Tanja Žakelj is overall World Cup Champion Mountain Bike Cross Country 2013 and European Continental Champion – XCO-XCE 2014. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar President Women Fitness.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You lived in a small village Ledine in Slovenia, while studying in secondary school in Idrija you were introduced to mountain biking as a sport. You were ignited and made competitive cross-country mountain bike racing as your career and reached the pinnacle of success by winning overall world cup in cross-country mountain biking in 2013. Tell us about your journey that took you to where you are now in the world of competitive cross-country mountain bike racing and what factors you consider were responsible that made you achieve that?
Ms. Tanja Žakelj:
My journey that you mentioned was not planned at all, but it happened spontaneously by living with open hands and eyes from day to day. As a child I never dreamed of being famous athlete, and Olympic Games were the last thing on my mind. However I was always very active and I liked to take part at any kind of sports game. Even working on our farm I took as a game or a kind of activity.
Looks like I have sportive genes, but I’m also hard-working and have winning mentality. My parents added this part to my character and I’m very grateful for that. With the help of other people that were on the right place at the right time to help me, I turned these in some useful and visible good results. It’s impossible to make any good results and dreams to come true with no appropriate support of the team, coach and all the people who surround you. Workouts are only good when they are done with enthusiasm and strong will and for that one needs to feel good in the environment.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You represented school at world championships in orienteering, you took part at Slovenian cross-country races and joined Slovenian national team, you also played football in U16 girls team (Your team was national champions), you also did skiing and cross-country skiing many times in winters and went for a short session of running and mountain running, you also won half marathon in Ljubljana. All this past training in sports created your personality with physical abilities so that a world champion was born in cross-country mountain bike racing. Elaborate on your long years of persistence, commitment, determination, hard work and discipline that was inculcated in you to be such an achiever?
Ms. Tanja Žakelj:
I took part at all these various disciplines of sport because they were challenging and fun. It was hard for me to focus on one discipline only, but luckily I never get bored of mountain biking. Maybe because it’s challenging all the time and you can never totally master your bike. When you think you do, you soon hit the ground. Definitely my achievements are based on long term of work and training. But there was always a same thought on my mind, no matter the discipline – to work and live this way because I like it and enjoy every single minute of it. In all this time I also learned that life is a never ending learning lesion, similar like mountain biking – if I would stop at the point where I’m now, I will never again have any good results. This is why I’m always looking for something new, different and challenging at the same time.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You possess the world champion body and physique. What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share?
Ms. Tanja Žakelj:
Training workouts vary from the time of the year, I create my yearly plan with my coach before the start of the new training season and they adjust it if necessary. I compete in Olympic cross-country and this is where my goals are focused, so I do most of the training hours on my mountain bike. This is also the part of the training that I enjoy the most!
Of course other physical training is also very important. Before the season I like to do cross country skiing, hiking, running and similar. All these sports in the preparation time also create a “hunger” for mountain biking and racing, so I can’t wait for the first events of the year. My training schedule includes more intervals as the races are getting closer. I always also do a lot of stability workouts, which prevents any injuries.
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