23 Sep Mauchline Muscle- Jacalyn’s Farming Fit!
On Saturday 17th September 24 Farmers from across the UK competed to be crowned Britain’s Fittest Farmer. After gathering at Tom Kemps Farm Fitness Facility in Dunmow in Essex, each contestant was put through a gruelling set of 4 challenges that tested their, strength, fitness and their physical and mental endurance before a winner was crowned.
The winner for the Women’s section on the day was Mauchline YFC’s very own Jacalyn Dunlop! This is an immense achievement and the product of many hours of hard work, training and preparing over the last couple months. So well done Jacalyn!!
Their were also podium places for Avondale’s Grant Neilson who finished 3rd in the men’s competition, finishing just behind former Lower Nithsdale member, John Carlisle who picked up second. Congratulations to all three, showing what Scottish farmers are made of!!
We asked Jacalyn to describe the experience in her own words:
Jacalyn Dunlop: Britain’s Fittest Farmer Winner
“I heard about the competition through social media last year and thought it looked amazing. I am passionate about fitness and train in the gym 5-6 times a week, following a CrossFit programme so the competition looked like something that would definitely be up my street. In the lead up to the event, I had been struggling with a knee injury and as a result, had to alter the focus of my training sessions slightly which left me feeling a little apprehensive ahead of the competition. However, on the day, my knee felt good and didn’t affect my performance.
The workouts which had been programmed by Farm Fitness were first class – I loved every minute – and their premises are a dream! It was such a nice environment to compete in as everyone was so supportive and encouraging and there was no animosity among the competitors, everyone just wanted to see each other do well. With such a high standard of competition, I had to push myself to the absolute max in all 4 workouts and my boyfriend – grant – was the best motivator who kept me going throughout. By the end of the day I was completely exhausted but I knew I had given it my all, so coming out on top felt amazing – I’m still on cloud 9!
The competition was great from start to finish and I’d definitely encourage anyone with a passion for fitness to get involved next year!”
Britain’s Fittest Farmer was launched by Farmers Weekly in 2018 as a fun way of sparking a vital discussion about the physical and mental health of the nation’s farmers. As farming becomes less active and more mechanised and office-based, it’s more important than ever before to make sure Britain’s farmers are getting the exercise that they need to stay fit and healthy. Alongside this, farming can also be an isolating job, which is why it is also vital for farmers to focus on their own mental health and wellbeing so that they can keep their business in tip-top condition too. This competition aims to get all farmers thinking and talking about their health, physical and mental, to make sure they are in top condition to run their farm businesses.
You can catch up with all the action from this years competition HERE