Sydney, Australia… The Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, New Year’s Eve, sunshine, sunscreen, great food, great friends and… a drop-in at CrossFit Active! Following Daphne’s adventure in New Zealand, she had the great pleasure to pay a visit to Sydney where she was warmly welcomed and shown around by her friends Mel and Dave. And of course, their cool kids 😊

Crossfit gamers in Sydney

Every trip abroad is an opportunity to visit one or more CrossFit boxes and when my work trip to New Zealand continued in Sydney, I had to take the opportunity to get a taste of how they wod in Australia! This time, my quest to find an appropriate box was limited because of my short stay in Sydney, opening hours around New Year and proximity to my friend’s house. When your friend may want to start CrossFit, you check out their nearest neighborhood box, right?

And so, there was Crossfit Active. And don’t think because I just called them a neighborhood box, they don’t take things seriously! CrossFit Active was found in 2009 and has sent individuals, masters and teams to the Games. Owner Chad Mackay has competed and was also part of the CrossFit Invitational Pacific Team. Lynne Knapman is a successful masters athlete being a two time podium finisher and having competed in every single Games since 2010. And the name Alethea Boon doesn’t need any further introduction of course. After all these great facts, how could I resist? I went on and I arranged my drop-in via their website, which was very easy and straight forward.

 

The drop-in

The day of my drop-in, it was very warm and it was raining. I hadn’t worked out regularly since I left the Netherlands a month before, so I felt both excited and a little scared. My friends drove me to the box and while we drove past it twice, a trained CrossFit eye will recognize the type of building 😉 We arrived a little early which is always a good thing for me, because it gave me the opportunity to look around. There was enough space for the group of nine and all the equipment that you would expect from a decent CrossFit box. When it was time for our class to start, coach Michael introduced himself and everyone else in the group as well. A small gesture that made me feel very welcome! And then it was time for the wod…

The WOD

General warming up

3 RFT:
18 Push Ups
18 Front Squats
18 Burpees
18 Deadlifts

Time cap 35 mins

Cool down:
Dynamic and static stretching sequence

Inspiring world class coaches

After the warm up, Michael explained the wod to the group. He also helped modifying some moves to adjust for injuries. During the workout, that almost introduced me to Pukie, Michael was very involved, keeping an eye on everyone and gave some helpful cues. I did not manage to finish the wod, but after I caught my breath, I felt that addictive vibe we all know and love. We ended our workout with some good stretches. After high fives and group pics it was time to say goodbye to the coach and crew of CrossFit Active!

I enjoyed my drop-in at CrossFit Active. Their website states “To provide a positive and challenging environment that promotes health and fitness, through inspiring world class coaches that create a caring and educated community”. And that is exactly the vibe I caught on to during my visit. They have an active community of 250 member, organize social events and special events like beach workout! And of course, they welcome visitors from many countries all over the world! Pay them a visit, when you’re in the neighborhood!

Nice to know

• To arrange a drop-in, follow their Wodify link, choose your class and pay for your drop-in. Their current drop-in fee is A$35.
• The Artarmon location I visited is easily accessible by car, train or bus. It is about 1km from the Artarmon Train Station. Their other location, Waverton, is next door to the Waverton Train Station
• You can contact CrossFit Active via membership@crossfitactive.com.au for any questions or comments
• You can check out their Facebook page or Instagram for updates on their activities