The Welsh sisters taking on the Hyrox World ChampionshipsImage source, Aimee WatsonImage caption, Hannah Watson (left) and her sister Aimee are competing in their second Hyrox World ChampionshipsByGareth BaileyBBC Sport WalesPublished12 minutes ago”I always say to everyone, all the children in my school, that my sister is my biggest inspiration.”Hannah Watson smiles as she glances full of adulation at her older sister Aimee.The siblings from Cardiff are preparing for the Hyrox World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden, as they juggle their teaching careers and their athletic ambitions.Aimee, 25, first took up Hyrox two years ago as a way to keep herself fit in the off-season of her football career.Not everyone goes from trying to keep out shots from the likes of Ella Toone and Lauren Hemp to burpee broad jumps.Aimee was a goalkeeper for Wales’ Under-19s football team and represented Wales at Under-19 level in cricket too. But it was Hyrox which ultimately grabbed hold of her, especially when she got her sister Hannah, 22, involved.”Competing as sisters, there’s something inside of you that ignites a flame,” Aimee told BBC Sport Wales.”My first ever Hyrox was a solo in London. “I thought I’ll just turn up and give it a good go, had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but completed it. “The next time I reported, ‘Hannah, there’s some doubles, should we give it a go?’.”Out of nowhere we were doing our first pro doubles together and we found ourselves on the podium.”A first place finish in their age grade at the Manchester Hyrox in 2024 saw the pair seal a spot at the World Championships.The sisters would finish 37th in their age group in Chicago in a time of one hour, three minutes and 56 seconds. “I think everyone says it now in Hyrox, of course they’d love to be the best and that will take time,” Aimee reported.”But we’re prepared to go through it and keep putting the work in and commit to it and see how far it can take us.”The training is about the process and going through it and putting the yards in every single day.”We’ve got the right coach under us now who’s making us hit targets we thought we’d never achieve.”This year the sisters are hoping to go under the hour mark in the Swedish capital.”Our goal for the World Champs is a bit ambitious,” reported Hannah.”I think if we don’t get that [under one hour] we’re just going to keep pushing for it and then hopefully then next year do some big competitions.”We are hoping to podium again and then qualify for the 2027 [Hyrox World Championships].”What is Hyrox?Hyrox comprises of 8km of running with eight exercise stations in between. Competitors endure 1km on a standing ski machine, 50m sled push, 50m sled pull, 80m burpee jumps, 1km indoor rowing, 200m kettlebell carry, 100m sandbag lunges, and to finish, 100 throws and catches of a medicine ball.This year’s World Championships take place from 18-21 June.Image source, Aimee WatsonImage caption, Aimee and Hannah Watson are vying to quality for the 2027 Hyrox World ChampionshipsTraining and teachingBoth Aimee and Hannah are balancing their Hyrox ambitions with their teaching careers.Aimee is a PE teacher and lead for girls football at the Royal Russell School in Croydon, while Hannah lives in Cardiff and is doing a PGCE following her graduation from Swansea University. Despite the geographical distance between the pair, they manage to keep each other motivated.”It is a bit of a struggle but we like to be so supportive of each other,” says Hannah.”We always message each other every morning at about 5am, ‘I’m tired, are you tired? Yeah I’m tired!’.”It’s been a tough year trying to fit training in and recovery on top, the workload has been a lot, but we’re finally there.”The pair are also taking inspiration from fellow teacher Lauren Stockley, who trains at the same gym in Newport.Stockley will compete in the Elite 15 Women’s Doubles alongside Charlie Searle after they finished 2nd in Warsaw, Poland in April.
“We saw her [Lauren] racing in Cardiff and we just thought we want to be like that,” reported Hannah.
“She is such a big inspiration but I know she puts in the hard work as well, it’s what the sport is.”
Aimee echoes the words of her sister.
“The great thing about the sport is there’s someone you’ll constantly look up to and for us it’s Lauren, being Welsh as well,” she reported.
And while the training is tough, Aimee would not have it any other way.
“It’s like having two careers at the moment, but it’s what you live for, you enjoy it,” she added.
“On the weekends we try to train together and when we’re in that pain cave, we are very much just straight to the point to get through like, ‘Come on, pull yourself together, you’ll be alright!’.
“More than anything the sport has grown us together, let alone the fitness side.”
Hannah says the pair have never been close than when competing together.
“I think we’ve never been so close, we always say we’re each other’s best friends and I think the sport has 100 percent brought us closer,” she concluded.
