nal tissue for years, and shortly after racking up his victory, he required intensive surgery to repair his injured muscles. In summary: The man is a stud.
KATHRYN BEELEY AND CARLTON WILLIAMS SETTING RECORDS IN AUSTRALIA
Although burpees have been employed in gyms across the world—and have been a part of calisthenics for decades—there aren’t many moves more reviled than this exhausting exercise. But a 40-year-old Australian woman in Brisbane likes them just fine—banging out an impressive , setting the record for women. Across the continent, a 52-year-old Welshman living in western Australia broke his own record, doing . That’s nearly 45 pushups per minute—for 60 minutes.
But for 25-year-old Aaron Judge, it was the perfect place to showcase his immense talent for hitting baseballs over fences. The firstyear major leaguer put together an incredible year, for the most long balls knocked out at Yankee home games in one season. Even the casual baseball fan (or nonfan) could appreciate what the 6'7" 282-pounder did during the All-Star break, blasting baseballs
absurd distances to win the Home Run Derby.
MARÍA LORENA RAMÍREZ BORN TO RUN
Running a marathon is hard. Running a 50K (31 miles) is harder. And . But that’s what María Lorena Ramírez did, beating 500 competitors to win the female category of Mexico’s Ultra Trail Cerro Rojo race without any
ALEX HONNOLD
M I K E F R E Y/ B P I / R E X / S H U T T E R S T O C K
MAN VS. ROCK
In June, Alex Honnold became the first person to “free solo” El Capitan, the famed California rock face that stretches 3,000 feet up from its base in Yosemite. The risky ascent— —was considered the holy grail of free solo climbs and one of the hardest in the world. Honnold completed the climb in just under four hours, showcasing every ounce of his physical and technical prowess along with some serious mental fortitude. Something to think about the next time you’re wobbling on a ladder while changing a lightbulb.
AARON JUDGE BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG SWING
SERENA WILLIAMS IS used to winning. She has proved her
dominance over the past two decades, claiming title after title. But at the 2017 Australian Open, she won her 23rd Grand Slam singles title—defeating her sister Venus—while eight weeks pregnant. We shouldn’t be surprised—Serena can do anything. But it was a fine way to kick off motherhood, and it will make a great story to share with her daughter one day.
Lights don’t get brighter than they do at the new Yankee Stadium. DECEMBER 2017 / MUSCLE & FITNESS
111