Crossfit: Mount team off to Pacific Regionals in Sydney for eighth time

Mount Crossfit team members heading to Sydney are (from left) Katie Robertson, Luke McGruer, Ash Roozendaal and Emma Pilkington. Photo / Andrew Warner

Mount Crossfit continues to show it can foot it with the best in Australasia after extending its run to eight consecutive appearances at the Pacific Regionals — the qualifier for the Crossfit Games.

In June the Newton St-based gym will be one of five teams flying the Kiwi flag at Qudos Bank Arena at Sydney's Olympic Park in the hopes of qualifying for the global final in America.

The team of Luke McGruer, Ash Roozendaal, Katie Robertson and Emma Pilkington get to enhance their credentials as some of Australasia's fittest athletes after competing in a global five-week, five-workout online open and finishing top 10 in the overall regional standings.

Individuals are scored in each workout and their scores are averaged out across their team to determine final placings.

It will be Mount Crossfit's eighth consecutive appearance — more than any other club in New Zealand — after debuting with two individual athletes in 2011.

"To qualify for one regionals is an achievement in itself let alone eight in a row," said Luke McGruer, who is also managing director at Mount Crossfit.

"The level of athletes and conditioning continues to rise every year, but our track record of consistently getting athletes to this level shows we have a pretty good grasp on how to condition our athletes for the unexpected. It's an awesome feeling to be able to qualify individuals and teams over all these years."

During the three-day event the team will face a variety of tests designed to reveal any flaws in their fitness, from gymnastics, to rowing, swimming or weightlifting.

"You name it, it could be announced," said McGruer, who will head to Sydney for the seventh time.

"Which is why we try to make our training varied on a daily basis to help all our members — whether that be learning a skill they thought they may never achieve, or heading overseas to compete against the best in the Pacific."

This year teams will be reduced from six (three males, three females) to four (two males, two females).

"We have been working hard for a number of months now and are in the process of putting the finishing touches together working closely as a team of four," McGruer said.

"We can't wait to get out on the floor and put all the hard work into action and not only do our club proud, but New Zealand, too."

The Pacific Regionals are at Qudos Bank Arena, Olympic Park, Sydney from June 1-3.