World Fitness Project – Copenhagen

It all started in Oslo. Adam Liška won second place in the RX Male category, and thanks to this achievement, he received an invitation to the World Fitness Project in Copenhagen in the Intermediate Team (F/F/M/M) category.
Registration had to be completed within a week, so we had to think quickly about who to approach. In the end, however, it went surprisingly smoothly—responses from athletes came in at lightning speed, and the team was born. TEAM CZECH was formed, consisting of captain Adam Liška, Áron Lisý, Nelča Nikodemová, and myself. Also worth mentioning is the start of our youngster Filip Starý in the Next Gen (14-16) M/M category, who eventually found a partner in Germany. Filip and Kim thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and gained experience that no one can give them, but also no one can take away.

The whole team was excited not only about the workouts themselves, but also about the entire weekend event. Many well-known and top world-class athletes had confirmed their participation, and we couldn't wait to see them live. Competing in a group of four is no small feat, so we decided it would be a good idea to have at least one joint training day. The workouts had already been published at that time, so we could try out what suited us best. We mostly worked in two pairs, but it was great that we switched partners in each workout and looked for the ideal combinations. We flew to Copenhagen on Thursday to make it in time for registration and the official athletes' check-in. That moment alone was a great experience—standing behind the curtain, literally a meter away from the best. Respect, slight nervousness, and enormous motivation. Suddenly, you realize where you stand and that you are part of the same race, the same project. Our race weekend started on Friday, when three workouts awaited us. I won't go into detail about them. They can be found on the website or Instagram and are definitely worth checking out for training inspiration. One thing is certain—they were varied, interesting, physically demanding, and, above all, very tactical. Each of them forced you to think ahead, pace yourself correctly, and divide the work well within the team.

But what is definitely worth mentioning was the pistol shooting. It was our first time encountering Erg Shoot at a competition, which was a very interesting experience in itself, let alone when it was combined with Skierg and Bikerg in intervals. Calm, precision, breath control, and then immediately back to a high heart rate. There was also a strength test—specifically, a 1RM snatch, which everyone on the team except me was looking forward to. Nelča lifted an incredible amount on the barbell, as did the guys, and they managed to compensate for my flyweight. On Saturday, we had two more workouts ahead of us. One was mainly running. While one pair ran 800m, the other pair exercised, and then they switched. It had a slight Hyrox feel to it.

On Sunday, we had only one workout ahead of us, but it was also the most difficult task – to maintain first place. Although we flew to Copenhagen with the intention of achieving the best result, we did not expect this one, because the names of the teams and competitors in our category meant absolutely nothing to us. But we did it. We kept first place. We were happy. Our nerves subsided, and we could just enjoy the last workouts of the pros to the fullest.

We had no idea if there would be an award ceremony, so we were surprised by how it went. We stood on the main competition area again, just like during the welcome ceremony. All the competitors from the entire weekend were there with us. They announced each category one by one, and the top three went up on the podium. It was an incredible experience, and the prizes were presented to us by Chandler Smith, Jonne Koski, and Jeffrey Adler.

Between all our workouts, we had the opportunity to watch and cheer on the very best. Seeing their dedication live was an incredible experience. The atmosphere in the arena was indescribable. Each of the athletes gave it their all. It was all the more fascinating to see that even after giving their maximum performance, they were still able to smile and take photos with visitors. After the competition weekend, we found time to take a walk around Copenhagen. The Christmas markets gave the city a completely different charm, and after days full of performances and emotions, it was a beautiful contrast. Copenhagen is a very beautiful city and definitely worth a visit. The World Fitness Project was not just another competition on the calendar for us. It was a weekend full of powerful moments, teamwork, and experiences that took us a step further. We would definitely like to return to Copenhagen this year and hope that it will be back on the competition floor. The whole team did a great job and I am grateful that I could be part of this wonderful expedition. Monča Liška