Since the creation of the Crossfit Games, several Crossfitters from our area have now advanced to the competition level. NEPA Crossfit member's Marcelle Dotson of Wilkes-Barre and Kurt VanDuzer of Tunkhannock recently competed in the Master's Athletes Regional competition.
The Master's division includes those over 40 years old.
"We do similar workouts as the younger ones do but ours are basically scaled back because of the age difference," says Kurt VanDuzer from Tunkhannock. "You just want to get through each workout and try to do the best you can, but it was exciting, it really was. You're a nervous wreck, but it's exciting to do it."
"I orginally hadn't signed up for the Open but was guilted into it because I hadn't done it for awhile, so I did it just to do it. The workouts I didn't find all that difficult and was really surprised at how well I did," says Marcelle Dotson from Wilkes-Barre.
Chad Blanchard from NEPA Crossfit and Paige Semenza from Crossfit Vertex are gearing up for the Super Regional competition in Atlanta, Georgia. This event requires each athlete to complete eight grueling workouts in 3 days. If they do well, they are one step closer to the Crossfit Games!
"This type of thing does not come easy. I am extremely humbled and I'm flabbergasted that I'm going to compete with some of the best in the world," says Chad Blanchard.
Chad and Paige train and do their qualifying workouts in the comfort of their home gyms, but when they get to the regional, they have to perform all while seeing the competition they're up against for the first time.
"I wake up excited and nervous every single day, but just anxious to get there and to be up against the best and see where I rank against them," says Paige Semenza. "I love competition so I'm definitely going to give it my all."
The Super Regional in Atlanta begins May 21st.
