University of Waterloo student competing to become fittest man on earth

Kitchener's Jack Farlow is not the average gym rat.

The 21-year-old University of Waterloo student is one of 40 men who has qualified for the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games.

He'll be competing in Madison, Wisconsin in August in hopes of bringing home the top prize of $315,000.

"It's an athletic highlight of my life, to say the least," said Farlow. "Hopefully it's not the only time I go."

Running, biking, Olympic weightlifting, and bodyweight exercises like pull-ups and push-ups are all part of the routine for the competitor.

"Jack is amazingly strong, especially for his age," said Josh Woolley, Jack's coach. "That's probably one of the big things that really separates him early in the sport. His gymnastics work is also really good."

Joining Farlow at the games is Cambridge's Emma Lawson, who won last season's rookie of the year in the games and holds the title of sixth fittest woman on earth.

"It's pretty cool, especially for me being from a smaller town," said Lawson. "Usually a lot of them are from the states, so it's really cool to have two of us here in Waterloo."

Along with up to six hours of training per day, Farlow is also the only student athlete at the 2023 games, as he's currently a second-year biomedical engineering student at UW.

"I'm an alumni of Waterloo, so I know what the engineering program is like," said Woolley. "It's extremely difficult, and for him to do well there and excel in the sport, I honestly don't know how he balances it all."

Farlow leaves for Madison on Sunday, with the games opening for four days of competition on Aug. 3.