Meet the fittest athlete at Leeds

Not only is Abdulaziz Adekola a fresher, a first team member of the university basketball team and one of three freshers to play Varsity, but now he’s also been crowned Leeds University’s fittest athlete.

He beat more than 200 competitors to get first place in the Reebok Archon Fitness Challenge. This means he’s fitter than everyone else.

We caught up with the 19-year-old from Leeds to talk about his life and training regime.

So tell us what the Reebok Archon Fitness Challenge is all about? 

The Reebok Archon Fitness Challenge is all about finding the best overall athlete. The challenge takes into account height, weight, gender and age when doing it to make it fair. For example, a female weighing in at 55kg who could squat 100kg would receive more points than a male weighing 100kg squatting 140kg. The range of activities are set to test strengths and weaknesses.

It wasn’t a surprise when some of the basketball players set the higher scores for some of the jumping tests, neither was it a surprise when some of the body-builders, power lifters and rugby players were lifting some ridiculous weights on the bench. The challenge through 9 exercises tests the strength of pretty much all sports in some way, shape or form.

You’re there, ready to start, sizing up the competition – what were you thinking?

After getting there and warming up I made my way to the sports hall and within 2 minutes of being there one of the rugby players had already set the standing long jump record and another individual had just set a time of 1.50’s on the sprint. It was the first time I’d ever done anything like this and I remember telling my friends beforehand that I’d probably expect a rugby winger to win the whole thing. I was hoping to rank in the top 10. Top 3 and I probably would have felt quite good about myself (and bragged a little) but coming first was a shock!

You set the record for the standing long jump at 3.01m – Should Greg Rutherford be worried?

I had to Google who Greg Rutherford was. I think he’s safe; he runs a 100m in 10.26 and has a 8.56 long jump. Madness. I imagine his squat game is pretty strong (he said in an article that every day is leg day). Think I could challenge him on the bench though.

What made you sign up for the challenge – shouldn’t you be revising?

One of the guys on my basketball team told me about it the week before and said I should do it. Being somewhat of an athlete and overly competitive I couldn’t resist signing up the moment I got home.
Revision…so I actually have to study first year?

Have you always been interested in sports and fitness?

Yes! I remember my first gym membership at age 14. It was to a local council gym that I used to go after school and I would make no progress every single time. I had no idea what I was doing and didn’t know there were more muscles in the human body than pecs and biceps.

In terms of sports, I played a bit of tennis in primary school, nothing serious, but throughout high school and sixth form I’ve played football, rugby and basketball. My interest in basketball took me on tour in Serbia, I competed in the National League Playoffs, the Elite Academy Basketball League play-off’s, trained with professional basketball team Leeds force in the summer and had a professional basketball début followed by an appearance in a pre-season game

Other than basketball do you play any others?

In semester 1 I did play a bit of American football, sadly it was too much to fit in to my weekly schedule and I would often go from one training session to the other covered in bruises or ridiculously tired. After basketball, American football has been the most fun I’ve had

Away from Sports, I take it like all freshers you like to party? What’s your favourite night out?

My favourite night out these days seems to be spending hours in Laidlaw after midnight with stacks of red bulls and golden Oreos. Either that or Backroom on a Saturday night!

You’ve had one too many drinks and you’ve rolled out the club to the nearest take away – what’s your late night snack of choice? Surely not a protein shake!

I currently own a strawberry protein mix and I can’t bring myself to have a second shake, its horrific and been sat here for about a month!

My late night snack of choice is a triple piri-piri chicken fillet burger, extra cheese, no salad, ketchup, mayo and chilli sauce.

Talking of drinks what’s your drink of choice?

Water. Genuinely drink it 24/7 with anything, but of a weekend I might have the odd Vodka RedBull at Backroom.

So is Leeds’ Fittest Athlete single?

Yes!