Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Marissa Tiel

STRONG DEBUT – Cliff Schultz, pictured here at his gym CrossFit 867 in Riverdale, logged his first individual result at a CrossFit competition last weekend, finishing 10th at the CanWest CrossFit Games in Coquitlam, B.C.

Cliff Schultz logs first individual result at CanWest CrossFit Games

Cliff Schultz knew it was going to be hot on the Lower Mainland for his first individual CrossFit Games.

By Marissa Tiel on August 4, 2017

Cliff Schultz knew it was going to be hot on the Lower Mainland for his first individual CrossFit Games.

Battling humid temperatures that crept into the high 20s, Schultz kept his composure to pull off a personal best 10th place at the CanWest CrossFit Games in Coquitlam, B.C. last weekend.

“I did a little bit better than I thought I would,” said the 40-year-old, who trains out of CrossFit 867 in Riverdale. “The heat was just so hot compared to Whitehorse.”

Schultz qualified for the Games through a series of workouts and then had his scores recorded online.

He place eighth in the qualifier out of more than 300 athletes.

Schultz has competed in CrossFit before, at the team competition in Lloyminster, Alta.’s Battle on the Border, but last weekend in B.C. was his first individual competition.

He arrived Friday morning and competed in his first event – a four-mile run – that evening.

It was his worst event, he placed 11th out of 12, but continued to build on his performance from there.

In event two, he placed 10th, performing power cleans. Event three involved muscle ups and he placed eighth.

With everyone watching, Schultz said that his adrenaline got pumping.

He tore his hands early in the game and, not expecting it to happen – it’s uncommon for him to have skin tears on his hands – he had to run to the store to get tape to finish the competition.

Event four involved double unders, handstand pushups and a farmer walk. He placed seventh.

Event five incorporated assault bikes and overhead squats. He stayed steady at seventh.

For the final day of competition on Sunday, Schultz competed in three more events.

Event six involved a number of different Olympic lifts separated by rope climbs. He placed seventh.

In event seven, he got to put to use a new skill he’d been practising leading up to the competition: handstand walks.

The workouts were released two weeks prior to the competition and athletes could train the movements to be better prepared for the Games. The one that Schultz focused on was the handstand walk.

The practice paid off as he finished ninth in the event.

Schultz, who owns CrossFit 867, Peak Fitness and Avalanche MMA, finds time to train in between operating the businesses and teaching classes of his own.

“I like it because you don’t know what’s coming next,” he said of CrossFit. “You always have to be ready for the unknown, they say. It’s neat that way.”

The final event of the competition was another Olympic-family lift: the max hang squat snatch. Schultz placed seventh.

He finished in 10th overall after all eight events.

While he was invited to another CrossFit competition in Calgary in the fall, Schultz said he’s focusing on training for the Battle on the Border, which takes place in November.

He plans on competing in more individual competitions soon.

“I just had a blast,” he said.

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