CROSS-TRAINING

This month we introduce you to Lida Versfeld of Cape Town , whose journey from starting HYROX training , to racing and competing , now sees her joining the PUMA , HYROX SA and Nutritech family . She has blazed a trail in HYROX in a short space of time and at just 20 years old , has a very bright future ahead of her in HYROX and other hybrid formats . This is Lida ’ s story in her own words , showing that HYROX really is for everyone , and everyone has a different story and reason why ...

I danced from the age of three until 16 , but due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions , I was no longer able to attend my dance classes , and had to find another way of movement during this time . I started looking into weightlifting , inspired by my older sister , Fahrah ’ s commitment to CrossFit for many years . Fitness has always been a big part of my family ’ s life , and my parents encouraged us to do sports and take on a healthy lifestyle , but Fahrah got into sports more seriously than I did , and she was a runner and started her journey with CrossFit early on .

I soon fell in love with training and getting stronger every day , but then I fell into the same rabbit hole that I think a lot of people go down in the fitness industry , becoming obsessed with the results . I developed a toxic relationship with the gym during this time , as I would spend nothing less than two to three hours each day lifting weights , and I would always be in a calorie deficit , and obsessed over how much protein and calories were in all my meals . This is something incredibly damaging to a 17-year-old , but I unfortunately thought this was healthy , because every role model I had on social media at the time was doing the same .

Taking It ’ s Toll

This cycle continued for three years , during which I started to suffer from severe eating disorders and mental health issues . As a result , 2023 was one of the hardest years of my life … I completely lost myself , and my purpose . I stopped training , I stopped caring about what I consumed , fell into a binge-eating disorder , and as a result I gained a ton of weight . At the end of 2023 , I hit rock bottom , and that was a massive wakeup call . I got up one morning and decided that I was done with this toxic cycle , and had to make a serious decision to live a better-quality life going forward .

I then got a call from Ruan Retief , head coach and owner of Boundfit , a functional training facility in Milnerton . He was a family friend , and he had been a CrossFit coach to Fahrah for many years , before moving to Cape Town . Ruan mentioned that there was a new hybrid sport in town , HYROX , and encouraged me to join a class . To be honest , when he started explaining the concept – running , into a functional exercise , into even more running – I was not interested at all , because I was never much of a runner , but I decided to give it a go regardless . Surely Ruan couldn ’ t have been this excited about something that wasn ’ t amazing ?

I would be the biggest liar if I said I loved the first few classes . In fact , I cried on the way home after my second class . Nevertheless , I stuck around , because my soul needed the community that HYROX had to offer , more so than the physical benefit at the time . Long story short , it has been one of the best years of my life ! HYROX took me on a path to find a life of balance . HYROX has become one of my biggest passions in life , and I even enjoy running now !

Finding a New Home

This sport has not only transformed me physically , putting me in the best shape of my life , but most of all , my mental health is excellent now . I have found myself within this sport , I found purpose , and I truly found a home at BoundFit , and a new family within the HYROX community . They pour so much positive energy into everyone involved , and it really showed at the Cape Town race ! The first HYROX race in SA was absolutely amazing , there wasn ’ t a dull moment , and I think I speak for everyone when I say we saw so many people , from all backgrounds and ages , break through a mental barrier and find a new belief within themselves !

As for what happens going forward , I am so honoured to announce that I am an official signed HYROX athlete and busy working on something exciting with my friend and business partner , Cameron Cleaver . I am so incredibly excited for the journey of growth ahead , both within this sport and in my life .

A Note from Cameron

Lida was my teammate for the Mixed Relay at HYROX Cape Town in October , where we managed a commendable fourth place after our other races earlier in the day . We share the same performance coach in Ruan Retief of BoundFit in Cape Town , and even though there is a 23-year age gap , we plan to compete together again this season . – CAMERON CLEAVER , HYROX ATHLETE & BRAND AMBASSADOR

52 ISSUE 174 | www . modernathlete . co . za