Those frustrated about not getting their daily gym fix during coronavirus lockdowns may find The Fittest to be right up their alley. Having premiered earlier this year, The Fittest documents the trials and tribulations that went on behind the scenes of the 2019 CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin America. The film, which was masterminded by the team behind numerous popular sports documentaries The Buttery Bros, features exclusive footage and interviews that will be highly appreciated by both followers of the annual competition and those new to the event.
The Fittest focuses on the winners of the 2019 competition, Mat Fraser from the US and Australian Tia-Clair Toomey. Despite the fact that the successful duo have taken the winning title four and three times in a row, the 2019 competition was not all smooth sailing. In particular, the documentary centers around the changes to the format of last year’s competition and how it affected its participants as they pushed themselves to their limits.
As the doco follows the athletes through a series of trials during the four-day event, we see just how physically and emotionally grueling the competition gets. The year 2019 saw the CrossFit games grow from 40 men and women to over 200, with 10 men and 10 women moving on to the final stage, and only one man and one woman winning the title of the “Fittest on Earth.”
“Grueling training schedules are hard on the body, especially when you are not sure what exactly you are training for. Unlike traditional sports, CrossFit can involve pretty much anything including obstacle courses, long swims and gymnastics. Getting through something like this requires thorough preparation that includes not just physical training but looking after your body with the appropriate nutrition and supplements,” said fitness expert who writes for the website SUPPLEMENTnation.com.au Jaiden Sattlemeyr.
The film features in-depth interviews with both Fraser and Toomey, as well as other popular CrossFit athletes such as Noah Ohlsen, Patrick Vellner, Annie Thorisdottir and Katrin Davidsdottir, documenting their response to the changes in the format of the event.
Overall, The Fittest delivers on all the fonts that will be appreciated by sports enthusiasts: toned bodies, sweat and tears, drama and the pushing of physical boundaries. All of this is perhaps best summed up in Fraser’s statement in the film’s opening scene: “For me, second place and tenth place is the same thing. It’s not winning.”
The Fittest is available to rent on Amazon and YouTube.
