On Sundays she gets a kick out of ‘couples’ day’ when wives scream at their husbands that they can do more. She has a high protein breakfast every day and like a salmon swimming upstream, I’ve seen her steely concentration as she lifted Olympic weights far heavier than me. Meet Annie Mist Þórisdóttir, for the second time running, the fittest woman on earth.

Published in the 2013 January-March issue of Iceland Review – IR 01.13. By Mica Allan. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.

She’s 23 years old and as near to an action hero as you can get. Often training twice a day, she’s a CrossFit coach throughout Europe, has her own gym in Reykjavík, and is sponsored by Reebok, EAS and Nings, an Asian restaurant chain in Iceland. Then there’s the girl-next-door part. Annie lives with her parents, is pursuing a chemistry degree, and has a boyfriend with whom she shares her CrossFit passion. As we chat, she’s incredibly down-to-earth. Someone you know that your granny would take a real shine to. After defending her title as champion of the 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games in California last summer, Annie Mist made it to CNN’s listing of the world’s fittest women in November. I asked her about her remarkable life and her accomplishments in the world of CrossFit.

MA: Would you say that CrossFit is just for adrenalin junkies?

AMÞ: It’s good for people who need to blow off some steam because you can do it in a short time and very quickly but really it’s for everyone who wants to be active. We have kids classes that focus on fun and games, learning how to move and using gymnastics a
lot, and you know, at that age you learn things so fast, but we also work with people who are 80 years old.

MA: CrossFit has many different kinds of exercises and events. Is there one that is your favorite—that you really love?

AMÞ: Well, there’s so much variety in it but I love the Olympic weight lifting, the series of movements with weights and I like long events. Using bar bells is usually my favorite.

You can read the remainder of the article in the 2013 January-March issue of Iceland Review – IR 01.13.
Five times a year the print edition of Iceland Review & Atlantica brings you a wealth of articles on all aspects of life in Iceland including Páll Stefánsson's latest images of the country’s majestic landscape. Click here to subscribe and here to browse through a selection of pages from the current issue.