Fittest in the Namib crowned

Fitness
Thirty-five teams competed in six different divisions at the sixth edition of the Fittest in the Namib competition.
Leandrea mouers
  • 5 Days Ago 16 December 2024
The Fittest in the Namib competition came to a close on Saturday evening after nearly two full days of competitors testing their limits and endurance,

Three teams emerged victorious from 35 teams competing in three main men’s and women’s divisions, with two of the teams being from South Africa, while another represented Zambia. Fittest in the Namib organiser Jancke Rentel described the competition as exhilarating. “The weather played along. We had the first event at the horse stables. All the athletes tackled an obstacle course. The RX division covered six or seven kilometers, while the scaled and masters divisions completed a distance five kilometers. We then moved to the beach where the athletes faced some gruelling challenges, including water and beach events. It’s truly a test of fitness, as we push the whole body, test limits, and challenge mental resilience.”

The competition concluded at the Vineta Central Sports Stadium.

“Two or three years ago, we had nearly 100 athletes in action and we are aiming to have 100 teams competing next year,” Rentel said. She added that plans are already being forged for next year's event. “Thank you to all our sponsors for making this event possible. We’re going to make it bigger and better. The dream is to make this a SADC event. It’s something I’m passionate about. By collaborating with other African countries, we can grow the sport.”

Special Olympics Namibia also joined the competition this year by hosting a fundraiser in the form of a Polar Plunge (an ice bath). Athletes and spectators had the opportunity to sit in an ice bath for as long as possible. Over the past two days, the record was set at 51 minutes.

Special Olympics Namibia caters specifically to athletes with intellectual impairments.

Levien Smit, the National Director of Special Olympics Namibia, said that Jancke is one of their volunteers. “She has a family member with an intellectual impairment, so this cause is close to her heart. Since we work towards inclusion and raising awareness, we thought this would be a great opportunity to collaborate with CrossFit. These CrossFitters are incredibly brave. Doing the Polar Plunge with them and daring them to be brave for inclusion is an ideal opportunity,” Smit said.

The Polar Plunge is an international programme of Special Olympics. “It’s a way to raise money for Special Olympics. We are an internationally affiliated programme supporting individuals with intellectual impairments. As a non-profit, we rely on funds to run our programs. This initiative not only raises money but also involves the community, encouraging them to contribute, have fun and create awareness about intellectual impairments.”

Smit noted that they are currently raising funds for the Winter Games in Italy next year, with about N$100 000 still needed. “Next weekend, we will participate in Team Flippy’s Swim Dash. Special Olympics has year-round programmes throughout the country, currently operating in six regions. People with intellectual impairments have limited opportunities in Namibia, and they truly need all the support they can get. While we use sports as a medium, we also run youth programmes, health initiatives and young athlete programmes.

"Currently, we serve about 1 800 athletes year-round. Our goal is to expand these programmes across the country, and additional funding will help us achieve this goal.”



Results

Scaled Male

1. Beyond Limits (Jahno du Plessis and Danco Burger)

2. Braaibroodjies (Coenraad Botes and Braam Boshoff)

3. Desert Boys II (Benediktus Matheus and Tangeni John Ilovu)



Scaled Female

1. Fit and Fierce (Marion van der Merwe and Isché Wahl)

2. Power Bunnies (Raica Coelho and Mila Coelho)

3. The Returns (Griet-Marie Coetzee and Madelein van Zyl)



Master Male

1. Coll'NDoctor (Collin Bester and Willem Genis)

2. No Rep (Jaco van Heerden and Leonhard Hinterholzer)

3. Aapkas Vets (Coenraad Steyn and David Francis)



Master Female

1. Fire and Ice (Azani Smit and Madeláne Hennop)

2. Old Steam (Alethea Borman and Katrina Simeon)

3. Just Cross Not Fit (Lillian Hinterholzer and Beatie Breytenbach)



RX Male

1. 2 Unlimited (Francois van Zyl and Henry Mudge)

2. All the Whey (Tyrone Pieters and Hawain Bampton)

3. Koshin CrossFit SA (Keegan Muri and Matt Seba)



RX Female

1. Koshin CrossFit SA (Amoré Geyser and Natalie Meaker)

2. B-Ener-G (Lezaan Groenewald and Francie Gerber)

3. SuperC (Shane Mans and Caroline Neumann)