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Hyrox and moving to Australia: what a quarter-life crisis looks like for Gen Z

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As a child, my dad would speak of ‘the midlife crisis’ with the sort of looming dread usually reserved for a fourteenth century European facing down the bubonic plague. He was so preemptive in his worry, that ‘the midlife crisis’ became personified; a monster waiting down the tracks. Now in my 20s, the midlife crisis is just another item on a list of things I thought would have so much more bearing on my adult life; the Bermuda triangle, quicksand, limousines, Yellowstone.

But while I’ve spent my time worrying about a person’s ‘midlife’, a far more insidious beast has crept along. Dad, I take your midlife crisis and raise you the quarter-life crisis; the tyranny of which I’m currently enduring. If sports cars and affairs are the pillars of your generation’s existential wobble, extreme sports and moving down under are ours.

It happened quietly, quickly, and then all at once. Big Protein swept over my social life, only eclipsed by the siren song of Australia. One scroll on Instagram shows a litany of Kangaroo blow-up dolls or aggressively-soundtracked lunging. Everyday, a new person tells me of their imminent move to Sydney, while another recounts their HYROX training schedule. The once well-trodden paths of your 20s are being replaced by competitive squatting, emigration and sunshine.

Hyrox and moving to Australia are a Gen Z stereotype which reveal a much more profound truth: young people are in crisis

Yet while HYROX and Australia (for which the venn diagram of participants is often a circle) have become a Gen Z stereotype, my For You feed of jacked, tanned athletes actually reveals a much more profound truth. It reflects the state of living for young people in Britain today; a generation in crisis, wells of unmet need, and a broken social contract.

What does it mean when young people feel that a country half the world away can offer them more opportunities than their own? Why are people spending their twenties tackling fitness competitions in search of purpose and fulfillment? Why are we looking for radical change thirty-odd years earlier than expected?

One peak at the data reveals why. Fewer of us feel we can afford children. Home ownership is a pipe dream for most. London rents have reached a 15th consecutive record high, and 48% of Gen Z spend nearly half of their income on rent. Grafting hard at work feels like it can’t award you the things it once could. Record numbers of us are still living with our parents. We have lower job satisfaction and higher burnout rates than any other group.

Low wages, an unstable job market and financial strain score our lives. ONS data shows that one-third of 25-to-34-year-olds in the UK have ‘negative wealth’ (where their debts outweigh their assets) due to student loans, rent and the increasing cost of living crisis. 47% of us say we plan to still work part-time after reaching retirement age.

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Tourists sunbathe on a sandy beach in Australia (Getty Images)

The situation is, for lack of a better word, dire. It tracks, then, that Gen Z are gravitating toward goals that are challenging yet reachable. Endurance sports seem to offer the discipline, motivation, and sense of achievement that so many crave in the Wild West of their twenties.

For the uninitiated, HYROX is a competitive fitness event, and is the apex of extreme sport that reigns supreme on social media. Such relentless squatting is, of course, very impressive, but like all trends it struck out of nowhere and left me wondering which newsletter I haven’t subscribed to. Is there a Substack? Can my mum write a note to say I don’t have to do it?

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Hyrox involves strength and cardio (Hyrox)

HYROX has seen an increase from 175,000 attendees in 2022 to a projected 1.2 million by 2026, and have noticed a steep rise in Gen Z membership. Douglas Gremmen, Chief Growth Officer at HYROX, says people are seeking a sense of belonging and “genuine connection”.

“We’re seeing an incredible surge in Gen Z participation, driven by the strength of our community and the energy that comes from being part of something bigger.”

“Gen Z, more than any other age group, is actively seeking in-person physical experiences, especially after missing out on so many key social milestones during COVID-19, including their university years. They want to be surrounded by like-minded people, and our events give them that space.”

“When I signed up for a half-marathon, it gave me a purpose that I felt a bit lost without. It’s the same with HYROX”

Beth, 27

For Beth, 27, HYROX has given her something to look towards and focus on.

