The Turkish athlete won the Far East Throwdown, thereby qualifying for her third CrossFit® Games.
At the Far East Throwdown in Busan, 26-year-old Turkish athlete Seher Kaya was competing in her third consecutive CrossFit® Games semi-final. And for the third time in a row, she won the Asian semi-final, synonymous with qualification for this summer's CrossFit® Games. Seher Kaya lives in Moss, Norway, 1 hour from the capital Oslo, and trains at CrossFit® Oslo three to four times a week, the rest of the time on her own at home. For Hustle Up, she agreed to talk about her victory and her relationship with CrossFit®. Discovering CrossFit® I'd just stopped playing handball, which I'd been doing for 7-8 years. I thought I was done with sport, so I started training at a regular gym. One day, I joined a CrossFit®-inspired class called Les Mills Grit. I followed these classes for a year until a friend told me that what I was doing was actually CrossFit® and that athletes were competing in this discipline. She then showed me some documentaries on Netflix and I fell in love with CrossFit®. The benefits of CrossFit® Because of my Turkish origins, our lives were a little different from those of my Norwegian friends. I lacked self-confidence and found it hard to fit in. Over the years, and thanks to CrossFit® in particular, I've become more confident in my abilities and more assertive. I owe this in part to the CrossFit® community I'm part of. At CrossFit® Oslo we're united and we just want to progress and win together. Top-level sport I've always wanted to excel in sport, whatever it may be. Even when I was playing handball, I told everyone I wanted to join the national team and take part in the Olympics. I don't see the point of doing a sport without trying to reach the top level. When I discovered the CrossFit® Games, I quickly decided that I wanted to take part one day. Preparing for the CrossFit® Games semifinals I make sure that I arrive in the best possible conditions by following a ritual: one week before the start of the competition, I prepare myself for the seven-hour time difference. Then I draw up a very detailed timetable, with my training sessions and dietary program, highlighting the points on which I need to be vigilant. The more I'm on automatic pilot, the less I stress and think about the competition. Winning the Far East Throwdown I was confident when I arrived in Busan because I was aware of my progress this year. But everything could have turned out differently, as I fell victim to food poisoning during the competition. With this victory, I've shown that I can win despite some unfavourable conditions. The CrossFit® Games The CrossFit® Games are unique. There are so few places available... This is my third consecutive CrossFit® Games and I have to keep on working. The Games are the perfect opportunity to see if I'm heading in the right direction.