Peak form results in bronze at end of challenging programme

LIZ Fitzgibbon shows her strength at the Pan Pacific Masters Games in Australia.

A Horowhenua woman has proven her elite fitness levels at the recent Pan Pacific Masters Games in Australia, bringing home a hard won bronze medal.

Liz Fitzgibbon competed in the Fitness Challenge at the games, a premier international multi-sport event with more than 13,000 participants in 40-plus sports.

Personal trainer Fitzgibbon said the Fitness Challenge involved workouts of varied functional movements performed at high intensity, with around 250 other competitors ranging in age groups from 30 to 70.

"I had nine workouts over three days.

"[They] consisted of swimming and other water-based movements, running, weight lifting, gymnastics and more."

Fitzgibbon was joined by Di Akurangi, of Gisborne, in the female pairs category, placing first in two of the workouts, with second and third placings in the others, resulting in an overall bronze.

A gruelling, six-day-a-week training regime ahead of the games meant Fitzgibbon was in peak form at the event, the biggest of its kind in the world.

"I follow a Crossfit programme which I do at home in my gym and once a week I attend a session at Crossfit Mana in Palmerston North," she said.

"I also use my job as my training. I teach Metafit classes [plus] swimming with the Levin-Waitarere Surf Club once a week."

The tenth biennial Pan Pacific Masters Games was held on the Gold Coast from November 5-13.

"This was my second games, and I have been doing Crossfit competitions on and off for two years," she said.

"I love the sport - it's so varied and challenging and I never get bored. The community in this sport are a unique bunch of people, we are all slightly crazy!"