Written by Margaret Joseph
It is July when the beauty of the Malvern landscape and Wild West conjure images of teams of enthusiastic and talented CrossFitters from across the country descending on a spectacular location to compete over a weekend in a series of challenging but enjoyable events. Fast forward six months to February, Gloucester GL1 Leisure Centre and Wild West Winter Slam, a new event to the CrossFit Competition Calendar, hosted by Glevum Fitness which includes the usual innovative workouts plus the bonus of a swimming contest in the 25m competition pool. However, like Wild West at The Three Counties Showground, this visionary event designed by Rob Burgess and Dan Crisp would not be possible without the help of the members of the Glevum Community and friends from the wider CrossFit world who volunteer their time and skills to ensure that the athletes have a truly satisfying experience as they tackle a variety of team workouts. The organisation and army of volunteers included a crew who worked tirelessly from Friday through until late Sunday night laying flooring, erecting the rig and preparing a range of equipment before dismantling it afterwards so that the Leisure Centre could return to normal business on Monday morning.
Alongside these there were teams of people lead by key members, who ensured the smooth running of the competition; registration, judging, results, gifting, announcements, music, marshalling and supervising athletes, security, first aid, selling event merchandise, aiding vendors, photography, supplying food and drinks.
Yet again, as a volunteer, it has been an awesome experience. I saw Glevum at its best; professional, enthusiastic, caring, willing to help and full of admiration for inspirational fellow CrossFitters who showed such grit and determination. It is interesting to note that the quality of the Wild West Team Competitions has made the events so popular that team places are snapped up as soon as registration goes online! There is a waiting list and competitors are willing to travel great distances for the opportunity to compete in what have become premier events. I am not surprised and I am looking forward to another delightful weekend in July.