'I want to get even fitter and break more records'

A girl named one of the fittest teenagers in the world after winning a third CrossFit world championship says she wants to keep breaking records and getting better.

Keira McManus, from Stoke-on-Trent, was recently crowned the fittest on earth in the 16-17 girls category at the 2026 CrossFit Games in California, USA.

The 16-year-old also set a record as she became the first girl to win three consecutive titles at the event, having previously come out on top in the under 15 and under 16 contests.

"The first time I won it, I was just in disbelief and then the second time, even more so," she told BBC Radio Stoke.

"The third time, there's just no words for it. It was a huge shock but a huge relief because of all the sacrifices and work I've put in over the past couple of months."

But the fitness fanatic said those sacrifices did not bother her, because it was for something she "loved so much".

"It almost doesn't seem so much a sacrifice, but just doing what I want to do," she added.

Keira said the more she did CrossFit, the more she fell in love with it and the more motivated she was.

"The fitter I get, the more fitter I want to be. It's a constant drive to get better," she said, adding that her aim was to keep breaking records and winning titles.

Asked if she gave herself any time off after her victory at the July competition, she said: "Well, I went to the gym the next day."

Keira, who took her GCSEs this year, started practising CrossFit when she was nine years old, entering her first contests after the Covid lockdowns.

During the competitions, athletes take part in a series of scored challenges to test their strength and speed.

Keira's father Joel, a CrossFit coach, owns Combat Fitness Gym in Hanley and trains his daughter and son Tyler.

He spoke of the sacrifices Keira had made and said they were in the gym every weekend, with Keira often turning down social events with friends to focus on her training.

"Because she's so passionate about what she does and she has a dream, she just wants to be in the gym and train, but it's hard work," he added.

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