Fit at 50: two ORE coaches reach world championship level
- Adam, ORE's owner and coach, qualified for the iF3 Masters World Championship after finishing 6th in Europe.
- Vic, one of our coaches, raced at the Deadly Dozen World Championships in London and finished 14th in her age group.
- Both are 50, and both train and coach right here in Halesfield.
- The same coaching is what every beginner gets in their very first class.
It's been quite a year for two of our coaches. Adam and Vic are both 50, both volunteer coaches at ORE, and both reached world championship level in 2026. We couldn't be prouder, and we hope their story shows that your fittest years can still be ahead of you, whatever your age.
Adam: from Sheffield to a World Championship place
Adam founded his own CrossFit gym in New Zealand in 2013 and has coached at ORE since 2018. He has competed at the top of his age group in the UK for around six years. In 2025 he entered his first formal national championships, the British Functional Fitness Championships, finishing 4th in the 45–49 age group, and went on to finish 13th at the European Masters Championships.
In 2026, his first year in the 50–54 age group, he went further. He finished 2nd at the British Championships in Sheffield in May, then climbed seven places on the previous year to finish 6th at the iF3 Masters European Championships at the University of Bath in August. That earned him a place at the iF3 Masters World Championship in Aruba. Both championships are made up of 30-plus athletes, each of whom qualified through their own national championships.
"Qualifying for a World Championship at 50 is a dream come true," says Adam. "I've been competing for six years, but earning a place alongside the best masters athletes on the planet is a whole new level. I hope it shows our members that your fittest years can still be ahead of you, whatever your age!"
What is functional fitness?
Functional fitness is a growing competitive sport that tests all-round fitness. Over a series of workouts, athletes face six tests: endurance, strength, bodyweight, skill, mixed modal (several movements combined) and power, using everything from running and rowing to weightlifting and gymnastics.
The sport's world governing body is the International Functional Fitness Federation (iF3), an independent not-for-profit working towards Olympic recognition. In the UK it's run by the British Functional Fitness Federation (BF3), whose British Championships are the route to European and World selection. Think of BF3 as the sport's equivalent of British Triathlon: the official governing body, while CrossFit is a commercial brand within the sport, much as Ironman is within triathlon. You can read more about BF3 and our other affiliations.
Vic: from netball to the Deadly Dozen Worlds
Vic played netball for 20 years until a severe knee injury ended her career. After rehabilitation she went looking for a new outlet for her competitive spirit and found CrossFit. In the four years since, she has completed 14 HYROX races, numerous DEKA events, CrossFit competitions and the Deadly Dozen.
In 2026 she qualified for the Deadly Dozen World Championships in the 50–54 age group with a time of 55 minutes. At the championships at Crystal Palace, London, in September, she raced solo against qualified athletes from around the world and finished 14th in 1 hour 5 minutes. It capped a season of strong results: Vic won her age group at DEKA FIT in Manchester and finished second in the world for DEKA ATLAS.
Deadly Dozen is a fast-growing hybrid fitness race: twelve 400m track laps, each followed by a strength and conditioning challenge.
"It was an incredible experience," says Vic. "It was inspiring to compete among my peers who are not letting age define them. Fitness racing satisfies my need to compete, and that wouldn't be possible without ORE CrossFit. The team helps me maintain my strength, mobility and motivation, but most importantly ORE has given me friendships and a support network. I don't plan to slow down any time soon. Now that I'm older, the world is my oyster."
Vic joined our coaching team in December 2025 and also runs Vix Massages, our sports massage service at the gym.
Coaching that's open to everyone
Despite the international results, most of our members are everyday people, from complete beginners to people in their 50s and beyond. ORE has a team of nine volunteer coaches with more than 50 years of coaching experience between them. Our members range from teenagers to people in their 60s, and many have trained with us for more than five years. Every class is coached, and every workout is scaled to you.
"The same coaching that took us to world level is what every beginner gets in their very first class," says Adam. "Most of our members simply want to feel fitter and healthier, and that's exactly what we're here for."
Wondering whether it's too late to start? Have a read of Starting CrossFit over 40 (or 50, or 60), or meet the rest of our coaches.
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