AT JUST 12 years of age, Lucy Lund wandered into a CrossFit gym.
What started as a simple “tag along” with a school friend, soon grew into an intense enthusiasm for the variety, challenge, and community that CrossFit offers.
Now a teenager, Lucy has placed 26th in the world, which means she has qualified for the Teenage CrossFit Games in Columbus, Ohio, this August.
“CrossFit hasn’t just made me stronger, it has helped me find my passion,” Lucy told News Of The Area.
“It has given me a place where I feel confident, where hard work matters more than talent, and where I have learnt that I am capable of so much more than I believed.”
The road to Ohio however, isn’t an easy one.
“Lucy trains six days a week, including late nights after school, occasionally an early morning training session, and longer sessions on weekends”, said her mum Vicki.
“Her program includes a mix of strength, gymnastics, conditioning, skill specific work, and active recovery.”
But training is just one piece of the puzzle for the 15-year-old.
“She juggles training with her Year 11 studies, and relies on careful time management, the support of her parents and teachers, and plenty of determination.
“Lucy also prioritises nutrition and recovery to support her training.”
With guidance, preparation, and support from Port Macquarie CrossFit 2444’s owner and long-standing coach Shane Gregory, she placed third in her age group at last year’s Torian Pro Oceania Championships in Brisbane.
“This year Lucy placed fourth in the same competition, battling it out against seven other female athletes, four of them also being 2025 games athletes,” Vicky said.
Lucy will compete in the 16-17yrs division but won’t know her program until a week beforehand.
It is expected she will be doing a variety of gymnastics movements like ring muscle-ups, Olympic lifting, running or swimming, and other high intensity movements that test strength and endurance.
While Lucy’s 2025 scores qualify her at 26th in the world, putting her in good, strong company, these scores are reset for the upcoming Games.
So she will need to push harder than ever.
Lucy is hoping for the community’s help to get to the Games.
A GoFundMe campaign can be found under “help-get-lucy-to-the-teenage-crossfit-games”.
“Travelling to the US, covering registration fees, accommodation, flights, and other expenses comes at a huge cost,” and the support of the community means everything,” Vicky said.
Lucy added, “I’m proud to prove that strong girls from small towns can do big things.
“Dreams grow when you don’t give up on them. And I promise, I’m going to give it everything I have.”
By Rikki WALLER
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