Fitness For Everyone
So many fitness trends have a relatively short shelf-life however the Hyrox phenomenon is definitely one that’s here to stay and it’s one that local athlete Lucie Ethell has made into her career and the basis of her new business
If you’re not sure what Hyrox is, it’s probably best summed up as a combination of strength, endurance and functional training. Lucie explains: “Hyrox is totally inclusive… absolutely anyone can take part and it’s the perfect mix for anyone who enjoys both cardio and strength training.”
Lucie’s love of sport began at an early age – a keen and promising hockey player she represented Kirkham Royal Grammar School where she was a pupil, and Lancashire County where she was spotted and selected for the England Hockey Pathway programme.
After leaving Kirkham, university was the next step but after just a few months, she realised that it simply wasn’t for her. I asked her at what point did she realise that the world of health and fitness would become more than just a hobby?
“After leaving uni I took a full-time job, but outside of this I was always training and doing some coaching outside my working day with Rob, my boyfriend. We started working with a handful of people that gradually started to grow, it got to the point where we needed a space of our own – I think that’s when I realised that this was for real. It was just a case of taking it to the next step.”
Rob, an official Hyrox Ambassador and coach has been instrumental in Lucie’s progression on her Hyrox journey. He was the one who encouraged her to enter her first pro- race, a solo event in Copenhagen just over a year ago. Placed second in the event, she immediately qualified for the Hyrox World Championships held in Nice earlier this year.
A standard Hyrox event involves participants running 1km followed by one functional workout station such as sled pushes, wall balls, rowing, and lunges, it’s then all repeated eight times, so it’s not simply a test of athleticism, but more a measure of overall health and fitness.
Being a team player and being part of a sporting community was and remains the key to her love of sport and is what underpins the ethos of everything that takes place at The Park, the gym Lucie and Rob opened in July this year. Initially supported by the same small group, their community is steadily growing, inspiring members to transform their lives, by building strength, resilience and mental well-being.
I’ve witnessed this camaraderie and competition first-hand and it’s hard not to want to be inspired and get involved in something that is having such a positive effect on so many people, where egos are left on the doorstep and only positivity reigns. I’m looking forward to following Lucie on the next stage of her journey.
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