They walk in our midst. The strongest. The toughest. Those undaunted by extreme physical and mental challenges. We don’t always get to see their strength, but when we do, it is indeed a sight to see.
The Mountain Athletics Challenge held last November 7 at the Sandbox, Alviera Porac, Pampanga exposed these champions among us. This High-Intensity-Interval-Training program (HIIT) designed to improve one’s performance in outdoor activities pushed each of the contestants to their limits. In order to do that, you need apparel that can keep up with you, like The North Face’s Mountain Athletics.
From the brand renowned for gearing up athletes and explorers all over the world, The North Face brings their Mountain Athletics line of apparel to the Philippines. This newest Tekwear line uses Flashdry™ fabric; a revolutionary technology that regulates temperature and facilitates the quick evaporation of moisture effectively, so that the wearer stays drier and more comfortable outdoors.
Since this Tekwear elevates the extreme athlete’s performance, we put it to the test with the Mountain Athletics Challenge, an outdoor training course designed for The North Face in partnership with the professional trainers of Fitness First.
There were 3 rounds, each getting harder and harder until a winner, from both the male and female category was announced.
The first qualifying round was open to all and consisted of theReverse crunchers, Upright row, Squat Jump (while carrying TNF backpacks loaded with sand), Squat Press, Burpees and lastly, The Tire Flip. The first 30 male and 30 female participants to successfully complete these tasks proceeded to the semi-finals round.
The semi-finals round was made up of 3 challenges — Sprint, Wall Climbing, and Rapelling. The 12 fastest contestants (6 male, 6 female) were put through to the finals. The final round put the already exhausted champions into over drive, tasking them to complete several challenges including a 20-meter sprint on the Agility Ladder, Elevated Crunches, Duck Walk, Bear Crawl, Squat Thrust and
The top finishers in the men’s category are Steven Tali for 3rd place, Christopher Talosa for 2nd place and the Male Champion David Articulo inching ahead of the 2nd placer with the time of 2:46.25.
For the women’s, we had Josa Camie Bassig for 3rd place, Liza Paule for 2nd place and our fastest female at only 13 years of age Julienne Christine Javier clocking in at the same time as her male counterpart at 2:46.25.
David Articulo and Juliene Christine Javier won the grand prize, each getting PHP10,000 cash, PHP10,000 TNF (The North Face) Gift Certificates, 6 months premier membership at Fitness First, 5 passes at The Sandbox, and a slot in the TNF100 2016, where all their Mountain Athletics training will bear fruition.
The North Face’s Mountain Athletics Challenge was not for the faint of heart. The gruelling tasks required endurance, strength and more than that, the mental stamina to keep up with fellow challengers. However, if you can battle it out with the best of them, then this is the playground you should be watching out for in the future. Gear up with your best Mountain Athletics apparel and take on the next challenge head on!
