Jenny Kemp, 50-54 year Masters Competitor from Crossfit Adelaide qualifed for the CrossFit Open after coming 15th in the world in the 50-54 year Masters competion. She actually placed first in the first open workout being 7 mins of Burpees, Jenny did 112 reps.
Masters athletes had to register for the Open 5 workouts per week. Some age divisions will have modified standards, but all workouts must be completed as prescribed. Masters competitors will not have to compete at the Regional level. The top 20 in each age category will receive invitations to compete at the CrossFit Games. So Jenny has a ticket to the USA to compete against the fitest from around the world
I asked Jenny what she thought about the CrossFit Open experience.
What did you think of about the games open?
“I particularly enjoyed the Games workouts this year. I thought they were inclusive and tested a broad range of skills. I was surprised though that they did not have anything heavy which was a comment stated by many worldwide if you had followed the Games website. (Not that I was unhappy about this, I tend to excel more in body weight met cons!) “
Hardest Games workout?
“Hardest workout for me would have been 12.2 with the snatch increasing weight. I am constantly working hard on improving my Olympic lifting having come to Crossfit with no background in this type of training, so having to increase the weight every 30 snatches I knew was always going to be a challenge for me.”
Best Games workout?
“Clearly 12.1, the burpee workout in 7mins, as I ended up equal first in the world for my Masters age group 50-54years. I was able to complete 112 burpees which I believe would not have been possible if not for the support of Amanda Allen.
Prior to this WOD I had mentally prepared myself for attaining at least 90-100 burpees. I was hoping that if I was able to get 100 burpees it would place me well in my age group. This WOD reminded me just how powerful the mind can be! I was physically and mentally working away in the WOD, completing burpee after burpee, but when I hit 100 my mind just seemed to shut down, I had not during my mental rehearsing allowed myself to go beyond 100 burpees thus when I hit the 100 mark I remember just looking at Amanda as if to say, “what now”? As a result of Amanda’s support she was able to get 12 more burpees out of me although I still struggle now to understand how that was. All I remember is just doing what she told me until I finally heard TIME!
Note to self, always prepare yourself for what you are capable and then add 10-20% more! We are all capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for!”
What weaknesses you found?
“Areas of improvement for me would be any overhead lifting and I have yet to achieve the ever elusive muscle up. Whether right or wrong it would appear to me that Crossfitters judge others on one’s ability to be able to do a muscle up. For me I will never ever be a complete Crossfitter as I believe the beauty of this sport is that you are always constantly learning and improving BUT the achievement of a muscle up for me will be a significant milestone in my training. I’m close but close is not good enough!”
What you did for lead up before the games?
“I am coached by Ben Norman from Crossfit Adelaide. My lead up to the Games was to do exactly as Ben programmed. I have absolute faith in Ben as my Crossfit coach and so I leave all the programming up to him. I have done this since I joined Crossfit Adelaide in August 2010. Any and all improvements I have made over the last year and a half have been as a result of Ben’s programming (along with sessions conducted by Ian McDonald and Lucy Randle) and 1:1 sessions that I have done with Olympic Weightlifting coach Chris Rae.”
How did you mentally prepare?
“When each workout is posted I would spend the best part of that Thursday stressing as to how I would do this workout and if in fact could I do this workout. On each Friday after the WOD release Ben would take the group through the finer details on how to approach the WOD. I would then mentally visualise my approach until I completed the WOD each Saturday morning.”
Did you change your training?
“No, I didn’t change much apart from the self-induced stress one places upon themself!”
Where did you do your workouts?
“Crossfit Adelaide at Welland. Exceptional box with exceptional trainers. I appreciate that everyone feels the same away about their own box so I am not alone when I say that CFA has the most amazing people who train there, it is a community which often a non crossfitting person will fail to understand in terms of our language (WOD, snatch, RX, metcon, oly lifting, thruster to name a few) our paleo eating habits and of course our , obsessive compulsory disorder in relation to reaching that next PR. CFA’s success is due primarily to its owner/head trainer Ben Norman, who provides an environment in training where people are serious in their training without sacrificing the fun and also where the members all enjoy and share in the successes of others.
One thing that has touched me greatly is that upon Ben and myself finding out I had qualified for the Crossfit Games in LA, he implemented a fundraising challenge within the Box to raise money to help send me to LA. It never ceases to amaze me just how strong the Crossfit community is in supporting each other.”
Did you do the workouts twice?
“Never. My mindset for all competition is this: You give absolute 100% to each WOD the first time.I would only ever consider completing a WOD a second time if there was a malfunction in relation to equipment or injury. I find the WOD’s hard enough the first time around let alone endure the pain a second time. Besides I am not the fastest person around in relation to recovery so I go into the WODs giving everything the first time.”
Where could you improve?
“Everyone can improve in some area of Crossfit, that’s what makes it Crossfit. I’m happy with my metcons and body weight WODs but as stated previously I don’t want just one muscle up I want consecutive so that’s my goal at the moment. I know that I also need to constantly work my Olympic lifting.”
Good luck to Jenny Kemp from Crossfit Adelaide at the CrossFit Games Masters 50-54yr age competition. I will be watching you just like I watched Amanda Allen last year, lets hope other SA atheletes make it all the way. Jenny is now on top of the world!
Writen by Adam Fowler
