Jolanda Neff: World Champion Professional Mountain Biker Reveals her Workout, Diet and Beauty Secrets

Namita Nayyar (WF Team)

8 years ago

Jolanda Neff is a Swiss Professional mountain biker. Jolanda Neff had her best season so far in her young career. She won her first World Cup ever in Pietermaritzburg and after that, she kept on winning all over the world. At the end of the season she won the overall World Cup in the Elite category and next to that, she became World Champion in the U23 category.

She also won in 2012 Swiss Champion U23, European Champion U23 and World Champion U23. In 2013 she won World Champion U23. She resides in Thal and had her education from Latin-Matura at the district school the moat, St.Gallen.

She is active since 1999 and represent the Team ‘Giant XC Pro Team’ and Club RV Altenrhein. She for the first time with a race number was on the road in 1999 in Rivera TI: obstacle course on the skill of the current Cups, today BMC Racing Cup. She immediately won. Herfirst national round-course race was in Reinach (BL) in 2004.

Her father built at that time in her home on the team Signer, a training group for kids who offered her an excellent foundation. She attended normal school and mountain biking was her favorite hobby. After graduating in the summer of 2011 at the college at the moat St.Gallen She took a gap year with a three-month stay in New Zealand and wanted to start her studies in the summer of 2012. But the 2012 season was an absolute dream season and she could see the Swiss, European and world title win in her first year at the U23 and three World Cups. This opened new perspectives for her and she was the number one team in the world, the Giant Pro XC team, signed a pro contract and was able to participate in sports funding program of the Swiss army. In 2013, her first season was a professional mountain bike and she climbed up to number 5 in the elite world rankings.

Achievements of Jolanda Neff

2011 Switzerland 1st in National Championship, Road, Juniors, Switzerland (F), Switzerland
2012 Czech Republic 1st in Nové Město na Moravě, Mountainbike, U23 (F), , Czechoslovakia
2012 1st in European Championship, Mountainbike, XC, U23 (F), Moscou (Moscou City), Russia
2012 United States of America 1st in Windham, Mountainbike, U23 (F), Windham (New York), United States of America
2012 Switzerland 1st in National Championship, Mountainbike, XC, U23, Switzerland (F), Switzerland
2012 Unknown 1st in World Championship, Mountainbike, XC, U23 (F).
2013 Switzerland 1st in National Championship, Mountainbike, XC, U23, Switzerland (F), Switzerland
2013 Unknown 1st in World Championship, Mountainbike, XC, U23 (F).2014 Cyprus 1st in Cyprus Sunshine Cup, (Afxentia, Mountainbike (F)) , Afxentia (Nicosia), Cyprus
2014 Cyprus 1st in Voroklini, Mountainbike (F), Voroklini (Larnaca), Cyprus
2014 Switzerland 1st in Swiss Cup, (Buchs, Mountainbike (F)) , Switzerland
2014 Italy 1st in Montichiari, Mountainbike (F), Montichiari (Lombardia), Italy
2014 Switzerland 1st in Lugano/Tesserete, (Lugano, Mountainbike (F)) , Lugano (Ticino), Switzerland
2014 South Africa 1st in Pietermaritsburg, Mountainbike (F), Pietermaritsburg (KwaZulu-Natal), South Africa
2014 Switzerland 1st in Lenzerheide, Mountainbike (F), Lenzerheide (Graubunden), Switzerland
2014 Canada 1st in Mont Sainte-Anne, Mountainbike (F), Mont Sainte-Anne (Quebec), Canada
2014 Switzerland 1st in Basel/Muttenz, (Basel, Mountainbike (F)) , Basel (Basel-Stadt), Switzerland
2014 France 1st in Méribel, Mountainbike, Méribel (Rhone-Alpes), France
2014 Unknown 1st in World Championship, Mountainbike, XC, U23 (F).
2014 Germany 1st in Bad Salzdetfurth, Mountainbike (F), Bad Salzdetfurth (Niedersachsen), Germany
2014 Poland 1st in Jelenia Góra, Mountainbike (F), Jelenia Góra (Dolnośląskie), Poland

Jolanda Neff is a Swiss professional mountain biker world champion 2014 and winner of overall World Cup. She also won in 2012 Swiss Champion U23, European Champion U23 and World Champion U23. In 2013 she won World Champion U23. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar President Women Fitness.

All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You started at a very young age of six years at Rivera TI in competitive bike racing and reached the pinnacle of success by winning MTB XCO World Cup Championship, U23 World Championship and getting World Ranking No.1 at 21 years age. Tell us about your journey that took you to where you are now in the world of competitive mountain bike racing and what factors you consider were responsible that made you achieve that?

Ms. Jolanda Neff: When I did my first mtb race ever at the age of 6, I for sure didn’t think about World Championships or any big races. I probably didn’t even think about the next race yet but about the next day in kindergarden! Honestly, mountain biking was always my dearest hobby and my favourite leisure activity to me but never something that I thought would one day become my profession.

It was a development step by step – the races got bigger, I kept winning, I trained more, everything got a bit more professional. But still, I went to the normal school without any special treatment from the teachers and I did the same program as all the other students. It was in 2012, when I had finished the compulsory school and wanted to start university, that I had such a stellar season that I got an offer from a professional mtb team to turn pro.

And that was where I really had to make a decision and I decided to put all my energy for the sport and go for it! The year 2014 showed that it was one of the best decisions of my life. The fact that I had more time for training and especially regeneration made it possible for me to improve and get to the top of the world level. It takes a lot of hard work but you must make sure you enjoy what you are doing, and I love riding bikes, and I think this is exactly the reason why I am successful: I love what I do.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share?

