Mental fortitude the greatest challenge for Duke, Mahadeo

…duo set eyes on title retention

In 2017, it was a Cross Fit 592 sweep with marque athletes Semonica Duke and Dillon Mahadeo taking the individual titles and the duo is out to make a repeat come Sunday at the fourth annual Kares Engineering Fitness Challenge being held at the National Park.
Preparation has been going on stream and both revealed to Guyana Times Sport overcoming the mental constrains of the day’s gruelling events is what usually makes pip opponents.
“So far preparation has been good. It is tough to get the body prepared and it’s going to be a gruelling day; a lot comes down to mental preparation”, Duke posited.

At the previous event, Duke ended the day as the most prolific female athlete with 490 points, 15 more than her nearest rival Delice Adonis of Team Fitness Paradise and Christine Rahman of Team Elite Systems who took third with 455 points.
On a holistic outlook of the competition, she applauded the increase in women seeking to compete. At the launching of the event it was revealed 11 females have decided to face the test.
Mahadeo’s comments were not far his partner adding, “Mental fortitude is very important; you can put in the world of preparation but when it comes to competition-day it’s like you have to be an animal, it is a whole different thing and if you can defeat your competitor mentally that is point s for you”.
The Cross Fit dynamo became was the first to successfully defend his title at the event by emerging with 462 points, 52 more than Charlie Walker-Yhap of Team Fitness Paradise and seems bent on sticking to the winning script.
“I am sticking to what I have been training all year round and hope I execute on the day. There is no secret, it is juts hard work, whenever I try and compete it is always up to the limit you cannot give 50%; there is no holing back and that is why I love it”.
The first segment of the day’s proceedings will be 100 Double Unders, 25 Deadlifts, 400m run, Females 185#, Males 275#.
Part two has 21 Toes to Bar, 50 wall balls 20lbs/14lbs, 13 Toes to Bar, 40 box jumps, 24 inch/20 inch, 8 Toes to Bar, 30 KB swings 55lbs/35lbs, 5 Toes to Bar, 20 Pull-ups, 3 Toes to Bar and 10 overhead squats 95lbs/65lbs.
In the third stage, the test will be of 24 Wall over Burpees, 100m Atlas Stone carry, 12 Wall over Burpees and 100m Atlas Stone carry.
Additionally, the movement requirements for the day will be Double unders, Overhead squat (65lbs/95lbs), Box jump 20/24, pull-ups, Toes to Bar, Kettlebell swings (35lbs/55lbs), Clean and Jerk, Wallballs (14lbs/20lbs), Rope Climbs, Thrusters, Deadlifts (185lbs/275lbs), Burpees and running. Admission to the venue is 1,000 and children under 10 are free. (Akeem Greene)