“When I signed up for a half-marathon, it gave me a purpose that I felt a bit lost without. It’s the same with HYROX. I think lots of people need to have something to work towards; something to train for. There’s also an element of constantly wanting to do better, to improve and find fulfillment.”

This search for community and purpose speaks to a post-pandemic generation struggling for connection. An Edelman report highlights the ongoing disruption for Gen Z after Covid, with 70% feeling disrupted and 40% feel abandoned or resentful. Gen Z also shows an increase in financial anxiety, isolation, and depression, with 27% saying the pandemic made them not want to have children.

Then there’s Australia. If you’re not training for a sporting activity, you’re packing up and moving down under. Please don’t leave, I find myself begging. Australia might be warm and beautiful, but the Central Line has tropical heat and Pret has new lunch bowls!

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Beachgoers on Bondi Beach, Australia (AFP via Getty Images)

Statistics show that the number of working tourists in Australia from the UK had risen from 31,000 in 2023, to almost 50,000 in 2024. This popularity is, in part, due to a change in the eligibility criteria for the working holiday visa; British applicants no longer have to do 88 days of agricultural labour per year to stay there, and people up to the age of 35 can now live and work for three years (previously, the limit was 30).

A British Council survey further highlights the desire to emigrate; 72% of Gen Zers would consider living and working abroad, over 50% said they felt financially insecure with low wages, and 66% said their standard of living was worse than their parents’ generation.

For Isabel, 27, Australia gave her what the UK never could.

“Life for me is immeasurably better than in London, it’s almost incomparable. My wages are so much higher, my work life balance is better, my rent is much lower (for a nice house in a central location), and my living expenses are generally more affordable.”

“You feel like you can work hard for a good life and that there are good things ahead”

Isabel, 27

“Because I’m not crippled by my finances I have so much more agency, and I can fill my life with things I want and like doing. This makes my life feel so much richer and fulfilling. In the UK, a lot of young people feel nihilistic and like there’s no future. Here, there’s not the same cloud hanging over everyone that the worst is yet to come, or our best times are behind us. You feel like you can work hard for a good life and that there are good things ahead. I don’t think this exists in a meaningful way for young people in the UK, especially London.”

This feeling rings true for Beth, who had also considered making the move.

“I thought “what’s the point, I’ll never own a home anyway”. There’s so much more to life, and it seems like everyone is fleeing, so why not go somewhere warmer, more freeing and with a better lifestyle.”

Gen Z is doing what they do best: redefining expectations and reshaping our lives. There’s a lot of pride to be found in a generation that’s carving its own paths and forging new purpose in an increasingly tricky world. And hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. The next HYROX event, fittingly, is in Perth – who wants to be my doubles partner?

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Douglas Hoover – Women’s Track & Field Coach

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17 minutes ago

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December 21, 2025

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Coaching Highlights at Saint Francis

  • Six-time NEC Coach of the Year – 2017 (Women’s Cross Country), 2019 (Men’s Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field), 2021, 2022, 2023 (Women’s Track & Field)

  • Coached two NCAA Participants – Deshaun Jackson (2019, 4th 110m hurdles), Sara Phelan (2019, 21st, javelin)

  • Five-time NEC Champion – 2016 Women’s Cross Country; 2019, Men’s Track & Field; 2021, 2022, 2023 Women’s Outdoor Track & Field

  • Coached 15 NCAA East Preliminary Participants

  • Coached 39 All-NEC Cross Country Performers – 17 Men’s Cross Country; 21 Women’s Cross Country

  • Coached 119 NEC Track and Field Champions – 25 Men’s Indoor Track & Field; 13 Women’s Indoor Track & Field; 32 Men’s Outdoor Track & Field; 39 Women’s Outdoor Track & Field

