CrossFit - one of the world's fastest growing sports, which involves competing through multiple disciplines to display athletic power, strength and stamina - first came on to Jobe's radar while he was a student at Tikipunga High School.
His physical education teacher at the time, Tracey Stewart, was preaching the gospel of the sport and the attraction to the unique aspect of the sport was imminent.
Jobe's previous sporting loyalties were to rugby union and league. "There's so many different elements to CrossFit and being a good CrossFitter. There's always something to work on, you can never be perfect," the now Whangarei Boys' High School student said. Jobe spends close to 20 hours per week in the gym and it has given this once quiet boy a chance to speak up.
"Say if I'm the strongest person at the gym, I would most likely be lacking in my cardio and running fitness. You have to find a balance," he said.
Jobe's mother Andrea has seen the wonders the sport has done for her son first-hand.
"He was so shy ... doing CrossFit has done a lot for him," she said.
"He's so much more confident, you'd never have recognised him two years ago. If you saw Ioane two years ago, he had a good body but everything about him is more defined now."
Learning his trade out of Jake and Ness Lawgun's Far North CrossFit gym, Jobe and fellow Far North CrossFit gym representative Krista Mackay joined Kaitaia's Christian Linder, Kelly Lum, Kyla Smith, Dakota Li Lum and Brooke Ah Sam to make up a seven-strong contingent of Northlanders competing for the team of 15 from New Zealand at the Teen Gauntlet.
Ah Sam finished first in the female junior varsity division while team-mate Smith came second in the same division.
Other rankings saw Li Lum finish fifth overall in the female novice division, brother Kelly Lum finish third overall in the male junior varsity, Mackay place ninth in the varsity female, while Christian Linder was unable to finish his campaign due to illness.
