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Grand Forks Airmen throw down

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Amanda N. Grabiec
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
ST. CLOUD, Minn. --  Three Airmen from Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., participated in a St. Cloud, Minn. CrossFit competition Sept. 15.

Senior Airmen Matthew Lawrence and Abel Vazquez along with Airman 1st Class Greg Talbott, all from the 319th Civil Engineer Squadron, utilized their CrossFit lifestyle by competing in and judging the 2nd Annual Cloudy Town Throw Down.

CrossFit is a training system composed of functional movements that are used in daily lives such as lifting and jumping. The system is designed to forge elite fitness with core strength and conditioning.

The "Throw Down" was hosted by the Fast Factory, a CrossFit affiliate gym in St. Cloud. Vazquez said event coordinator John Swanson asked for qualified volunteers to judge the competition. Becoming a qualified judge requires the member to complete a CrossFit certification, an accomplishment Vazquez earned in March 2012.

"I felt so honored to be able to judge the competition," said Vazquez, who was unable to compete due to a wrist injury.

The competition started with three workouts, with the top 16 competitors advancing to a fourth workout and the top eight competing in the final workout. Each competitor received a score based on the time or repetitions completed during a workout, which determined whether they would advance to the final rounds. Lawrence placed 13th and Talbott placed 18th out of 54 competitors.

"I got into CrossFit in the summer of 2010," said Lawrence. "A lieutenant in my squadron told me to try it out at physical training one day. I remember looking at the workout and thinking 'How I am going to be able to do that many pull ups in one workout?' From that day on I was immediately hooked."

Lawrence and Talbott have 10 competitions between them.

"I competed in my first competition during a deployment in 95 degree heat with 100 percent humidity," said Lawrence. "I placed fourth in my first competition and learned what I needed to work on. Competing allows me to know what I need to work on for other competitions."

Vazquez said that CrossFit helps him maintain a great level of fitness year round. It not only prepares him for his annual fitness test, but helps him work hard and be patient to achieve goals.

Not only is CrossFit a community for these Airmen, it helps them perform their daily duties in the Air Force.

"Working in the electrical power production career field, we have to have certain strength to move things around. We move around five-gallon oil and fuel jerry cans, heavy tool bags, sledgehammers, among other heavy awkward objects in all directions," explained Talbott. "That can be quite taxing on the muscles when holding some of those things over-head. I believe this general physical preparedness training will not leave gaps in your physical ability when you need it."