Ms. Jolanda Neff: In any situation in life and especially in competitive sports it is important to have a strong core. Also if you are working in an office it will give such a good feeling to have a strong core, just because everything like walking stairs or sitting gets easier and makes you feel more confident. It takes little to achieve it and gives you a lot! Just do a set of push ups (as much as you can – you’ll improve quickly!) every morning and some abdominal crunches. I promise, it will make a difference! And maybe you’ll even discover a six pack on your belly after a while…

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?

Ms. Jolanda Neff: I don’t have a nutrition plan but I find it very important to eat healthy. My mum is a diplomated nutritionist and her knowledge is very helpful. Still I am a lot on the road without her advice and so I need to know by myself what is good to eat. It is game changing! A simple advice to everyone is: just drink water. Pure, clean water. I drink it all the time. Of course you can have coffee and tea as well, but leave all the sugar bombs and soft drinks away and you’ll start to feel much lighter and happier.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Do you take some kind of skin treatment to keep it young and glowing and secondly what you do to your hair to make them look so stunning?

Ms. Jolanda Neff: Thank you! My hair is naturally curled and so I don’t do anything to make it curly. The colour is originally darker but for summer I found it nice to lighten it up a bit. Since I train every day in the mud and sweat, I wash my hair daily. This is not ideal, but there is no other option, and so it is important to treat it very well and put a caring lotion on it every day. I have a great oil which makes it nice and shiny after the wash! My skin does get tanned very quickly, but unfortunately I am so often in a cycling kit that the nice tan stops where my cycling pants start….! Check my facebook profile, there you will find some funny pictures! It is for sure not ideal to have a tan like this to go to the beach, but I hardly ever find time to lay there anywhere. I treat my skin with a body lotion after showering and use a peeling ever now and then to make the skin soft.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding competitive professional mountain bike racing girls who all are your fans, they shall like to know from you, what they should do for their climb to ladder of success in field of competitive professional mountain bike racing ?

Ms. Jolanda Neff: Love what you do! If you love mountain biking, go out and have fun on your bikes! The success will come with having fun. Of course you have to train hard as well, but never forget having fun. Practise the basics, find some cool trails in a bike park and go ride them.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: How did you feel before and after your memorable win at MTB XCO World Cup Championship?

Ms. Jolanda Neff: I knew it was possible to do something really special and memorable on that day since no cyclist has ever before won the u23 championships for 3 times. So there was some pressure but also excitement. I was over the moon when I crossed the finish line and won the gold medal!

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Tell us more about 2012 ‘your dream season’, were you won the Swiss, European and world title in your first year at the U23 and three World Cups. You made the number one team in the world, the Giant Pro XC team, signing a professional contract and was able to participate in elite sports development program of the Swiss army?

Ms. Jolanda Neff: 2012 was kind of the “key year” of my life because that’s where I decided – after my stellar season – to really go for the sport and give it my all. I said no to a university career and took the chance and signed with the best team of the world. Also the opportunity to train with the swiss army made a big difference!

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Ms. Namita Nayyar: Who has been your greatest influencer and motivator in your success in the field of your career in competitive professional mountain bike racing?

Ms. Jolanda Neff: There is only one possible answer to this question – my dad! He has been and still is my biggest inspiration and motivation. He is my coach, mechanic, training partner, and he also showed and introduced me to the sport of mountainbiking. He and my mum were the best parents I could imagine and thanks to them I got to know the sport and love it! I am so grateful for what they’ve done for me.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You had till date excellent results in 2014, stood first at Pietermaritzburg, South Africa in World Cup, stood first at Lostdorf SO Switzerland in Swiss Championship, stood first at Mont-Sainte-Anne Canada in World Cup, stood first at Méribel France in World Cup, stood first at worldwide in World Cup Appreciation and also stood first at Hafjell Norway in World Championship U23. Which of these wins has been most memorable and why?

Ms. Jolanda Neff: They are all special in their own way and they all have a special story behind them. i remember each one of them and a lot of them gave me goosebumps. one that I enjoyed so much was south africa this spring, because it was the first time ever that i won an elite world cup. I loved everything about this race and will always keep it in great memories.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: With exceptional hard work you are credited with all your achievements. Do you believe that does the hand of Providence (Supreme Being) played a role in your success?

Ms. Jolanda Neff: I am thankful that I am a healthy girl and that I was born with everything on my body functioning perfectly. The world is amazing and every baby who is born healthy is a miracle. Sometimes we tend to forget how stunning our bodies are and what they are able to do. that I can follow my passion and ride my bike and get better and better in it and work with my own miracle, my own body, makes it even more exciting. I am gifted and I am very thankful for that, but you get no where if you are just gifted and don’t work on yourself – there is a lot of hard work behind every success and hours and hours of training and dedication. But I love what I do and enjoy every moment on my bike – so this is my fulfilment. To me it is not a sacrifice, it is passion.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: What you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?

Ms. Jolanda Neff: Perfectly set up and good quality information for all kind of women – actually sooo much information on all kind of topics that you can lose yourself for hours – but great hours. Answers any question you have. Great website!

To know more about Jolanda Neff, check her out at: http://jolandaneff.ch

To know latest about Jolanda Neff check out on her social networks:

Women Fitness Team thanks Jolanda Neff for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and made this interview happen.

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