Crossfit: Northland teen battles illness

Brooke Ah Sam hanging out with Jason Boag, one of her overseas sponsors, at the Teen Gauntlet Gathering in San Diego earlier this year. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

A combination of sunstroke, heat exhaustion and food poisoning derailed any plans Northlander Brooke Ah Sam held of doing well at the Teen Gauntlet Gathering in San Diego.

The combination of factors conspired to put Ah Sam in bed two days before the competition began - suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting, she was forced to pull out of the first day of the three-day event.

Although the 15-year-old did not fully recover, she was still determined to make her mark and returned to contest the two remaining days of the junior varsity division.

Her efforts included an impressive first place in the first workout of the day (WOD) on day two, and proving hard to beat over all three movements which were made up of a 1000m row, 50 reps of wall ball at 14lb, and 30 pull-ups.

Despite rowing in direct sunlight and no shade with temperatures reaching an uncomfortably hot 47 degrees, Ah Sam recorded the fastest time and beat her nearest competitors by 250m. She stayed in front of the field by completing 25 wall balls unbroken in a row before finishing on the pull-up bar - one of her strengths - to beat her nearest rival by over a minute.

It took eight minutes and 16 seconds in total for her to complete the WOD, the fastest time in her division and over a minute faster than eventual champion Alannah Rihari, from Kerikeri, in 9.28s.

However, the bout of illness took its toll and while she participated on the third and final day, Ah Sam was far from full strength.

She still managed to complete the WOD2 with a fifth placing (as did Rihari), followed by a sixth in WOD3, to secure a respectable fourth place overall.

Trainer Hine Lum from Infinite Scope Gym in Kaitaia accompanied Ah Sam on the trip and said her young charge had returned home richer for the experience, having competed against the best in the world, and picked up invaluable advice and encouragement as well as making the most of the opportunity to network with some of the top brass in the international crossfit community.

Ah Sam has already put the disappointing campaign behind her and started training for her next challenge, the 2014/15 Teen Gauntlet Challenge series which will see events being held throughout the North Island in October, January, and April.

Her priority, however, was to express her deep gratitude to the Kaitaia community, along with a wide circle of friends and whanau, for helping her represent her home town and New Zealand in America.

"I couldn't have done this without all your help," she said. "The experience was amazing and a lifetime dream.

"Thank you for helping me get another step closer to my goal of competing at the Crossfit Games."

Thanks also went to Henry Heke from Teen Gauntlet NZ for organising the US tour, as well as various individuals here and overseas.