  • 35 Times An Athlete Named NEC Outstanding Performer: Men’s Cross Country – Bryce England (Performer, 2017); Women’s Cross Country – Anna Quackenbush (Rookie, 2023) Rosie Gaydos (Rookie, 2024); Men’s Indoor Track & Field – Jesse Brown (Rookie, 2016), Bryce England (Performer, Distance, 2018); Nickolas Hyde (Throws, 2024); Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Bryce England (2017, Distance; 2018, Distance), Chris Frederick (2018, Rookie); Deshaun Jackson (2019, Performer), Chris Frederick (2019, Sprints); Benjamin Ross (2019, Throws); Nickolas Hyde (Throws, 2021, 2022, ; Rookie, 2021); Julian Saunders (Sprints, 2023); Women’s Cross Country – Hannah Dorian (Rookie, 2014); Women’s Indoor Track & Field – Madeline Murphy (Jumps, 2023); Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Brittany Jackson (Track, 2013), Paris Cotman (Rookie, 2013), Emma O’Hara (Rookie, 2013), Jennifer Hahne (2017, Track); Emily Lunger (2019, Rookie); Mylan Crews (Performer, Sprints, 2021); Madeline Murphy (Jumps, 2022; Performer, Jumps, 2023); Carly Sedun (Rookie, 2022; Thrower, 2024)

Douglas Hoover enters his 14th season at the helm of the Saint Francis University men’s and women’s cross country and track & field program in 2025-26. A 20-year veteran of the collegiate coaching ranks, Hoover previously served two years as an assistant coach with the Red Flash from 2000-2002.

Saint Francis cross country and track and field has had a long tradition of success before Hoover took over in 2012 and he has continued to build on the legacy in his time in Loretto. Hoover has helped the Red Flash to four track and field championships between the men and the women and the women’s cross country team won the 2016 NEC title. In addition, two athletes have competed in the NCAA Championships with Deshaun Jackson finishing fourth in the 110m hurdles to earn All-American first-team status. Sara Phelan also competed at the national championships in 2019 and finished 19th in the javelin. 

Hoover was also instrumental in moving the home cross country course from Immergrun Golf Course to B & D Acres in Tyrone. The Red Flash has held home events at B & D for the last four years, including hosting the NEC Championships in 2022 and 2025. The 2017 women’s cross country team won the NEC Championships and the 2016 Red Flash men took home the NEC Men’s Track & Field Championships in 2019.

Saint Francis won the NEC Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2021, 2022 and 2023. It was the first time the Red Flash women’s track and field team won three titles in a row. The 2021 title was by one of the widest point margins in NEC history (82 points). 

During Hoover’s time at Saint Francis, the squads have become perennial contenders in the NEC, and have captured two conference team titles, breaking several school records and having several athletes compete on the national stage with 15 competing at the NCAA East Preliminary along with Jackson and Phelan on the national stage. In his first 13 years as head coach, 35 times an athlete was named an outstanding performer at the NEC Championships, an athlete has won an event at the NEC Championships 119 times and 39 times cross country had a All-NEC performer. 

Hoover’s teams have excelled in the classroom, as well as in competition. Four of his six teams have won the Northeast Conference Team GPA award, earning the highest GPA in their sport in the conference: men’s and women’s Cross Country, and women’s indoor and outdoor Track & Field.  

Hoover came to Loretto from Juniata College, where he served as an assistant coach with the men’s and women’s track & field and cross country teams from 2007 to 2012.  While there, he helped the women’s cross country team to a Landmark Conference Championship in 2007.  During his tenure Juniata produced three All-America selections, an NCAA Championship qualifier in cross country, and a NCAA provisional qualifier in track & field.  The men’s cross country squad landed 14 student-athletes on the Landmark Conference’s first or second teams, while the women’s cross country team had 12 who were honored.

Prior to Juniata, Hoover spent five years as the head coach for the men’s and women’s cross country teams at Penn State Altoona, where he was instrumental in the founding of the program in 2002.  In his first five years with the newly-minted program, Penn State Altoona teams placed among the top three in the conference championships eight times while earning one team championship and one individual championship.  He was named the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2005.

Prior to that, Hoover served as a graduate assistant coach with the Saint Francis men’s and women’s track & field and cross country teams from 2000 to 2002.  During that time, the men’s teams won every NEC Championship, and future Olympian Brian Sell qualified for the 2001 NCAA National Championship in the 10,000m run.  Kevin Doyle also captured the 2001 NEC individual cross country championship.  The women’s cross country team captured the 2001 NEC team title.  Five women and four men earned All-NEC cross country honors in 2001.

