Ditaji Kambundji is a Swiss athlete specializing in the sprint hurdles. She won the bronze medal in the 100 meters hurdles at the 2022 European Championships and bronze for the 60 meters hurdles at the 2023 European Indoor Championships.
Kambundji was the 100 m hurdles 2021 European under-20 champion and 2023 European U23 champion. She competed in the event at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She is the in the 100 meters hurdles at the 2022 European Championships and bronze for the 60 meters hurdles at the 2023 European Indoor Championships.
Ditaji Kambundji was born on 20 May 2002 in Bern to a Congolese father, Safuka, and a Swiss mother, Ruth. She is the last of four children. Her older sister is Swiss sprinter Mujinga Kambundji. She is the Swiss indoor record holder for the 60 m hurdles and outdoor 100 m hurdles. She is also a six-time national champion.
Ditaji grew up watching her siblings excel in athletics. She spent a majority of her time going to her sisters’ competitions and cheering them on, which naturally influenced her to follow in their footsteps. She gives credit to her sisters for laying the path for her and making it easier when she finally joined their track club. She tried different disciplines at first before gravitating toward the hurdles.
Both Ditaji and Mujinga enjoy gardening, as well as taking care of plants, when they are not competing.
Personal bests
60 m hurdles – 7.81 (St. Gallen 2023) NR
60 metres indoor – 7.31 (Magglingen 2023)
100 m hurdles – 12.47 (0.0 m/s, Bern 2023) NR
100 metres – 11.47 (+1.3 m/s, Langenthal 2022)
Medal record Women’s athletics Representing Switzerland
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 2024 Rome 100 m hurdles
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Munich 100 m hurdles
European Indoor Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Istanbul 60 m hurdles
European U23 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2023 Espoo 100 m hurdles
European U20 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2021 Tallinn 100 m hurdles
Youth Olympic Festival
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Baku 100 m hurdles
Women Fitness President Ms. Namita Nayyar catches up with Ditaji Kambundji, an exceptionally talented Swiss athlete, Bronze medalist 100 meters hurdles at the 2022 European Championships and Bronze medalist 60 meters hurdles at the 2023 European Indoor Championships. She talks about her fitness routine, diet, and success story.
Namita Nayyar:
You were born in Bern, Switzerland. Your older sister Mujinga Kambundji is also a Swiss sprinter, you grew up watching your siblings excel in athletics. This influenced you to take the hurdles as the event of your choice. You won the 100 m hurdles 2021 European under-20 championship. This later propelled your career to the height where you have been the European leading hurdler. Tell us more about your professional journey of exceptional hard work, tenacity, and endurance?
Ditaji Kambundji:
Yes, I grew up in a family of track and field athletes and this is very important to me and really shaped the beginning of my career and I think something that really helped was that I grew up with the mentality it was possible to be successful, it was possible to win international medals and I think that was also part of why I was able to win medals from an early age because I believed in that so I never had something that was holding me back.
I think that having a family that was always very supportive of what I was doing and knew the sport really well and my love for the sport has always been one of my greater advantages I think and especially in the early stages of my professional career until now having a big sister like Mujinga, that knew what it was like to be a professional athlete and already had a lot of experiences I think I was able to learn a lot from her and maybe she was able to tell me a lot of the mistakes that maybe she made that I was able to avoid and I really had a stable environment to really get better and get better at an early age.
Namita Nayyar:
It is a dream for an athlete to participate in the European Championships. You won a Bronze medal in the 100 meters hurdles at the 2022 European Championships and bronze for the 60 meters hurdles at the 2023 European Indoor Championships. Tell us more about these spectacular achievements of yours?
Ditaji Kambundji:
I think when I look back; Munich 2022 was a very, very special competition for me since it was the first international competition where I won a medal with the adults. And for me, it was at a really early age and it was a big surprise. And I was really happy to be able to do what was possible that day and win that bronze medal. And my whole family was there and my sister won also two medals. So it was really, really special. And I think Rome was different. I was two years older and I really had also very different expectations of myself when I went into that competition. And I think there I was really happy that I was able to really do my best, PB in the final like I was supposed to and win that silver medal. And I think step by step we’re getting closer to that gold medal.
Full Interview is Continued on Next Page
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Namita Nayyar:
You are the Swiss indoor record holder for the 60 m hurdles and outdoor 100 m hurdles. You are also a six-time Swiss national champion. How does such winning honor being bestowed upon you act as a catalyst in your meteoric rise as a leading hurdler athlete?
Ditaji Kambundji:
I’ve always felt like winning medals or breaking a record or something has always been something that really motivates me to do better. Because I’ve always had the feeling, okay, so now I run 12:40, so what can I run next? And it really motivates me for the next season. What can I do better to run even faster? What can I do more? What can I do less? What can I do different? And so I’ve always had that fire that really motivates me to run faster.
Namita Nayyar:
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you may wish to share?
Ditaji Kambundji:
I think it’s really difficult to just pick one exercise. I think we really have a big mix of things that we do in training that helps us to run faster. It’s not always just running hurdles. We have a lot of different sessions like weights and sprints and technical training and jumps and everything. So I think the mix of it all really helps to run faster.
Namita Nayyar:
How do you train your abs? One secret to your toned body.
