The viral Hyrox horror: is the ‘go hard or go home’ attitude to exercise finally over?

When an athlete soiled herself at a hybrid fitness event, it sparked a debate about a culture that pushes people to ignore their body’s signals at real cost

How far would you go to secure an impressive marathon time, or a Hyrox personal best? Maybe you’d turn down a boozy night out in favour of eight hours’ kip the night before? Or perhaps you’d swap sugary treats for protein shakes, and commit to a gruelling training plan in the run-up? It’s not uncommon for athletes to want to give it their all come race day – but few of us would go as far as the Australian Hyrox competitor Joanna Wietrzyk, who continued to take part in the hybrid fitness event a little over a week ago, despite having noticeably soiled herself.

Wietrzyk’s immediate response appeared to be one of defiance. “Go hard or go home … a win is a win,” she said in a now-deleted Instagram post, having been allowed to finish and win the event in Beijing. Hyrox organisers initially seemed to back her position, posting a statement (also now deleted) which said: “We ask our athletes to push themselves to the highest levels. At times, they will go beyond what even we thought was possible.”

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