Conquering all obstacles

ONCE you have conquered that little voice inside your head that tells you, “you can’t,” you can overcome any obstacle.

Nobody understands this better than Vryheid born, Obstacle Course Race (OCR) athlete, Carina Marx.
Described as a treasured member of Jeep Team South Africa by team manager, Jeremy Reingold, Carina has proven time and again to be among toughest, fastest, most flexible and determined athletes in South Africa.

Growing up, Carina attended Pionier High School where she first discovered that her talents lay more with sport than academics. She actively competed in swimming, tennis, athletics and hockey and decided to study personal training after matriculating in 2000.

“I have now been a personal trainer for 15 years,” says Carina, who is one of the most successful personal trainers at Virgin Active’s Flagship Melrose Arch Classic Gym in Johannesburg. “But, even today, Vryheid and Paulpietersburg, where my mum, Rina, still lives, is my home.”

Carina first became interested in Obstacle Course Racing two years ago when she, together with a few colleagues, decided to participate in a 5km rookie race.

“Since that day, I have been hooked, and I participated in my first Black Ops in October that same year. As a competitor in the ladies’ elite category, I have had to complete every obstacle in the race unassisted.”

In 2014, Carina placed first in the Black Ops of the Jeep Warrior Race, finishing 21 minutes ahead of the next female competitor, and 10th overall among 7 300 competitors (including men), finishing fourth in the entire series. This year, her total points currently puts her in 2nd place, with a further seven legs to follow in the series with 9000 entrants and growing.

She has also won, while using it as a training run, the Mitsubishi Impi race. The Warrior and Impi races are televised on the DSTV Ch208 with special coverage being given to the Black Ops category and a new dedicated SABC program highlighting the elite ladies where Carina features in each episode prominently. Carina , besides being one of the top women, now ranks in the top 10 men and has qualified for the World Obstacle Race Championships in Ontario, where she will represent South Africa, in October. Of late, she has also won the Beast Race, the Nedbank Rhino at Loskop Dam, and has competed in the Spur Series, Impi, Hollard Dura, Spartan, and Battlerush in training for her obstacle course training, placing in most of the events.

Carina says her biggest accomplishment was being the only woman to finish the Beast Challenge in Johannesburg. The final obstacle before the finish line was 50m and included having to climb a net and traverse it upside down.

“The final challenge in an obstacle race is usually referred to as ‘the breaking point’. It can take up to three hours and if you don’t get through the first time, it means you have to start over.

“This can mentally break you because you are so close to the finish line, but you must persevere,” explains Carina.

“During a race, I ‘switch off’ and listen only to my body. Everything and everyone around me disappears as I focus on every grip. This is why I include yoga into my training regimen. It helps me focus.”
OCR has taught Carina to believe in herself and never underestimate what she is capable of.

“Applying this mindset to my daily life, I have achieved so many things that I didn’t even think was possible.”
Carina wishes to thank her mum, her family in Vryheid, her aunties in Paulpietersburg, Evox Advanced Nutrition and Team Jeep for all their support.

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