Kumari Shreya
Given just how challenging the tasks in Netflix’s ‘Physical: 100‘ are, it is no wonder its participants have earned the love and respect of people worldwide. The Korean reality show welcomes several fitness enthusiasts whose prowess in the field of physical health is nothing short of admirable. One of the most impressive competitors from the show is Woo Jin-Yong, an athlete whose consistent performance helped him become the winner of the show’s very first iteration.
Who is Woo Jin-Yong?
Born in 1986, Woo Jin-Yong aspired to be a Physical Education teacher at a young age and even graduated from Chung-Ang University after studying the subject. In fact, he has a Master’s Degree from the institute’s Graduate School of Physical Education. However, things changed after the athlete completed his mandatory military service as a Korean Marine. In 2007, Woo went to Canada for language education purposes and discovered the world of snowboarding. As a person who always found joy in physical activities like soccer and judo, snowboarding became his favorite activity. He apparently spent more time enjoying the same thing than studying.
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After Woo gained his certificate as a snowboard instructor, he decided to pursue the sport professionally. The decision resulted from the athlete’s first viewing of a professional snowboarding event on television. The intensity and excitement of the organized event left Woo wanting more, and he became determined to be one of the best in the field. Given South Korea’s absence from Olympic snowboarding events before 2010, he found minimal restriction from the Korea Ski Association (KSA) when asked about representing his nation in international events.
From 2010 to early 2019, Woo remained an active snowboarder and represented his country in various international events. Since then, he has had the opportunity to act as a coach for South Korea’s National Snowboarding Team. Additionally, he was once the President of the Snowboard Committee of South Korea. It seems like Woo had channeled his love for physical activities into becoming a CrossFit expert and never skips working out.
In the Netflix competition, Woo was a part of Choo Sung-Hoon‘s team for the second and third quests, leading to impressive victories in both rounds. For the penultimate quest, he had to participate in the game known as The Tail of Ouroboros. The participants had to run across a circular track after starting from equidistant points. If a person touched the person in front of them, the tagged runner would be eliminated, and only the remaining participant would win.
Throughout the game, Woo maintained a steady pace and conserved his energy to utilize it when needed. The strategy certainly paid off when it was only he and Jeong Han-Saem on the track, with the latter rapidly losing his steam after the elimination of the other two participants. In the end, Woo ended the distance between himself and the other runner by using his last energy reserves and started sprinting. The plan paid off, and the snowboarder was the last person standing after the game ended, earning him a ticket to the finals.
Soon, it was time for Woo to face off against four other finalists during the fifth quest. For the final level, the contestants had to take part in a series of games, with one person being eliminated in each round. For the first three rounds, Woo used his determination and physical prowess to maintain his spot in the winning race. For the final game, he and Jung Hae-min had to keep pulling on a heavy and lengthy rope until it was fully uncoiled. The task was far from simple and led to many moments of camaraderie between the two finalists. Though it was a close call, Woo ultimately ended up winning the competition and took home the cash prize of 300 million won.
Woo Jin-Yong is Now an Avid CrossFitter
Woo Jin-Yong’s impressive performance has made him a recognizable star. He himself has been quite thankful for the love and support that fans across the world have bestowed upon him. While Woo has not lost his love for winter-themed sports, he seems dedicated to his role as a CrossFitter. He is closely affiliated with JD CrossFit and CrossFit NAMSAN. When not spending time at the gym and working on his physique, Woo also enjoys participating in various athletic events. In fact, he even ran the 2023 Seoul Half Marathon.
Thanks to his victory in the Netflix series as well as his own prowess, Woo has gained a significant fan following on social media, as evidenced by his Instagram following of over 62K followers. As such, Woo often promotes different brands and takes part in some exciting social media challenges. His fans have continued to support him through his many endeavors and only hope to see him succeed even more in the future.
