ATLANTIC Way CrossFit was only opened in January 2014 by Laura Prosser and Cara Mifflin supported by Wales head coach Warren Gatland, but has already stamped its mark in the UK CrossFit scene this year with success at numerous national team and individual competitions.

Within the first month of opening, numerous members of Barry’s only CrossFit facility entered the CrossFit Open, an international online competition comprising five workouts released over five weeks. Even in its youth, this facility showed it was a competitive, dynamic and challenging box with even the newest members signing up for the challenge.

The next major challenge for the members was the Divided We Fall competition which saw teams of two males and two females enter three online qualifiers, with the top 100 teams going forward to compete at a live, two day event at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff. Atlantic Way qualified for the live event, qualifying in 33rd place, with the aim of maintaining that position. The team massively exceed their aim, making the semi final and proving themselves as the 12th fittest team in the UK.

Throughout the year, members enrolled onto online competitions where scores and videos are submitted online which gave all members a challenge, goal and the ability to compare themselves to competitors across the UK. These included team, partner and individual competitions where members could select categories and difficulty levels.

As the first year comes to an end, six girls from Atlantic Way made their way to the Welsh Women’s Throwdown in Pen-y-Bont. The girls completed in three heats, involving strenuous movements including pull ups, rowing, box jumps, front squats and Olympic lifting, before the fittest progressed to the final.

Business partners Laura Prosser and Cara Mifflin, the founders of Atlantic Way CrossFit and coaches at the facility, both made the cut for the final. Throughout the day Laura had taken first place in all three heats and the final challenge saw the girls move through the most difficult movements including double unders and overhead squats. After giving all they had, Laura took to the podium in first place to win the overall competition.

To round off what has been a phenomenal year for a new facility in Barry; Laura Prosser has recently been selected to compete in January’s live Athlete Games where she will compete against the fittest athletes in Europe.

Jo Wright, a member of the facility who joined having never tried CrossFit before explains that: “Laura and Cara have managed to successfully pull together a team of coaches and members who are wholly committed and really love what they do. The community of members at the facility is amazing. Since joining, not only have I improved my health and fitness in ways I never thought possible, I have made so many new friends along the way.

“The best thing about training at Atlantic Way is that on one side you will have Laura, someone so fit and inspirational, but yet happy to help everyone, and on the other side, you can have someone who has never done the movement before. It doesn’t matter as the coaches will work equally as hard with everyone so that we all achieve something every session.

“The members love going along to the competitions to watch and support the competitors. At every event I’ve been to, the Atlantic Way member have been the biggest (and loudest) supporters there, and it shows how deep and strong the community really is”.