Austin, Texas – Population 790,390
2012 AFM Fittest Competition – Competitors 258
Winners – 1 male, 1 female
My alarm is going off at 5:30am on a Saturday morning. Why? Oh ya, that’s right, I’m on the way to Camp Mabry to attend the 2012 AFM Fittest Competition Presented by Nexersys. I won’t be competing but I will definitely be inspired and might even consider it for next year. This is the first time this event has ever taken place and upon arrival, there is no doubt this event is in a league of its very own along with its contenders.
Just as the sun is rising, so are the covered pavilions and tents provided by event sponsors who will offer food, water, shelter and additional entertainment away from the 93 degree Texas heat. There may not be Gladiatorial combats like the ones the Coliseum hosted in the days of the Roman Empire but if there were, this would be the crowd to attend and the athletes to compete.
It’s 8am now and the first heat of males ages 50 and up is about to go with women ages 50 and up soon to follow at 8:30am. From Dynamax’s Standing Med Ball Toss to Dane’s Body Shop’s 40 yard dash to Pure Austin’s Pull Ups, you can find spectators and contestants eagerly watching in awe and cheering each other on as these men and women push their bodies from one extreme to the next. The day continues like this, alternating heats between men and women all the way thru to the 8th heat where women ages 20-29 will have their chance to earn the title of Austin’s fittest athlete. But the event doesn’t stop here. By 12:30pm, teams will be competing and by 1:30pm the Open Invitational will begin. Here you can see some of Austin’s very own famous athletes such as Paul Carrozza, owner of RunTex, Monica Brant, 2010 WBFF World’s Pro Figure Champion and Jen Olsen, author of Every Town Needs A Trail and CEO of Interactive Health Technologies, compete against each other.
By the end of the day, I was exhausted and as you know, I didn’t even compete. I spent most of my day out in the sun taking photographs of all of these athletes who had trained so hard. Or did they? Is it possible that fitness is just a part of their daily routine? This is their way of life and their healthy habit. Their love for working out has taken them to this level where they are ready to compete on any given day. This is health. This is fitness. This is the 2012 AFM Fittest Competition presented by Nexersys.
For more information on the 2012 AFM Fittest Competition, please visit www.afmfittest.com.
To learn who earned the Austin’s fittest male and female title and walked away with their very own Nexersys Home Model. . .stay tuned and visit us next week for the final results.
Special thanks to additional sponsors, Fitness Institute of Texas, Body by Frame, Oatmega Bar, CrossFit Central, Castle Hill Fitness, Camp Gladiator, Core Power and Whole Foods Market who helped make this event one of a kind.
By Pepper Martinek
