Living the good life. . . by the numbers

Local Focus: Gisborne CrossFit...

Age is just a number when it comes to Gisborne master athletes Debbie Hutchings and Tamera Nelson.

Both women have qualified for the CrossFit Torian Pro Championships in Brisbane, Australia.

To qualify, athletes enter their scores attained in the CrossFit Open, a worldwide online competition that includes three workouts over three weeks from February 17.

The workouts have a mix of metabolic conditioning, weightlifting and gymnastic movements.

Workout 1 was a chipper, which included a 60-calorie row, 50 toes-to-bars, 40 wall-ball shots, 30 cleans, and 20 muscle-ups.

Athletes had 14 minutes to complete as many repetitions as possible.

In a chipper-styled workout, the first exercise needs to be completed before an athlete can move on to the next exercise.

Workout 2 was a lung buster, in which athletes spent 15 minutes doing shuttle runs and burpee pull-ups.

Workout 3 allowed athletes to advance if they were fast and strong enough to do so. It started as a six-minute time domain, in which athletes could earn a time extension if the set amount of work was completed within six minutes.

Debbie Hutchings qualified in first place in the 50-to-54-year age group for the Torian Pro online qualifier, against 10 other athletes. She took two firsts, a second and a third for the workouts.

“I’ve been doing it for 10 years,” she said.

“The reason that you keep coming back is the people. The young ones particularly can challenge you. I’m not one to sit back and let them roll over me.”

Debbie has also qualified 10th in the world for the CrossFit Open in her age group, against more than 5500 people.

“You don’t know how you’re going to perform until those workouts are done and dusted,” she said.

“To be fair, the workouts will probably dictate how well you will or won’t do.”

Debbie has an opportunity to qualify for the pinnacle of CrossFit, the CrossFit Games. This is the CrossFit world champs, where they crown the fittest on Earth.

She will compete in the age group semifinals from April 29 to May 1 and will need to place 10th or better to advance to the CrossFit Games.

Tamera Nelson placed ninth out of 50 in the 35-to-39-year category for the Torian Pro online qualifier. She placed ninth, 13th, 15th and 18th in the workouts.

“I’m rooting for myself not to place last,” she said.

“I qualified in that last spot, which I’m not ashamed of — I get to go — but I would really love to finish in the top five.”

Tamera started CrossFit 12 years ago after moving to Gisborne to make new friends. A friend owned a gym and told her he could help her lose weight.

“I just love it,” she said.

“When something makes you feel good and if you feel like you’ve achieved something in the day, then it’s a feeling worth holding on to.”

Tamera started competing seriously after she had her daughter Leila, who is now five.

“If I feel good, then I’m going to be a good mother. I’m going to be a good person. I think it’s really important for my mental health as well.”

The schedule Debbie and Tamera follow resembles that of an elite athlete.

They train twice a day in workouts that include running, swimming, CrossFit and strength training, but make time for other things they enjoy.

Debbie spends Saturdays umpiring netball and has an odd addiction to mowing her lawns.

Tamera enjoys spending time with her daughter — surfing and skateboarding.

Both women give back to the sporting community with their work at Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti.

Debbie is the community events adviser. She organises the Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti Quarter Marathon, the Titirangi Mt Everest Challenge and Swim the Distance with the Olympic Pool complex.

“I love what I do . . . anything that activates the community, I am passionate about,” she said.

Tamera is part of the Taupua team who help nonprofit organisations and community groups with back office processes.

“We help them dot the i’s and cross the t’s — make sure they’re meeting charities filing regulations, incorporated societies status, and not getting behind in their taxes,” she said.

The Torian Pro Championships will be held at the Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane from May 26 to 28.