Toughest Competitor Alive: Day One

By Volunteer Kat Cassidy

An 8.00am start and it was still cool down at Bangor sportsplex as competitors arrived for registration. Lots of stretching and jumping around the track as competitors warmed up literally not just for the cross country 5k but for heat.

As soon as the 5k cross country was underway I'm pretty sure they weren't complaining about the cool weather! First across the line was German Peter Wiek followed by Finland Kasia Haikola.

There are eight events that make up the TCA  (Toughest Competitor Alive) event so winning one event won't make you the overall winner as Steven McIlveen staff at games said: "It's all done on a points basis so really it's anyone's game until the end. Everyone does the cross country together then at the end are divided into their groups so in theory it should be a smooth continuous flow from event to event."

The shot putt event showed off power and strength with women throwing a 4kg ball and the men 6kg. Each competitor took two shots and their best distance was recorded.

Chuck Foot director from the federation of WPFG said: "I have been involved with the WPFG since it started in '85 and to win medals in the TCA event you need to be able to do all events well. If you're no good at shot putt then get a coach and a few lessons. You can tell those teams that mean business out on the track already."

Sore arms tired legs and next up was the 100m sprint. This was fast so it shows age and sex is no defining issue in sport! Track suits on, banana munching and energy drink downed, the athletes boarded the bus down the road to the high tech Aurora Sports Centre.

The Aurora sports centre in Bangor hosted the 100m swim followed by the packed out hall to watch the rope climb. First female to reach the top was from Spain followed by a fellow team member over half of the women managed the climb. The Spanish team blitzed the rope climb with nearly all of them reaching the top. There is a disc at the top that is covered in black that marks the athletes hands when touched - this shows the judges that they did actually reach the top.

The atmosphere in the hall was electric filled to the rafters with cheers in a multitude if languages and you didn't need to be a linguist to understand what everyone was shouting. More often than not all the men reached the top they just needed to be quick in order to set themselves apart. Tom from Alaska was delighted as he managed the rope climb for the first time so he was able to hold his head up high and return home no matter what the outcome of the competition.

As the events went on with pull ups and bench press. The girls were pushing anything around 50kg and the men more than double this

The obstacle race saw leaps and swings pushing them to the limit finally it was all over nearly 12 hours later and the much deserved medal places were awarded to:

Women's

45-49 Camilla Argen Sweden

35-39 Mikaela Kellner Sweden

39-34 Adorcion Alonso-lore Spain

18-29 Jenna Norwood

Men's

60-64 Arthur Weyenberg Belgium

55-59 David Milkos USA

50+ heavy Mark Winchester USA 

50-54 Raymond Soto USA

This is my last blog for the games and what a great event to finish on. I have met many inspiring individuals from athletes to volunteers and will leave with very fond memories. Thanks to the organisers, the athletes and supporters who have made these games truly enjoyable.

TCA event continues throughout the week. Find out more: http://www.2013wpfg.com/2013-sports/tca