Testing His Skills: Alfredo Larrea Hernandez

March 30, 2013

Jaime Freire

"I've seen progress. Little by little, I've improved the movements. I'm faster, more agile."

 


Photos by: Jaime Freire

“CrossFit changed my life,” Alfredo Larrea says. “Sounds really cliché, but it’s the truth for many people who start this kind of lifestyle, including myself.”

Larrea, just 16 years old, says he’s participating in the Open to test the skills he’s developed during his time as a CrossFitter.

Larrea started CrossFit on October 10, 2011, two weeks after his box, Horda CrossFit, opened.

“It was the new thing,” he says. “Before, I had only done some martial arts, but nothing else.”

From that moment on, he says nothing has been the same.

“I’ve seen the progress. Little by little I’ve improved the movements,” he says. “I’m faster, more agile. You compete with others, but especially with yourself. At least that’s what I’ve done.”

Family matters

His mother, Kathy Hernandez, says she’s proud of her son. She supports him in everything he needs. While Larrea was being interviewed, Hernandez was standing behind him saying, “But tell them, ‘my mom pays for my classes, buys me my clothes, shoes, and drives me there. Tell them,’” and then laughs.

Larrea and his mom train together almost every day — one hour of barbell and then another for a workout.

“At first, my mom didn’t want to,” he recalls. “But I convinced her after a while.”

In fact, she wasn’t really sure about competing in the Open, but after Larrea and his friends insisted, she finally signed up. It was the same day Workout 13.1 was announced.

Throwing down myths

Some say young athletes should not lift heavy weights, but Larrea doesn’t believe this is true. He is 171 cm (5.7 ft.), and can clean and jerk 200 lb., clean 230 lb. and snatch 170 lb.

“I started doing specific barbell work because I had a competition coming up and I needed to improve my lifting,” he says. “At first, I was scared and 90 lb. seem like the world … now it’s like a plastic bar.”

He is competing in the Open and feels has done a good job. He got 116 reps on 13.1, 215 on 13.2 and 230 on 13.3.

“I know I won’t make it as an individual, but I hope to participate with the Horda team,” he says. “That’s why I have to work hard to get more points.”

Because of his effort, he’s been named captain of the Team that will hopefully compete in his hometown, Guayaquil, Ecuador, at Regionals.

“Next year, I will definitely be in Regionals as an individual,” he says. “This was just a test. Now I know I can make it.”