One of the most revered women in fitness, Katrín Davíðsdóttir, will trade in her weighted vest for a spear when she returns home to Iceland to compete in her first Spartan event on December 16, 2017. The 2015 and 2016 CrossFit Games Champion will test the functional physical fitness CrossFit athletes are known for, as she battles obstacles along a Sprint race course and faces grueling natural elements at Spartan’s inaugural race in the Land of Fire and Ice.

“As an athlete, I’m constantly looking for new ways to challenge myself physically and mentally, and when I heard that Spartan was planning a race in my own backyard, I knew it would be a perfect opportunity to put my CrossFit training to the test in a different arena,” says Davíðsdóttir. “I’m a CrossFit competitor first and foremost, but I’m confident my training in the box will provide me with the functional movements required to conquer the Spartan race course, and I’m excited to give it a shot.”

CrossFit’s workouts are based on functional movements performed at high intensity, which aligns with a Spartan training philosophy that emphasizes strength, endurance, and mental grit. Spartan events focus on sport and athleticism, pushing the bodies and minds of competitors to the limit across miles of unforgiving terrain while they conquer signature obstacles such as the Spear Throw, Bucket Brigade, and Barbed Wire Crawl.

The Sprint is one of the most challenging OCR events, featuring close to 25 obstacles across 5 miles of rugged terrain. The harsh elements of the region will test Davíðsdóttir in new ways as she treks across the majestic, raw terrain of Iceland, through various elevations, ice, glaciers, geysers, and active volcanos.

“Katrin is an incredible athlete. I’ve watched her dominate at the CrossFit Games and look forward to seeing her on the Spartan race course,” says Spartan founder and CEO Joe De Sena. “This will be one of our most challenging races to date and we’ll put a lot of obstacles in her path, but she has been named the Fittest Woman on Earth and is an all-around bad-ass, so I’m sure she can handle it.”

Spartan will produce a video content series chronicling Davíðsdóttir’s experience on and off the race course, including pre- and post-race interviews and her training and nutrition regimen. The series will premiere in early December ahead of her Spartan debut in Iceland, and continue into the new year.

In addition to the Sprint, Spartan’s race weekend in Iceland will feature an Agoge, which pushes participants to their limits and forces them to overcome mental and physical obstacles through 60 hours of elite military-style challenges.

The marquee event of the weekend is the Ultra World Championship, which will challenge competitors with 5-mile (8-km) laps featuring more than 30 manmade and natural obstacles. Racers who complete the most laps during the 24-hour race will be crowned champions, and the top five men and women will take home more than $25,000 in cash prizes.

Take on your own Spartan battle! Download the 2018 Spartan Race schedule.