Area’s most fit enter the Thunderdome
They did wall walks, chin-ups, ran, lifted kettle balls and barbells with 250 pounds of weights on them, pushing themselves past their limits.
This is Thunderdome, and it came to the Lee Civic Center for the third straight year this past weekend. Nearly 400 top athletes in 11 classes competed to determine the most fit man or woman in the area.
Thunderdome, put on by Fit Nation magazine, has taken advantage of the Cross Fit craze and started its own regional competition with many of the same events that test the fitness and abilities of the competitors.
More than 1,500 spectators came over the weekend to cheer their favorites on or to see what this new sport is all about.
What the newbies saw was nothing short of amazing. They saw Nicole Torrez walk up a wall, using her hands to help her bring her feet upward, as part of a relay race.
They saw Tyler Toner of Cape Coral compete in an event where he had to run, do chin-ups and swing a 50-pound kettle ball over his head, three times, all in under 12 minutes.
They saw Sean Weaver squat 250 pounds more than 20 times in a pure feet of strength that would make the Festivus Hall of Fame.
What makes these people work themselves to the absolute maximum of their abilities? The reasons vary.
Matt Torrez, Nicole’s brother who also runs his own Cross-Fit location in Naples, said, was there to support their members and the community.
“They want to showcase their fitness and all the hard training they put in every day and compete against local athletes,” Torrez said. “These are everyday people. Many aren’t former athletes. They are brand new and have done Cross-Fit for six months, while others have done it for three years.”
Torres said the athletes build a camaraderie. They build a bond as these competitors become best friends.
“They go through the pain together and when they finish a hard workout, they root each other on and it’s an accomplishment every day you come in,” Torrez said.
Toner got involved with the sport as a way to get his father in shape after hip surgery. He got hooked, and at 20 years old he wants to continue on to become one of the fittest men in America. Now, that takes commitment.
“I hope to make it to the games in a couple years. I do it because it’s something that I love. When you can’t breathe, it’s like a natural high,” Toner said. “I wake up at 5:30 a.m. to work out, go to work, come home and do another session at 8 p.m.”
Toner said the best thing is that these events throw a lot of curve balls at you, so you have to train for the unknown because if you don’t, you could be left unprepared.
“It’s about high intensity and functional fitness. That’s what we’re here to do. One day you’re swimming, the next you’re benching. You never know,” Toner said.
The final event was 20 kettle bell snatches, 30 toe-the-bar, 40 wall balls (catching a 25-pound medicine ball that you throw high against a wall) and 50 calories on an airbike before going down to 40 wall balls and 30 toe-the-bar and 20 kettle bell snatches, which must be done within 15 minutes.
Melissa Schardt, of Bonita Springs, was competing in team events. She said she had a background in long-distance running and wanted to being her fitness to the next level.
“I also wanted to be strong and Cross-Fit combines both endurance and strength. I liked that aspect and really fell in love with it,” Schardt said. “
Sara Levene of Fort Myers, said she started training after she had a baby.
“My girlfriends were doing it and I decided to try it and became addicted,” Levene said. “There’s something about the competitiveness and everything you do is a huge sense of accomplishment. I makes you want to come back for more.”