Ditaji Kambundji:
Yes, of course, I do train my abs. I think in general we try to have a good fitness in the whole body and the abs or maybe the strength of your core is really really important to be able to hold all these movements you do at top speed. And for that I do Pilates. That is something that really helps.
Namita Nayyar:
Do you take a special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ditaji Kambundji:
I don’t have a special strict menu or a strict diet, but I really try to eat healthy because it’s really important for us also to have all we need and I think that is something that I try to focus on to eat healthy but I don’t have a… I’m not really strict with it as long as it’s healthy and it keeps me happy. I think that is important.
Namita Nayyar:
Five foods you absolutely love and five you keep to a minimum.
Ditaji Kambundji:
I’m really not complicated with food I eat almost everything but something I really like is lasagna or anything with truffle on it, I really love a good brunch that is some of my favorites and I really like sushi and any kind of good creamy pasta and then I think foods I try to minimize that I really like is for example I really like sour sweets but I’m not eating sweets every day or ice cream especially with nuts. My sister makes really good cakes, Muswama, and I really like her cakes, but it’s only on birthdays. And then I think junk food just in general that I try not to eat every day and to minimize.
Namita Nayyar:
You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Share with us your hair care and skincare routine.
Ditaji Kambundji:
So for my skin I think I try to minimize my skincare routine. It’s always a bit different but I try not to do too much. I’ve been struggling with acne for a really long time which is better now but today I try to not use as many products as I’ve been using before. And then for my hair I always try to keep my hair healthy, use good shampoos like the Rausch shampoos and then of course do my hair care routine and some kind of curly leaving conditioner so they stay hydrated.
Namita Nayyar:
What are your favorites items you love to wear (shoes, apparel, etc.)?
Ditaji Kambundji:
I really like the clothes. I really feel very, very comfortable and they fit like a glove. And then also the colors, I think is something that I really, really like. And then for shoes, I really like the Cloudsurfer Next. I’ve been wearing this one and I’ve really liked how it feels to run in it.
Namita Nayyar:
Five travel destinations on your wish list.
Ditaji Kambundji:
So I’ve always really loved traveling, so I think it’s difficult for me to pick only five locations. But what is on my wish list? I think very soon I’m going to Tokyo, so I really am looking forward to traveling Japan. On my wish list also are more countries in Africa. I haven’t been much to Africa. I would love to go maybe to South Africa. And the list goes on… Morocco, I would love to see. I think Australia, New Zealand. I think that is also really interesting. Canada, I think, then in South America. I’ve been to Colombia, so maybe I would love to go again. But then Brazil, I would love to see. So I think there’s not really a country that I wouldn’t want to see.
Namita Nayyar:
Tell us about a day in the life of ‘Ditaji Kambundji’.
Ditaji Kambundji:
So I think the day in my life really depends. It varies a lot. It depends if it’s winter or summer. But I think if I don’t have a competition, it’s like I always do training first. So I wake up, eat breakfast, go to training, then it varies if I have maybe a physio or some appointment that is to take care of my body. And then sometimes it varies and I have some kind of photo shoot or maybe an appointment with a partner. That always is something that also takes time of my day. And then I also try to invest a lot of time in my rest and being ready for the next training.
Namita Nayyar:
During the Covid pandemic. Tell us more about your routine to remain fit in those challenging times?
Ditaji Kambundji:
So I think the COVID pandemic was a really weird time for everybody, but I think we were really lucky that we were able to train outside because the weather was really nice in spring in Switzerland. So we had a stadium close to our house where I was able to train with my sisters. And then for the rest, we really had to find solutions for a weightlifting room and everything. So we had to adapt, but I think in the end it worked out fine.
Namita Nayyar:
In sports like hurdles how were you able to overcome any physical or sports injury setbacks and what advices can you give to those in a similar situation.
Ditaji Kambundji:
So I think it’s always important that everybody struggles with injuries or with health problems. So I think it’s a big part of getting faster is just staying healthy. So an advice that I would give is to really take a step back or realize, learn to listen to your body and realize when it’s time to like maybe take a step back. And always, I always try to go quicker to the doctor or get an answer sooner than later. And I never try to do more when I feel any pain.
Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding hurdler athletes, who all are your fans and shall like to know from you for their climb to the ladder of success in the field of running 100m and 60 meters hurdles?
Ditaji Kambundji:
So I think hurdles are something that I really, really love. And I think if you’re a hurdler, you’re trying to search for that maybe that thrill. And I always loved more the hurdles over sprinting because I think it’s more interesting. But this is my opinion. So I think, yeah, I would just say just to enjoy what you’re doing because I think it’s great.
Namita Nayyar:
You have an impressive Instagram following of 62k followers. A message for your ardent admirers.
Ditaji Kambundji:
I don’t know, I think I would say thank you. Thank you for supporting and following me and being there for the whole journey. And I think you don’t say thank you often, but it’s something that means a lot.
Namita Nayyar:
How are you preparing for the World Championships in Tokyo later this year?
Ditaji Kambundji:
We are currently now in a training camp in Tenerife to prepare the season 2025. And so I think the first big preparation, I think maybe for the outdoor season will be the indoor season. It’s always good to see where you stand after a long winter preparation. So running indoors, seeing where you are and trying or doing competition is always something that is able to help you outside, I think. And then, yeah, of course, competitions, training are preparation.
Ditaji Kambundji Social Media Presence
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ditaji.k/