CrossFit: Georgia Pryer on Down Under Championships and fitness in her future

The Snake Athletic coach got her start in sport through gymnastics, in which her parents enrolled her at the age of seven.

From the way she described her childhood, it was a smart move.

"[Mum and Dad] told me I was always in the lounge, doing forward rolls and cartwheels," Pryer said.

"Trying to, obviously. I didn't know what they were yet ... so they got me into some gymnastics classes, and that was it."

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After 11 years as a gymnast, Pryer followed some of her friends into CrossFit when she turned 18.

She "didn't know much" about the sport at the time, but given her background in coaching gymnastics, it wasn't long before she was hired by Snake Athletic owner Jake Douglas to perform that same role at his gym.

Now, at 24 years old and approaching her third Down Under Championship in Wollongong, Pryer feels that fitness is more than a career calling. It is a way of life.

"I know that I just want to be fit my whole life," she said.

"I want to be independent as I age, run around with my kids and grandkids. So I think [fitness] definitely needs to be a part of my life to ensure those things can happen."

And while she has no idea how long she will compete in CrossFit, Pryer will "keep doing it while I love it".

She will be joined at the championships December by four other members of Snake Athletic: Douglas, Maisie Wilde, Ellen Ellis, and Caitlin Ham.

Pryer and Douglas will compete in the Elite Female's and Elite Male's divisions respectively, while Wilde, Ellis, and Ham will participate in the Elite Female Team division.

Up to this point, Pryer's preparation has been relatively disrupted due to a run of personal commitments.

But over the next four weeks, the Tamworth product will commit herself to an intensive training regimen to prepare as best she can.

It helps, too, that the pressure is not as fierce as it has been in the past for Pryer, particularly after her CrossFit Games semi-final run this year and a fifth-place finish in Wollongong last year.

"It definitely does help, knowing that I can rank myself against some of the best in our region, and in the world," she said.

"Knowing that you've been able to reach the same level as them gives you a whole new perspective on yourself and what you're capable of."

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