14-year-old wants to become world's strongest teen
A Christchurch 14-year-old is vying to prove she is the strongest teenager in the world at the global teenage CrossFit Games.
Tahlia Vosaki will fly to Ohio in the United States in August for the competition, which is reserved for the top 30 fittest teenagers in her age group.
CrossFit involves high intensity interval training, which builds strength and conditioning through weightlifting, gymnastics and cardio.
The 14-year-old said she had a rigorous training schedule, and switched to homeschooling last year to help her achieve her goal.
"I train five days a week, and I have two rest days and on one of them I swim and do a recovery," she told RNZ's Afternoons.
"On my training days I train once in the morning which would be about one-and-a-half to two hours, then I go home and do my schoolwork, and then in the afternoon I would go back to the gym and have a two to two-and-a-half-hour session."
Tahlia Vosaki, 14, will represent New Zealand at the global teenage CrossFit Games. Photo:Tahlia Vosaki
Vosaki's personal bests included lifting 160kg in the deadlift and 85kg in the snatch lift (lifting a barbell from the ground to overhead in one smooth motion).
She said she got into CrossFit through her parents.
"They would take me and my sister with them to the gym and I remember watching them do their CrossFit classes and wanting to do them," she said.
Competing at the world games had been a long-held goal, she said.
"There were two different steps to qualify for the games. The first one was the CrossFit open where a bunch of teams sign up and it was one workout a week for three weeks, then the top 200 move on to the semi-finals which was over a weekend, we had five workouts, and whoever qualified from that the top 30 goes to CrossFit Games," Vosaki said.
"I hope to keep doing this and make it to the adult games when I'm older."
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