Qualifed for Masters, Team, and Individual: Anne Waage

April 12, 2013

Leo Marose

“The box is very important to me, and I have developed a close relationship to many of those that train there ... They have been with me since I started training CrossFit, and will be my friends forever."

Anne Waage has a lot of options.

The 41-year-old competitor qualified for Individual, Team and Masters this year.

To be more specific, she qualified for the 2013 Europe Regional as an individual as the 18th ranked woman in Europe. She qualified for the Team Division as part of the eighth-ranked team in Europe, CrossFit Bergen, and for the Masters as the 15th-ranked woman in the 40-44 Division.

After some consideration, she decided to spend the weekend in Copenhagen, Denmark, competing with her team. If CrossFit Bergen makes it onto the podium, she will have to decide whether she wants to compete in the Team competition or with the Masters at the Games.

The single mother of four admits her success hasn’t come easy. She has many commitments to juggle each day.

“My life consists of working eight hours a day, with a training session before work three days a week,” she says. “Other than that, I train every afternoon, five days a week, and the little time that I have left is devoted to my kids.”

She doesn’t mind the challenge.

“Even though there is no time left when all this is done, it is how I have chosen to live and I am perfectly content with my life," Waage says.

Her commitment to training has paid off in both local competitions and the CrossFit Games season.

“Winning means the world to me,” she says. “It makes the sacrifices worthwhile and makes my kids proud.”

On the sidelines, you can often spot one of her kids cheering her on.

“They love to watch CrossFit and they are very supportive, and although sometimes they miss me back home, they understand what it costs to have results,” she says.

Her two older daughters, ages 20 and 16, understand better. The younger two, ages 11 and 8, sometimes have a harder time grasping their mother’s commitment.

“My youngest children love to join me at the gym ... They support me even though they don’t always understand why I have to work out almost every day,” she says.

Over the years, she has tried many sports and even competed in handball at a high level, but she found CrossFit three years ago.

“After my first session, I realized that this was what I wanted to focus on,” she says.

After years of cycling and swimming, she arrived at CrossFit Bergen with a surplus of endurance. She balanced her fitness with strength and skill in more technical weightlifting and gymnastics movements.

Three years later, she can do muscle-ups, has a 50-kg snatch and 70-kg clean and jerk.

Although she has the opportunity to compete alongside Sam Briggs, she doesn’t regret the choice to go team. She’s looking forward to giving back to the box that helped her get this far.

“Training with CrossFit Bergen has been incredible. They have highly qualified instructors who are always available to offer help and advice,” she says. “The box is very important to me, and I have developed a close relationship to many of those that train there. I have gained many new friends who I both can train with, and have a social connection to. They have been with me since I started training CrossFit, and will be my friends forever."