Tauranga's Evan Gray, 15, overcame an elbow injury to finish second in his age group at the New Zealand Crossfit Nationals. Photo / Andrew Warner
Tauranga's Evan Gray, 15, overcame an elbow injury to finish second in his age group at the New Zealand Crossfit Nationals. Photo / Andrew Warner
Tauranga teenager Evan Gray proved little can slow him down when he overcame injury to finish second in the 14-15-year-old division at the New Zealand Crossfit Nationals last weekend.
The 15-year-old injured his elbow on the first day of the two-day event but through a mixture of adrenaline and willpowerhe soldiered on.
The weekend comprised a combination of weightlifting, gymnastic and aerobic movements aimed at finding the fittest Kiwis in each age group.
Going into the final workout on Sunday - 30 clean and jerks for time - Evan was sitting fourth and knew a win would get him on the podium.
He smashed it, finishing the workout in a lightning quick one minute and 46 seconds to claim the silver medal overall.
"I was stoked, I didn't think I'd get second leading into that last event," Evan said.
"On the first day I stressed a tendon in my elbow and my elbow was really sore - it was like a seven out of 10 pain. I had to push through that going through to the last day. It hurt but when I went on the competition floor the adrenaline filled up and I couldn't really feel anything.
Being strong mentally and looking after his body throughout the weekend were the keys to his success.
"Keeping a good mindset and keeping fresh, keeping my body well preserved. I just warmed up, warmed down really well, ate between events and slept if I needed to.
"Everyone I went up against was really talented, really fit individuals and a great competition. It was one of the best weekends ever.
"It's crazy how much it's growing and how it's blown up since it started."
Evan got into crossfit three years ago when he tagged along with his mum to Crossfit 3110 in Tauranga. He was hooked instantly, he has since given up other sports such as rugby to chase his crossfit dreams.
"I went with her to a couple of classes, I just thought I'd try it, and I fell in love with it. It's just the people and the environment, that community feel. You just feel like you're at home.
Gymnastic movements, such as muscle ups, are one of the elements Evan Gray, 15, is working on in pursuit of his crossfit dream. Photo / Andrew Warner
"You're always working on something, there's always something to get better at. My work-ons are my cardio and gymnastics.
"My coaches here have been a big part of my training, they've all played a big role in the athlete I am now."
Evan trains five to six days a week, often spending up to three hours at the gym, but he has learned quickly that it takes more than just training to reach the top.
"This year I did a nutrition challenge from someone at my gym and lost 6kg in six weeks. That's really good because I'm much lighter so it makes the movements a lot easier.
His focus is now on preparing for next year's Crossfit Open, the first step on the road to qualifying for the Crossfit Games.
The top 200 in their age groups in the worldwide Crossfit Open qualify for an online qualifier. The top 10 in that go to the Games in America.
This year, Evan finished 89th in the Open.
"The future goal is to make the Crossfit Games and get sponsorships - try to make a living off it eventually. I have one more year in this age group, I just need to train harder and stay focused on what I need to do.
"I want to get my fitness up and hit the Open really hard, try my best in that."
Evan Gray's Best Lifts
Back Squat: 150kg Snatch: 80kg Clean: 115kg Clean and Jerk: 105kg Deadlift: 180kg
