The WOD Life recently visited Maddie Sturt in Sydney, NSW, to catch up on how training and life are going leading up to Regionals. Sturt is no stranger to the competitive world of CrossFit. She competed as an individual in 2016 and 2017 and once again has her sights set on the Games this year. Oh, and she’s only 21 years old. There’s a lot to be admired about this passionate athlete, but her dedication and work ethic simply blew us away.
At such a young age, she’s already accomplished so much. Sturt has it all figured out — from her diet to her programming to rest and recovery — and she’s giving her all to fuel her dreams as best she can.
For starters, Sturt challenges herself to embody the “constantly varied” mindset this sport loves so much. When the bike made its first appearance at the Games, she hadn’t ridden one since she was a kid — but with her head in the right place, she quickly got over the discomfort and slight feeling of fear.
When we visited her, her programming for the day consisted of an old Games chipper, some weightlifting, and a bike ride to cap it off. It’s evident how much Sturt respects and cares about her body: her fellow athletes call her “Grandma” because she takes so long to warm up! Mobility is a daily habit, and she’s always got her eyes peeled for a new and interesting way to get her fitness on. Nothing is off-limits.
Maddie knows by now not every day can be amazing. Just like all of us, she has good training days and bad ones. Figuring out how to handle the bad days is a work in progress for the majority of us. Once again, Sturt’s in control here. How does she manage those times where things just feel off, you wonder? By writing them down in her journal, and letting it all go. “You’re always gonna have ups and downs,” she says, giving us all an important reminder.
Maddie’s mental game is as impressive as her athletic game, and that grit especially came into play the first year she made it to the Games. For the first time, she was lining up next to the women she had always looked up to and admired so much. It was intimidating and scary, to say the least. By the second year, though, she was better able to take it all in and enjoy it.
Sturt may be on top of her game and ready to compete with the best of the best, but people still mistakenly think she’s in the teen division. In fact, in 2017, someone tried to kick her out of the warm-up area! Sturt laughs it off, though — everyone will know the truth once she steps out on the Games floor.
Want to see more of Maddie? Catch her full episode of The Journey below!
Main image: Madeline Sturt/Instagram
