote locations without access to proper equipment, coaching, and sorely lacking in the environment he has become accustomed to. But you wouldn’t know it from the standings. A sharp diet and a never-say-die attitude gave Billy a new PR on the Clean and Jerk (190 lbs) which followed a speedy Sandbag run of 57.1 seconds; 1/10th of a second behind former rugby player Ryan Kells. Consistent efforts on the rings in events 3 (50th place) and 4 (38th place) gave a Billy a strong finish and garnered him some much deserved respect from his peers across Atlantic Canada. Well done!
Tony “Posh” Salloum
If other gyms don’t have a “Posh” then that is truly sad. In fact, many professional teams in hockey and rugby specifically seek out athletes with Tony’s special skills of dogged determination in the arena and a fun easy going way during down time to help bring teams together. A perennial crowd favorite Posh did what he does best; give an all out effort and smile afterwards and be content with the hard work that was done. If you think he doesn’t take it seriously, don’t be fooled. His “work-hard, play-hard” attitude shows that when the whistle goes he won’t stop until time has been called. And when his work is finished he is proud that he has given 100%. We are proud too!
Alain Charpentier
Hampered with a trick knee and worn shoulders this 44 year old managed to use his years of experience to hang with competitors half his age! A Clean & Jerk of 1.3 times body weight showed that Alain is not limited by his diminutive size and body weight met-cons are also no match for this pocket-sized muscleman. A “gym rat” at heart with an insatiable desire to learn proper technique Alain has been back in the gym putting in the “extras” to shore-up those weaknesses and constantly improve. While most others in his age group are shuffling around a golf course, Alain continues to crush workouts at CFK with his age-defying ways as he is constantly at the top of the list on the CFK whiteboard.
Alex Duncan
Alex embodies the word Dedication. Leaving no stone unturned Alex paid close attention to diet and training. He would often make 4+ hour road trips on the weekend to attend CFK prep workouts to test his abilities. This hard work paid off as a speedy sprint of 55 seconds (11th overall) and an amazing effort on the Deadlift/Pull-up workout (5th overall) showed that this natural athlete meant business. With his own private entourage of proud parents, Peigi and Ward, and girlfriend Ashleigh, Alex showed he is the epitome of CrossFit; frightenly impressive performances coupled with a gentlemen’s attitude. It is a trainers dream to have athletes like Alex train at your gym and represent you at competitions. While finishing 18th overall, Alex continues to hone his abilities in frequent OPT Big Dawg competitions making a name for himself across Canada as a met-con animal.
Matt MacDougall
Most would have considered Matt to be the “dark horse” of CFK. His abilities contain no over-whelming strengths and yet he lacks any obvious weaknesses. A 12th place finish in the Sandbag sprint and a 14th place finish in the Deadlift/Pull-Up event kept Matt in strong contention throughout the competition. His well-roundedness proved useful as events were completed and the stats began to pile up and his name continually drifted to the top of the list. Going to Fredericton to gain experience Matt ended up being talked about as the competitor who could sneak in the Top 15 unnoticed. Drawing on coaching from CrossFit Calgary’s Brett Marshall coupled with the tutelage of Jim Hardy, Matt has made a name for himself in Atlantic Canada as a technically sound lifter with the ability to plow through met-cons. Pay close attention to this athlete or he’ll pass you by!
CrossFit Kinetics | Comments Off ;)