A two-day event that welcomes some of Western Canada’s strongest athletes is coming back to Penticton.
The 11th annual Okanagan Valley Throwdown is set for April 20 and 21, at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre.
Athletes aged 13 to 70 and of all skill levels will participate in CrossFit challenges of strength, agility, speed and endurance.
This year’s event, according to organizers, is officially licensed by CrossFit and will mark a “significant milestone for competitive fitness events in Western Canada.”
“Achieving this licensed status for our 2024 events is a testament to our team’s dedication to leveling up our competitions and providing enhanced experiences for athletes and sponsors alike,” said Jennifer Metituk, Throwdown Series organizer. “We look forward to forging ahead with CrossFit Canada and the community.”
In 2023, the decade-old event returned to the South Okanagan while coinciding with the first-ever Penticton Sports and Fitness Expo.
About 60 per cent of the athletes that competed in the “Throwdown” last year were from the Okanagan. Metituk said there was also a strong contingent of participants from Calgary.
The event welcomed around 300 spectators to the city in 2023.
The Okanagan Valley Throwdown Series debuted in Penticton in 2014. It later expanded to Abbotsford for the Fraser Valley Throwdown Series but has not proceeded since before the pandemic.
CrossFit athletes in Penticton and surrounding areas could also get their chance to compete later in 2024, when a similar event comes to the Richmond Olympic Oval from Sept. 27 to 29.