Our Kaitautoko Pūkōrero Mātaiao ki Tāmaki, Taylah-Jade McIntyre recently competed at Fortress, a same gender team Crossfit competition delivered by Discipline Games, held in Tauranga. Read on as she shares her experience.

The Campaign

Our preparation wasn’t casual, it was intentional. For eight weeks, my team and I trained twice a day, six days a week. We travelled from Central Auckland out west and out south, rotating between gyms to share the burden of travel. It meant early mornings, late nights and living out of gym bags. Yet, life did not pause.

We were juggling study, coaching, mahi, whānau commitments and all the responsibilities that come with being a whānau striving for excellence. Mentally, it was one of the most challenging blocks so far this year. Fatigue exposes everything, your patience, your discipline, your self-talk.

I was honoured to be chosen as team captain, but with that came the responsibility not just to perform, but to lead with energy, plan training, and remain steady when training got heavy on the body and mind. From day one our intention was clear, we came to win. That meant sacrifice.

Weaknesses were exposed. Heavy lifts that needed refining, gymnastics skills that demanded patience, communication under fatigue. Progress wasn't always linear and while some sessions felt like we had everything on lock, others felt frustrating. But growth rarely feels glamorous in the moment.

Competition Day 

We travelled from Auckland to Tauranga on the Friday to settle in and ground ourselves before the big day. All female heats ran from 6am to 2pm - a long stretch. The morning was cold and our hands were numb walking into the first event, but we came out with a heat win and that shifted something. It settled nerves and set the tone. Event Two? Another heat win.

By this time the sun had risen over the hangar and the vibes were high. The energy from the sidelines was loud and while fatigue was creeping in, so too was belief. Event Three tested us with heavy and technical lifting pushing our bodies to their limits. We placed second in Part A which was not what we wanted but we were able to come back with a win for Part B of that event. This ability to reset under pressure was one of our proudest moments of the day.

By the final event, muscle fatigue was loud and our nervous systems were tired. But we knew the last workout - which was gymnastics based and skilly heavy - was ours to take. We dug deep, every ounce of mana, every sacrifice from the past eight weeks was poured onto that comp floor. At 2pm sitting side by side at prizegiving, we were announced as the Intermediate Female Champions of Fortress. Fortress Winners!

The feeling is hard to put into words. It wasn't just about the title, it was about the dedication, commitment and collective belief that carried us through.

Reflections

I’m deeply grateful that my workplace supported and sponsored Aimee and I to compete. Honoured to represent an organisation whose values align so strongly with hauora and movement. As a young wahine Māori, I feel I carry the responsibility and privilege of showing what a healthy relationship with movement can look like. Strength doesn't have to be extreme. It can be grounded in discipline, whānau, and culture .

The competition reflected everything I believe in: 

• Commitment to wellbeing 
• Showing up for your team 
• Building resilience through challenges 
• Leading with mana and belief

Winning was incredible. But the true reward was the individual and collective growth. Like any competition, it highlighted areas to improve. There's still work to do, but now we move with clearer intention and sharper focus. Ngā mihi nui to everyone who supported our campaign and us as well. The post comp blues and the journey continues!