Calgary gym helps obstacle racers from all over the world climb to the top

When it comes to the World Obstacle Course Racing Championships, COR.FIT gym in Calgary has some of the top athletes in the world.

At the recent tournament in Vermont, five athletes from the club ended up with top-10 finishes.

Sylvia Gackle-Smith was competing in her first World Obstacle Racing Championship and she finished second in her age group in the 15-kilometre race. She says it's tough and challenging and you're sore all over after finishing the races but it's also so rewarding physically and mentally.

"I think it's a good metaphor for life too,” she said. "Overcoming obstacles – I think physically overcoming them makes you more resilient about overcoming them in other areas of your life as well."

REMARKABLE FEAT

COR.FIT, located in northeast Calgary, boasts 13,000 square feet of training space loaded with all kinds of obstacles.

Kathy Karpati co-owns the business with her partner Sean Sweeney. Karpati also competes and finished fourth in the 15-kilometre race. She's proud of the gym's accomplishments, especially the result at the recent competition.

"We try and focus on the obstacles," Karpati said.

"There's a lot you can do outside of a gym to prepare for a race like this but to come in and actually touch the obstacles and get that time on them that's where our focus leads to our success."

MULTI-SPORT FACILITY

Sweeney also competed in Vermont, finishing 10th in his age group in the three-kilometre obstacle race. He says he wants COR.FIT to be known as a multi-sport facility.

"We train for the unknown, we train for the opportunity to adapt on the fly," Sweeney said.

"We have a variety of cross-training efforts. A lot of our members will do trail running, a lot of us will bike, mountain bike and road bike. A lot of us will do rowing competitions and what not. So it truly is that Venn diagram of the athlete where there's skill component and strength component all kind of molded into one and that's where you become the COR.FIT athlete."

BIG GOALS

Despite being injured, Nicole Palardy finished ninth in the three-kilometre race in 100 per cent completion. She says once you try obstacle course racing, it leaves you wanting more.

She has even bigger goals in the future and dreams of one day running the perfect obstacle race.

"The next level for me is going into it where it's like I've done all I can. I don't have to worry about injuries that are going to slow me down and now how do I perform. How do I tackle this."