Hoover’s competitive career was spent in the Summer Biathlon, which combines the disciplines of cross country running and rifle marksmanship.  He was a member of the United States Summer Biathlon National Team from 1997 to 2012.  Hoover was a five-time National Champion (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012).  He had a total of 13 top-ten finishes in the National Championships during his competitive career.  He also represented the United States in five World Championships (2003, 2006, 2007. 2008, and 2009), earning two top-twenty finishes, while leading the United States team four times.  He was the USA Flag Bearer at the World Championships in 2007, and was the USA Team Captain in 2009.

In 2016, Hoover was inducted into the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame.

Hoover received his Bachelor’s degree in Finance with a minor in Economics from the Pennsylvania State University in 1994, and earned his Master’s in Business Administration from Saint Francis University in 2002.

A native of Tyrone, Pennsylvania, Hoover now resides in Loretto.



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Women’s Basketball Beats CSUN for Best Start in 45 Years

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December 21, 2025

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MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine women’s basketball (9-3) beat CSUN (5-6) 69-63 Saturday afternoon in Firestone Fieldhouse for the program’s best start in 45 years.
 
“We created a lot of great opportunities, and found a way when shots weren’t falling,” head coach Katie Faulkner said. “I think we know we want a better effort defensively in the second half but people stepped up in different ways throughout the game.”
 
Shooting just .382 on the afternoon, including .280 from distance, the Waves had to find a way to win with the offense being cold for the majority of the game.
 
The most from a single player in the first quarter on either side would be Shorna Preston with four points as neither squad found an offensive rhythm. With an average of .270 shooting from the field for both teams after the opening 10, Pepperdine led 12-11.
 
More than doubling the first quarter’s production, the Waves’ shots started to fall in the second. Lina Falk led the way with eight points as Shorna Preston hit her second from distance, nearly securing a double-double before the half with 11 rebounds and nine points. With the defense outrebounding CSUN 9-4, the Waves erased all second-chance opportunities for the Matadors, taking a 31-18 lead into the locker room at half.
 
Momentum swung in the visitor’s favor coming out of the break as the 13 point-lead was erased for Pepperdine throughout the third quarter. Two separate lead changes and three ties in the 10-minute stretch proved the game would come down to the wire. Being outshot .294 to .558, the Waves fought through the swing of favorability, taking a slim 44-43 lead into the final quarter.
 
After another cold 10-minute stretch, the offense found a groove for the final stretch. Shooting .500 from the field as well as from three, the Waves kept a hungry CSUN team at bay. Seleh Harmon hit one of her two from distance in the fourth, making it six straight games with a three from the freshman who has netted one in 11 of the 12 games played this season. Falk led Pepperdine to victory in the second half with 10 points as the Waves pulled off the 69-63 win.
 
Closing out the nonconference stretch of the season 9-3, it is Pepperdine’s best start in 45 years and the fourth best start in program history. After the Holidays, the Waves begin West Coast Conference play on the road, going to Pullman, Wash. to take on the Cougars of Washington State Dec. 28. The game will be available on ESPN+ (subscription required) with live stats available at pepperdinewaves.com.
 
GAME NOTES
 

  • Lina Falk dropped a season-high 18 points, two shy of her career-high. 

  • Falk’s season-high of 18 led the team this afternoon.

  • Shorna Preston secured her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and a season-high 16 rebounds.

  • The third and final Wave in double digits was Seleh Harmon, dropping 10.

  • Taija Sta. Maria, who leads the team in assists, was the leader once again tonight with four.

  • The Waves and Matadors split 30 turnovers evenly with 15 apiece.

  • Pepperdine scored 13 in transition compared to CSUN’s zero.

  • The Waves outrebounded the Matadors 47-36, including 17-10 on the offensive side of the glass.

