All the deadlifts, squats and box jumps completed by two Soldiers Point men has paid off with the pair earning themselves an opportunity to represent NSW in national CrossFit competitions.
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Steve Westcott and Scott Elliott represented their gym, CrossFit Coastal Edge, at two separate CrossFit masters competitions in Sydney earlier in July.
In the Masters League Games, Westcott, aged 60, earned himself a reserve spot in the NSW team for the national competition to be held in Melbourne in September while in the Masters HQ, Elliott, aged 49, took out the men's 50-55 division to secure a state team spot to compete in the national championship in Brisbane in October.
"Competitions like this are a good bench marking tool," Elliott said.
"They help you see how good you are - to see how fit you are against others. But it's also a lot of fun. You get to meet others in the CrossFit community, share ideas, experiences and stories."
Making the national team was extra special for Elliott after the work he and fellow CrossFitters Shari Slattery, Hayley Cruickshanks and Lisa and Jeremy Tomlinson put in to keeping a CrossFit gym open in the Bay.
The five established CrossFit Coastal Edge in George Road, Salamander Bay after their gym closed earlier in the year.
"There was a group of us interested in running a CrossFit gym," Elliott said.
"I bought the gear from the old owners and we looked for somewhere to house it.
"We eventually found a shed in Salamander and we set up the gym in April.
"We wanted to keep the CrossFit community alive in the Bay."
Currently, the Bay CrossFit gym has 50 members on its books and is growing steadily.
CrossFit was launched in the US in 2000.
It is a fitness method where the individual trains against a clock or is given a task.
Each workout consists mainly of a mix of aerobic exercise, callisthenics, gymnastics and Olympic weightlifting.
While CrossFit can be used for general fitness and fun there are also hard-core competitions nationally and globally for all ages.
The Masters HQ series, in which Elliott competed on July 13-14, is affiliated with the International Functional Fitness Federation, which is working towards taking CrossFit to the Olympics.
Elliott became the overall NSW winner for the men's 50-55 division after smashing through three gruelling rounds of multiple disciplines which included a 2 kilometre row, 100 burpee and weightlifting combinations, deadlifts, squats, chin-ups, skipping rope double-unders and box jumps.
The top two athletes from each age division in all Australian states and territories will compete in the Masters HQ national championship in Brisbane on the last weekend in October.
Ellie-Marie Watts
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
A journalist with 10 years experience, Ellie-Marie connects readers to the stories that matter in their communities. A Port Stephens-based news, sport and event writer and photographer with a passion for human interest features.
