CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT - Workout 13.4 of the CrossFit Open 2013 was just released hours ago and the athletes of CrossFit Spartan Shield are maintaining the competitive spirit amongst the contenders here on Camp Buehring, Kuwait.
Chief Warrant Officers John Wurtz, of Rapid City, S.D., assigned to B Co., 935th Aviation Support Battalion and Chris Newlon, of Hamilton, Ill., assigned to B Co, 1/106th Aviation regiment (Assault) are two more soldier-athletes, who have accepted the challenge that the Open has presented CrossFitters around the world.
Both gentlemen are UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter pilots or as Newlon self proclaims they are sky gods. These two are within their first year of discovering the amazing world of CrossFit and the both agree that CrossFit was the push they needed in the fitness world to give them drive and a competitive edge.
"One the reasons that makes CrossFit fun, is the competition with your friends. This makes you train harder, which makes your friends train harder," said Wurtz.
"Being an A-class type personality, competition pushes me," said Newlon. "CrossFit has absolutely helped push myself in my training."
Like many athletes competing in the open, the soldier-athletes here are getting fitter and reaching goals and personal records (PR) they never thought they could and that is what this competition is all about, doing the best you can.
"I want to see how I stack up against my fellow athletes here," said Newlon. "I really am looking forward to seeing how well I do overall."
"Since being fairly new to CrossFit, almost everything is a PR," said Wurtz. "I am looking forward to seeing what the training that I have done thus far has done for me."
CrossFit pushes athletes to not only perform better, become fitter, but it also promotes healthy eating and life choices. When it is hard, CrossFitters push harder. Something triggers in the athlete, to push onward to the next level, to strive to be better than yesterday. There is a drive to find the time to do the workouts-of-the-day.
"Here, at Camp Beuhring, it is very easy to get to the box every day, since training and personal life is basically one in the same. When I get home and get to be a husband and dad again, the schedule will definitely change," said Wutrz. "But I want to get equipment at the house to workout with my family."
It's hard to not think about family and want the best for them as well, especially since the deployment is coming to an end for some of our athletes. However, CrossFit Spartan Shield is focused on performing each event to the best ability possible. Push. Drive. Achieve. Do work.