CARLY Menzies will travel to Woollongong next month to compete in the 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games Australian Regionals after making it through the open competition.
The CrossFit Games are composed of a range of functional movements over seven events, these include moving large loads, long distances, quickly though anything can be thrown at the competitors to test their capabilities.
“It is the first time I’ve made it to the regionals,” Menzies said.
“I’ve competed in the open for three years but this year is the first time I made it through.”
For the open competition participants submitted a video submission of a pre-determined workout that they had to complete to the best of their ability over a four to five day period, with a final score based on their success.
The top 48 athletes in their region, with 17 regions worldwide Menzies’ region features Australia and New Zealand, progressed to the regionals.
Menzies said she was fortunate to make it to regionals after placing 50th.
“Eight to nine declined their invitation so they back-filled the spots,” Menzies said.
“Making it to the regionals is far better than I thought I would do this year.
“I thought maybe I would make it in two to three year’s time.”
However, Menzies is determined not to just make up numbers.
“I want to get through every workout; each event will have a minimum workload before you can advance so I want to get past the minimum,” she said.
“I scraped in but I don’t want to just show up.”
Menzies said she was both excited and terrified about competition in the games.
“It’s a little bit intimidating,” she said.
“You have to train for the unknown.”
Menzies is a relative newcomer to CrossFit after taking up the exercise program in 2012.
“Friends in the Navy got me into it while serving on a ship,” she said.
“So my first ever workout was on a flight deck of a ship.”
When she returned she joined Real World CrossFit which has since moved location and now called Mandurah CrossFit.
“I’ve been a part of Mandurah CrossFit since its beginnings,” Menzies said.
“It’s not like a normal gym where you might not know the people you are working out with
“It’s become a bit of a family.”
As well as the CrossFit Games Menzies has been invited to travel to Boston, United States, to try out for a new CrossFit related league where teams and a league similar to the National Football League will be formed and a season held.
Menzies will fly to Boston on April 30 for the first round of tryouts.
“It will be a mix between realty television, competitive sport and CrossFit,” she said.
Anyone who would like to assist Menzies with her travels can donate online at gofundme/8c9c60
The 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games Australia Regionals will take place at WIN Entertainment Centre in Woollongong, New South Wales from May 16-18.
For more information on CrossFit and the games go to games.crossfit.com
The winners of the Regionals will progress to the Internationals which will be held in the US later this year.