Afternoon Dizzlers. I know we have been going on a lot about the competition side of CrossFit recently with the Gauntlet and The Open. While this is not the be all and end all of CrossFit, by a long way, The time of year has come around for Divided We Fall again. Those of you who are new to CrossFit, within the last 16 months or so, might not had heard of this competition but in the years that they have run, it has been one of the most fun events to be a part of. It is a team event and structures have changed somewhat over the years but this year sees them asking for teams of two men and two women. Where the Battle of London is a premier event for individuals, Divided We Fall takes the mantle for team competitions. We have always managed to secure team places in this competition and have always done pretty well! The last time out saw us field in the region of 12 teams!!
I have asked a couple of the members to share their experiences of the competition with you. While you might see these two as "veterans" of the CrossFit and competition scene, when they first experienced this competition that was not necessarily the case.
First up we are going to hear from our Iron Master - Steve Jefferies:
Ed asked me to write a few words about my DWF experience and to share them with you so I find myself sat here scratching my head wondering how to sum it up in one short paragraph. I love competition, FACT! Whether it be in CrossFit or any other aspect of life. It gets the best out of me (and occasionally the worst), it's the driver that pushes me to my limits, and brings out that passion and determination to perform to the best of my abilities. So when I was given the nod that I would be representing 3D at DWF I was overjoyed. Before this weekend, I hadn't realised how much of a major event DWF was in the UK CrossFit calendar. I was extremely proud to be part of Team 3D, a team which is so much more than just the people competing. It's worth remembering that there is more to CrossFit than official competitions like DWF or indeed the CrossFit games, we all have our reasons for doing it and the majority of people just want to live healthier lives and keep themselves out of the rocking chair in later life. But life is intrinsically a competition and so is CrossFit. It has been designed to get the best out of us every time we walk into the box or onto the competition arena. Talking of which, I was truly gutted when the late night DWF run was cancelled, the chance to race against 49 of the best CrossFit athletes in the country with the last 10 finishers and their teams being cut from the competition really set the adrenalin flowing, I was literally buzzing with excitement, I thrive on this kind of thing, but alas, it was not to be. Logistically it must have been a nightmare to organise, so fair play to all the guys who put in the hard work behind the scenes to make DWF happen.
I'm finding it hard to articulate the words to describe the feeling I had working out and competing alongside my fellow team mates this weekend. Watching the determination on their faces and the skills in which they executed their movements stirred up emotions inside me that can only be summoned on very special occasions, and this was most definitely one of those to be savoured. All in all a great weekend, so many of you came down to cheer us along and those who couldn't make it were following our progress and sending well wishes via social media networks throughout the weekend. It was this coming together of all the members, be it competing or supporting, which will be the overriding memory I will take from this. Oh.......and sharing a bed with Franny!
Second is the one and only Ali Watson-Ford:
I'm not sure who first said that 'CrossFit is the only sport where the loudest cheers are for the last to finish' but after DWF2012 I can confirm that this is true.
When the WODs were released I was a bit gutted as I realised that there was no way of avoiding the dreaded pull up. My biggest fear leading up to DWF2012 was that I would spend 25 minutes hanging from a bar not being able to do a pull up while 660 hardcore cross fitting ninjas watched on. More than that I was terrified that I would let the team and the box down.
The support I received from teams 1,2 and 3 and the army of 3D supporters who had made the epic journey to Swansea was just incredible. Even though I didn't finish the workout I knew that I hadn't let anyone down. The opposite in fact. I felt like you guys were proud to have me on the team and I was more than proud to be a Dizzler. I can't even begin to describe how awesome Danny D and Sean were while I was out there. Thank you guys.
There were so many awesome achievements over the weekend it's difficult to mention them all but for team 3 Sean's pistols (learnt 5 mins pre-WOD), Sue's strength of character and the team spirit from the whole of the 3D crew were highlights.
Just as an aside, moving from wales was a very difficult thing for me to do. I left behind my family, friends, a lovely house and a job offer in a hospital I loved. Over the last couple of months a number of non-crossfitting people have asked me how I'm settling in, or commented on how difficult it is to up sticks and move halfway across the uk. I try to explain that, yes it's tricky but that I belong to this gym called 3D and do this thing called CrossFit and that its made the moving thing a million times easier- it's clear from the look on their faces that they have no idea what I'm banging on about. CrossFit is just a sport, and 3D is just a gym but really it is so much more.
Thank you 3D.
Even the Ginger Ninja Mr James Jowsey came and got involved with the Teams
I am sure that you will all agree that those are two great stories of the experiences that attending a larger scale competition can bring. Even if it is just to be a part of the team. We want to turn up to DWF14 in the masses this year and really show the whole of Europe what 3D is really about.
