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Durban’s Nicole Christie is one of the athletes chosen to compete in the UIPM Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) World Championships in Beijing in September.
This is pretty impressive considering that, less than two years ago, Nicole (34) had never seriously considered obstacle course racing.
A Communications Manager at Food & Trees for Africa by day, Nicole is one of eight athletes from The Iron Movement gym in Winston Park who have secured places on South Africa's national team after standout performances at the South African Championships.
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From fitness to competition
After becoming a first-time mom, she began training at Iron Movement in 2023 for general strength training and functional fitness - but everything changed when she decided to give the gym's obstacle course racing sessions a try.
"It was incredibly challenging at first," she says. "The more I trained, the more I enjoyed it. Before long, I completely fell in love with the sport."
That enthusiasm quickly turned into results.
Earlier this year, The Iron Movement became an official South African Modern Pentathlon Association (SAMPA) qualifying venue, giving athletes the chance to compete for national selection.
Nicole earned her place at the South African National Championships before finishing 4th overall to secure her ticket to Beijing.
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A sport that tests absolutely everything
Obstacle course racing is about so much! Athletes combine endurance, speed, strength, balance and problem-solving while tackling technical obstacles, heavy carries, climbing rigs, and challenging terrain.
"The hanging obstacles are definitely the toughest," Nicole admits. "They require serious grip strength and upper-body endurance, and those skills take a lot of time and patience to develop."
To meet the demands, her weekly routine includes trail running, functional fitness, strength work, and OCR-specific sessions under the guidance of coach Rhain Hoskins - whose Winston Park gym has become one of the country's emerging OCR hubs.
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Durban talent making history
Nicole will travel to Beijing alongside fellow athletes: Ashley Raaf, Erin Pons, Chanel Lourens, Ross Wright, Wynand Hattingh, Marius Lourens, and Benjamin Torr.
This is the first South African squad competing internationally under the country's officially recognised OCR governing body.
As Women's Month celebrates women breaking barriers across every industry, Nicole hopes more women will consider stepping outside their comfort zones.
“As a mom, my biggest drive is wanting her to grow up watching her mom be strong, capable, and powerful. Women so often put their own passions on the back burner, but taking space for your own health and strength sets an empowering example for the next generation.
"My advice is not to be intimidated. Find a supportive community, be patient with yourself and embrace the learning process. You don't have to fit a certain mould to belong in this sport,” she says.
The next obstacle? Getting to Beijing
Qualifying may have been the hard part physically, but there's still one major hurdle left. Because obstacle course racing is still an emerging sport in South Africa, every athlete is responsible for funding their own international campaign, including flights, accommodation, race entries and team kit.
What you need to know
To help raise funds, The Iron Movement is hosting the Upper Highway Hardest Mile - a brutal fundraising challenge!
- Date: Saturday, 8 August 2026
- Venue: The Iron Movement gym in Winston Park
- Challenge: Complete 400m of burpee broad jumps, 400m of walking lunges, 400m of bear crawls and 400m of farmer carries
- Who can enter: Individuals, pairs and teams
- Why: Every entry helps raise funds to send KwaZulu-Natal's qualified athletes to represent South Africa at the World
- Enter: The Upper Highway Hardest Mile via Entry Ninja
- Donate: BackaBuddy
- Contact: WhatsApp on 083 472 7761
If there's one thing Nicole has learned, it's that every obstacle has a way over it.
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