Keeping fit is something we all strive for. There are many ways to maintain one’s fitness, from weight and aerobic training, to something as simple as going for a walk in the morning.

But has there ever been a time when you’re on the treadmill at the gym and you think, “I can run faster than him”, or you are going for a big lift just because the person next to you has added a couple more plates?

Well, back in 2007, people with that same mentality decided to create an event in which the fittest people would be the victor. It was dubbed the ‘Crossfit Games’. It was an athletic event that test one’s stamina under multiple disciplines, from simple HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts to Olympic lifts.

Now back then, the competition wasn’t quite a fierce as it is today. In fact, in the first two years of the event, the competition was open to anyone who could make it to the location of the event, which is this case was Aromas, California. It wasn’t until 2009 that you had to qualify for the event, and even then, the qualification process was not too gruelling.

The Games really took off in 2010, with a series of Sectionals included, which was open to all athletes and determined who would qualify for one of 17 Regional events. The Regionals events would then take place to see who would qualify for Games. The event also outgrew the small ranch it was being help at in Aromas and moved to the 27,000 capacity Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

After the success of the 2010 Games, the Open was transformed from a Sectional process to the online qualification process, with people submitting their best times online. The Open has grown exponentially over the past decade, with 26,000 participating in 2011 to 358,646 in 2019.

Over the years there have been many Aussies who have competed at the Crossfit Games, but only one has tasted success. Tia-Clair Toomey first participated at the Crossfit Games in 2015, and out of nowhere claimed a podium finish in her rookie year. After another runners-up award in 2016, Toomey finally claimed the top prize, beating fellow Aussie Kara Webb to stand atop the podium. Toomey is now a three-time Crossfit Games champion, have recently claimed the 2019 title with a dominant performance.

The Crossfit community continues to grow at a rapid pace year to year, with more and more people turning to this functional training as an alternative to traditional training. With more people getting involved, who knows where the Crossfit Games will be next 10 or so years.