CrossFit 60Nort at the Wod on the Loch

July 24, 2024

CrossFit 60Nort at the Wod on the Loch

This year, athletes from CrossFit 60Nort, had the exciting opportunity to participate in the online qualifiers for the prestigious Wod on the Loch competition. This annual event, held in the picturesque town of Luss, features a thrilling array of unique, Scotland-themed fitness challenges that test the athletes’ strength, endurance, and adaptability. The qualifying process involved submitting videotaped performances of the prescribed workouts, which were then carefully judged and scored. After anxiously waiting, 4 competitors earned the coveted invitations, and 3 of them accepted the invitation to take part in the live in person festival. Head Coach Shelby declined her spot as she was still making her way through the Open Semifinals.

For these determined athletes, the Wod on the Loch event represented their first chance to compete face-to-face against their peers, rather than in the more isolated setting of online qualifiers.

The competition kicked off with a grueling 4-mile kayak race, launching from the shores of Luss Beach and navigating the serene waters around a nearby island. While some of the athletes had limited experience in a kayak, their competitive spirit and CrossFit-honed fitness allowed them to power through the challenge. Sean, in particular, emerged victorious in his division, showcasing his exceptional endurance and technique.

The second event, dubbed “caileag ghaelic,” pushed the athletes to their limits with a punishing 5-round circuit of a 400-meter run, 30 wall balls, and 30 hurdle jumps – all to be completed as quickly as possible within a 27-minute time cap. Linda, demonstrating her well-rounded athleticism, secured a first-place finish in her heat, proving her mastery of both cardiovascular and explosive power.

The third event, “Fear Làidir,” tested the athletes’ raw strength with a 2-minute “as many reps as possible” challenge involving overhead lifts of a heavy strongman log. CrossFit 60Nort’s “strong woman” Michaela showed everyone just how strong she is, by clean and pressing the 40kg log an astonishing 13 times!

This display of pure power was followed by the “An sharaiche” event, which combined pull-ups, wall walks, and sandbag carries in a grueling 3-round race against the clock.

Event 5/6 – the sprint chùramach was a grueling test of both speed and strength. The workout began with a 120-meter suicide sprint, pushing athletes to their absolute limits as they sprinted flat-out, This high-intensity burst of speed was just the warm-up, as competitors then transitioned immediately into a series of 60 toes-to-rings. They had to explosively pull their feet up to touch the rings above, requiring tremendous core activation and upper body pulling power. For Michaela, this event proved to be a breakthrough moment, as she managed to successfully complete her first ever toes-to-rings, a major milestone in her training. The sprint chùramach truly left no physical attribute untested, pushing the athletes to their limits across multiple domains of fitness.

Owner and Head Coach, Shelby Hopkins and Assistant Coach Claire Adamson were with the athletes for the entire weekend-long competition. The two coaches provided individualised strategies and ensured the athletes’ nutrition and recovery were optimised for peak performance.

As the Wod on the Loch festival came to a close, the CrossFit 60Nort athletes returned home with a newfound sense of accomplishment and a hunger for future challenges.

With the 2025 CrossFit Open and the Arnold Fitness Games on the horizon, these determined competitors are already setting their sights on the next chapter of their CrossFit journeys as well as many more athletes from the gym, eager to showcase their hard-earned skills and push the boundaries of their athletic potential.