Meet The First Malaysian Participants To Represent The Country At The CrossFit Games

Recently in August, the 2019 CrossFit Games was held in the United States and two people became the first Malaysians to represent the nation.

The international competition is also known as the Olympics of CrossFit, so it is a big deal to finally have some Malaysian representation!

Amira Ayob, who has earned the title as the Fittest Female in Malaysia, was able to finish 92nd among 141 athletes from around the world.

The 28-year-old never imagined herself as an athlete and was thrilled to be competing in something this big out of Malaysia.

Formerly an engineer, Amira was first introduced to CrossFit in 2014 when she was studying at Ohio State University.

To keep you up to speed, CrossFit is a high-intensity fitness programme that combines elements from different sports and types of exercise.

"I started doing lots of fitness classes with my friends that semester and found myself wanting to do more. My friend brought up CrossFit and said I might enjoy it, so I signed up right away the following week! I didn’t even know what it was exactly but I was looking for a challenge," she told The Star.

She was attracted to CrossFit because it has various functional movements and it exposed her to different sporting elements, like Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, gymnastics, mobility, and more.

So it's like learning something new every day!

According to Amira, CrossFit is the least male-dominated sport around, which is rare, especially when a woman can beat a man in a workout at anytime.

In order to maintain her fitness level, she trains between four and five times a week at the gym, or with swimming and track sessions.

"I always make sure I eat right and get enough sleep. These two things get overlooked a lot, but honestly, when people ask what supplements I take to stay fit, I always ask them how many hours you sleep at night and how you are nourishing your body," she said.

"You should not look for supplements if you cannot cover these two important things."

Amira currently works as a coach at a functional fitness gym in Subang Jaya.

Edmund Tan, who is a certified CrossFitter, also joined as the first Malaysian male to represent the country at the CrossFit Games.

The 33-year-old first fell in love with the sport after a friend had recommended him to try CrossFit to help him slowly get back in shape following a shoulder injury.

He quickly dived deep into it and ended up competing in his first event at the CrossFit Games Asia Regional in 2011.

"CrossFit has helped me with self-exploration physically and mentally. Through all the training, I found myself adapting quickly and physically. I became fitter, faster and stronger, and my mental toughness has increased so much that I am able to keep a calm mind when dealing with unforeseen situations," he told The Star.

Later in 2013, Edmund was approached to be the head coach of a CrossFit training centre in Hong Kong and he has been working there ever since.

He also competed as part of a team at the CrossFit Games Pacific Regional in 2014 and 2015.

But qualifying for the recent CrossFit Games is definitely the highlight of his CrossFit career.

“It was my first time competing in this international CrossFit Games. I ranked 104 globally. I did not do as well as I wanted but I made a right decision to be in the Games as it was a rare opportunity to be able to compete with all the strong athletes there,” the Fittest Man in Malaysia said.

He hopes that more effort can be put into developing the industry in Malaysia.

CrossFit is one of the rare gems as it brings together a supportive community.

"At more than 15,000 affiliates around the world, athletes encourage and motivate each other to work towards their goals," Edmund shared.

This is the reason he aims to set up a training ground in Malaysia in the near future for athletes aspiring to advance their sporting performance, namely starting a CrossFit box and education centre to organise fitness-related courses.

"When all that is done, I would also like to be able to host one of the CrossFit competitions in Malaysia which will attract many well known athletes all around the world," he added.

Congratulations to both Amira and Edmund, you are definitely taking CrossFit towards the right direction and putting Malaysia on the map!