'Unbelievable': Cambridge youth wins 'Fittest Teen on Earth' title at the CrossFit Games

Cambridge teen 'Fittest on Earth' From CTV Kitchener's Stephanie Villella: A Cambridge teenager won her age division at the 2021 CrossFit Games earlier this month.

Cambridge — A Cambridge teenager was crowned the "fittest teen on Earth" at the 2021 CrossFit Games earlier this month.

"It's pretty surreal, it still hasn't really sunken in. I don't think it ever will, it's pretty unbelievable," said Emma Lawson, 16.

Lawson beat out a field of 20 competitors in her age category at the international sporting event held in Madison, Wis. earlier this month.

"Basically testing all the athletes on a wide variety of things, whether that be conditioning things, like there was lots of running and swimming and lots of lifting and gymnastics things," Lawson said.

"It's just an all encompassing training approach and it really does find the fittest individuals in the world," said Josh Woolley, Lawson's coach.

Woolley has been coaching Lawson since 2018. He says her improvement over the years is insurmountable, adding the young athlete trains up to four hours every day, six days a week.

"She puts in so much time, so much effort and sacrifices so much, so for her to get that title meant a lot to me, meant a lot to her and to her family as well," he said.

"The biggest thing for us is she's competitive but she can also balance it out with school, she's very academic and her friends and not lose sight of that," said Lawson's mother, Cybil.

Lawson is now taking time off to recover and celebrate her title but plans to begin training again soon.

She's setting her sights on competing in the adult division at the 2022 CrossFit Games.