In an impressive display of raw muscle power on Sunday afternoon at the National Park tarmac, Reebok Fitness Games 2020 prospects Dillon Mahadeo and Delice Adonis outperformed the competition in the Kares Caribbean Fitness Challenge to be crowned champions in their respective categories.
Dillon Mahadeo, powering through a 335-pound deadlift on his way to the Kares Caribbean CrossFit Challenge championship
Although dark clouds had overcast skies from which brilliant sunshine had been pouring after the first three events were staged, nothing was more ominous than the glistening, sculpted, muscled bodies displayed by the 31 athletes vying for top honours.
The 6th annual Kares Caribbean Fitness Challenge got off to a tough start at the crack of dawn on Sunday, when the athletes participated in rice-bag carrying; overhead squats; and a high-speed, one mile run around the National Park.
Burpees, cleans, no-touch- box jump-overs, lugging kettle bells, heavy-bag carries, reps, thursters and pull-ups were all witnessed over the course of the next 4 events when the competition reconvened at 1pm; and the boisterous crowd was sent into a frenzy at intervals.
Female champion Delice Adonis, perfectly executing a thruster
After three events, Dillon Mahadeo of CrossFit 592 was in prime position to sweep the competition, but a split- second slip in event# 4 raised question marks about his chances, especially with his opponents Omisi Williams and Shane Hamel-Smith shining in that very same event.
But when spectators made their way to the National Park tarmac to get a better look at the deciding event #five, in which double unders, pistol squats, hand stand push-ups, muscle-ups, deadlifts, and a handstand walk were all on the cards, they saw Dillon Mahadeo breezing his way through these exercises in just about 5 minutes, to be crowned the five-time champion with 485 points to his tally.
Female champion Delice Adonis and male champion Dillon Mahadeo
Following his awesome performance, a beaming Mahadeo shared that he was, most of all, grateful to his support system.
“It feels great to be back here for the sixth time, winning my fifth title. I must say, ‘Thank you’, to all my supporters, my sponsors, Fitness Express, MVP Sports, Premyum, Fireside Grill, Lotus Hardware and Degree, my family, my mother, my siblings.
“You know you can’t get here without your support system, so I’m just very grateful and thankful. It feels great to come here and retain my title,” an ecstatic Mahadeo declared.
The male rope-climbing event in progress
The female championship contest was equally captivating, with similar events in smaller measure.
Eventual champion Delice Adonis of CrossFit 592 got off to a slow start in her one-mile run, finishing fifth in a field of 10 competitors.
She, nevertheless, bounced back to two first places and a second in her remaining events, enabling her to bag the top spot with 456 points.
The top 5 male athletes
Adonis later shared why she struggled in her first event, and what motivated her to go for the gold. Here’s what she said: “Today got off to a slow start. I’ve been recovering from an injury to my shoulder, and I was scared of pushing it. But, I mean, this is a lot on the line; competition is competition, and it doesn’t make sense if you’re not going to give your best. So, I made sure to do that for the rest of events, and it was favourable.”
In the male category, Linden’s Omisi Williams (Perry’s Gym) bagged the $400,000 second prize with 460 points, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Shane Hamel- Smith (We Heart CrossFit) finished third with 442 points and took home $300,000. Guyana’s Kellon Reid (Fitness Addicts/Sharpy Fitness Gym) and Suriname’s Mark Tawjoeram (Rock CrossFit, Paramaribo) had 414 and 410 points respectively, and they copped the $200,000 and $100,000 fourth and fifth prizes respectively.
The top 5 female athletes
Kim Pinas of Suriname’s Rock CrossFit was second to Adonis in the female category with 445 points. Semonica Duke and her Genesis Fitness Gym mate Tonnica Archer finished third and fourth, with 440 and 416 points respectively.
Suriname’s Lieke Verwoerd (The Backyard Box), with 410 points, completed the podium space.
Athletes more than 30 years old were also recognized for their commitment to the sport. In the female category, Rochelle Jin Wong Joe (The Backyard Box, Suriname) was the best Over- 30 finisher with 319 points. She was awarded $100,000.
The Surinamese female trio during their penultimate event
Latoya Roberts of Genesis Fitness Gym, who finished second with 292 points, bagged $75,000.
In the male category, the Bajan Demron Thomas, who missed out on a top-five placement, picked up a $100,000 prize in the Over-30 category. While he did not make it to the final event, Thomas finished on 296 points.
Guyana’s Paul Meusa of Kares CrossFit was second with 264 points, while Shawn DeJesus of Living the Dream was third with 249 points. They pocketed $75,000 and $50,000 respectively.
Sponsors of this auspicious event included Lotus Hardware, Kares CrossFit, Ansa McAl, MVP Sports, Fitness Express, Pollo Tropical, Birkenstock, St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital, Star Party Rentals, and Genesis Fitness Gym.
