Two sisters from Cardiff are trading lesson plans for lunges as they prepare to compete together at the Hyrox World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden.
Aimee Watson, 25, and her sister Hannah, 22, both teachers, will line up in the doubles category at the fitness event on 18–21 June. The Hyrox competition combines 8km of running with eight functional exercise stations, including a ski machine, sled push and pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, kettlebell carry, sandbag lunges, and medicine ball throws.
Aimee, a former Wales Under-19s football goalkeeper and cricketer, first tried Hyrox two years ago to stay fit during the football off-season. She quickly recruited Hannah to join her in doubles events. "Competing as sisters, there's something inside of you that ignites a flame," Aimee told BBC Sport Wales.
Their partnership quickly paid off: after finishing first in their age group at the 2024 Manchester Hyrox, they earned a spot at the World Championships in Chicago, where they placed 37th in their age group with a time of 1:03:56.
Now, with a dedicated coach, the sisters aim to break the hour mark in Stockholm. "We've got the right coach who's making us hit targets we thought we'd never achieve," said Aimee. Hannah added: "Our goal is ambitious, but if we don't get under one hour, we'll keep pushing. We're hoping to podium again and qualify for the 2027 World Championships."
For both, Hyrox is a family affair. "I always say to everyone, all the children in my school, that my sister is my biggest inspiration," Hannah said.