 
 
 
ABOUT PEPPERDINE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Pepperdine women’s basketball has made four NCAA postseason appearances in its history, having won the WCC regular-season four times and the WCC Tournament on three occasions. With six All-American selections in program history, the Waves have also seen success in the WNIT Tournament which included a run to the Sweet Sixteen in 2019.
 
TICKETS
For more information and to purchase tickets to upcoming home events, visit here.
 
FOLLOW
To stay up-to-date on the latest Pepperdine women’s basketball news, follow the Waves on social media @PepperdineWBB



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Craig Skinner, Addi Applegate represent Muncie in NCAA volleyball final

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December 21, 2025

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Dec. 21, 2025, 4:02 a.m. ET



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How to watch Kentucky vs. Texas A&M volleyball in NCAA championship

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December 21, 2025

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Dec. 21, 2025, 6:04 a.m. ET



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How to watch 2025 NCAA women’s volleyball championship: Texas A&M, Kentucky play for title

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December 21, 2025

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By now, almost everything that can be said about the NCAA women’s volleyball final has been said. The serve zones have been diagrammed. The rotations studied. Every star has been labeled and ranked and debated into exhaustion. What Sunday in Kansas City does is ask two teams that have spent the whole season proving themselves to do it again, once more, as if none of it counted yet.

It is No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Texas A&M, the first all-SEC championship match in Division I women’s volleyball history. Kentucky has been here before, winning the 2020 national title. Texas A&M has not. 

2025 NCAA women’s volleyball championship

ABC is available for free over the air and also streams on ESPN Unlimited. 

The Aggies bulldozed their way into the program’s first championship match by knocking out top overall seed Nebraska in five sets and then sweeping Pitt, another No. 1 seed, in the national semifinal. They arrive with a first-time finalist’s resume and are led by Jamie Morrison, who was just named the national coach of the year.

They’re also the harder team to know. You think you’ve seen their ceiling, and then they elevate. When the Aggies are in system, they can bury you before you’ve adjusted. When they’re not, they don’t panic. Texas A&M standout Logan Lednicky called the Aggies “the grittiest,” and they’ve played like it, especially during the late-set messiness that usually eats upstart teams. Clean volleyball doesn’t really exist in a title match, anyway.

Kentucky comes in with the steadier resume and scar tissue. The Wildcats survived Wisconsin in five sets in the semis. Kentucky’s Craig Skinner and Wisconsin’s Kelly Sheffield coached junior varsity volleyball together in Muncie, Ind., in 1990 and went undefeated. That history is part of how you get here. So is what happened Thursday, when Skinner’s team ended Sheffield’s season.

Here’s the boring truth of a championship: It usually comes down to first contact. If serve receive holds, the setter has options and the block can be manipulated. If serve receive cracks, the whole thing turns into emergency swings.

Notably, Kentucky beat Texas A&M 3-1 when they met during the regular season in early October. That matters as evidence that Kentucky can solve this puzzle. It does not matter as a prediction. Finals are their own species.

Ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.



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UK Wildcats News: Kentucky Volleyball National Championship Gameday

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December 21, 2025

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Good morning, BBN! It’s game day!

The Kentucky Wildcats compete for a volleyball national championship this afternoon against Texas A&M. It’s Kentucky’s second appearance in the NCAA Volleyball National Championship and Texas A&M’s first appearance. It’s also the first time two SEC teams have competed for the national championship.

It’s been a fantastic postseason run for the Wildcats, going back to that thrilling win over Texas in the SEC Championship and all the way to that come-from-behind win over Wisconsin in the semifinals. Now, the Cats have a chance to top it off with a national championship.

Game time is set for 3:30 PM ET on ABC.

This will serve as today’s open thread, so make sure to come back here to talk about the game!

The SEC is stepping up its volleyball game.

She’s been a key piece for this team.

JQ wasted no time making his presence known.

Big performances from Quaintance and Lowe.

He certainly looks like a difference-maker moving forward.

Will Stein’s offense looked good last night.

Texas Tech vs Oregon is the most interesting to me. How about you?

Could you imagine how different things look?

Not a great Year 1 for Schottenheimer.

That’s a game Duke will wish they could have back.



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