Nicola Spirig Hug is a Swiss professional triathlete. She is the 2012 Olympic and six times European champion in women’s triathlon. She is the only female triathlete to have won two Olympic medals: taking gold in a tight race at London 2012 and silver at Rio 2016,
She is a member of the Swiss National Team and a four times Olympian. She was Olympic champion in 2012 and runner up in 2016. She was World Championship runner up in 2010, Junior World Champion in 2001, Junior European Champion in 1999, and Elite European Champion in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2018. She was the second oldest competitor in the field when she won the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow.
Spirig was born in Bülach. Spirig won Gold in the Olympic Women’s Triathlon. In the 13 years from 1998 to 2010, Spirig took part in 72 ITU competitions and achieved 39 top ten positions. In 2010, she won the European Championships and the World Championship Series triathlon in Madrid, and the silver medal at the World Championship Series triathlon in London. In the overall World Championship Series ranking she place second.
Spirig has also competed as a long-distance runner, finishing second at the Swiss Cross-Country Championships in 2014 and competing at the 2014 Zurich Marathon. Strong showing of form by Nicola Spirig in her last competitive appearance before the Olympic Games in Tokyo, winning the Trans-Vorarlberg Triathlon in Austria with a lead of nearly six minutes.
Medal record Representing Switzerland Women’s triathlon
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Individual
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Individual
ITU Team Triathlon World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2011 Lausanne Team
European Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Baku Individual
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2009 Holten Individual
Gold medal – first place 2010 Atholne Individual
Gold medal – first place 2012 Eilat Individual
Gold medal – first place 2014 Kitzbuehel Individual
Gold medal – first place 2015 Genf Individual
Gold medal – first place 2018 Glasgow Individual
Bronze medal – third place 2007 KopenhagenIndividual
Trans-Vorarlberg Triathlon in Austria
Gold medal – first place 2021
Women Fitness President Ms. Namita Nayyar catches up with exceptionally talented Nicola Spirig, a Swiss professional triathlete, 2012 Olympic and six times European champion in women’s triathlon here she talks about her workout, diet, and beauty secrets.
Namita Nayyar:
Being a female triathlete to have won two Olympic medals: taking gold in a tight race at London 2012 and silver in Rio 2016 walk us through your spectacular journey about how and when you were introduced to triathlon?
Nicola Spirig:
My parents were sports teachers and my brother, sister and I were allowed to try out many sports. For a long time I played basketball, for example. My father and my uncle did triathlon for fun. So I did my first triathlon at the age of ten and loved to be able to combine three disciplines in one sport. My father also trained me for the first 15 years and did a fantastic job in letting me have fun while getting a bit better each year.
Namita Nayyar:
You have been six times European champion in women’s triathlon. Being the best involves a lot of dedication and commitment. Share five keys to being the best?
Nicola Spirig:
These are my important points:
- Find out what your passion is and set high and realistic goals.
- The will to permanently pursue the goal over a long time. Being consistent in pursuing your goal for me is extremely important. To just show up and do your best every day already brings you a long way.
- The consistent readiness for further development. Be open for change and don’t fear it.
- A solid and long-standing team with partner, families, sponsors/association as well as the coach and a training group. Support from your environment is crucial.
- Furthermore, a certain mental strength, a meticulous plan but also a flexibility to adapt the plan again and again.
Full Interview is Continued on Next Page
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.
All Written Content Copyright © 2021 Women Fitness
Namita Nayyar:
Introduce us to a day in your life. You hold a degree in law, how has it helped you grow as a person.
Nicola Spirig:
I have always been a person who likes to have different challenges at the same time. My studies were enrichment back then; I liked having a “normal student life” besides working on becoming the best athlete in the world. Having a good education afterwards helped me to concentrate completely and without worries about the future on sports with the security that I would have a good chance of finding a decent job after my sports career no matter how successful I would be.
On the other hand sports has helped me very much with doing my studies, as I knew exactly how to be efficient, how to work for a goal and plan, how to deal with pressure in big exams etc., all learned in sports and all being very useful in my studies!
Today, there is not such a clear fixed daily routine. For me it doesn’t matter whether it’s the weekend or during the week, I train seven days a week. Before the Olympic Games the training is very structured and intense. During this time I train 3 times a day, 23-30 hours a week. I try to be with my international training group as often as possible, often in high altitude in St. Moritz, other times in camps for example in Gran Canaria.
Besides the training there are events with sponsors, media obligations etc. In between the training sessions I try to spend as much time as possible with my kids. We see ourselves very privileged, as both my husband who is mainly responsible for the kids and I can spend a lot of time together with our three children.
If I go to training camps I always try to bring the whole family with me. I also think I am a better mother being able to still do my passion as a job and have a family, it really makes me appreciate the time with them and I come home to them happy after the training. The family has the priority, which means my plans for the day can change depending on the kids health, school obligations etc. I am very happy to have a coach who accepts that and adapts the training to my family life.
Namita Nayyar:
Five exercises that essentially comprise your workout routine all through? Exercise Therapy you have followed to prevent injury or overcome it? Your advice to follow as five key for beginners in triathlon.
Nicola Spirig:
Five key for beginners in triathlon
- do more smaller sessions instead of less big sessions, you will get more out of it
- don’t train a huge amount of hours one week and then nearly nothing next week but try to be consistent and make a plan you can keep up for a longer period without disrupting your life.
- don’t always train at the same speed but bring some intervals into your training sessions. That can be doing all hills fast and the rest easy or running 1min fast, 1min easy several times or mix it up with longer and shorter intervals. It keeps the training interesting and it challenges your body to adapt and get better.
- keep it simple. We often just train with the three speeds “moderate, medium, mad”. Get to know your body and train by feel, so you can also adapt your training to stressful days at work or other things influencing your body and mind.
- trust your judgment and listen to your body. It will prevent injuries if you learn how to interpret the signs your body gives you and follow them.
Namita Nayyar:
The diet that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit? Two supplements that are key essential for immunity and enhanced performance.
Nicola Spirig:
I always eat a very conscious and balanced diet. However, I do not follow a special dietary plan. For me it is important that I can eat normal with my family. And between healthy main meals, chocolate or a nut croissant are also parts of my diet. This is energy which I burn up again afterwards during training and which is good for my mind. In addition, however, I trust Lian Chinaherb, who specializes in the production of individual granulate recipes inspired by Chinese medicine.
Namita Nayyar:
Training in extreme weather conditions can show its toll on hair & skin, five tips you follow for skin, and hair care?
Nicola Spirig:
I am quite lucky in this area as I don’t have major problems with my hair or skin. As in training, eating and other areas of my life I try to keep it simple and find a shampoo and a skin product that seems to give my hair and skin the moisture back it needs after the chlorine of the pool and the sun during the training sessions. Except sun screen I don’t use any further products.
Namita Nayyar:
Who has been your greatest influence and motivator in your success in the field of your career? Quote, you live by.
Nicola Spirig:
My father supported me for a very long time and was my coach. We still have an incredibly good relationship today. I then switched to Brett Sutton, who really shaped me into an Olympic champion. But this moment was also incredibly wonderful for my father and my whole family.
My quote: “Keep your goals out of reach, but not out of sight.”
Namita Nayyar:
In the current pandemic situation, how do you keep yourself busy while staying at home?
Nicola Spirig:
In the beginning I trained very focused and intense because I was still training for Tokyo. Since the postponement we took our time to recover from an injury. Now I train three times a day again, but with less intensity and most of it still from home. No training camps, closed swimming pools, no international squad, we had to find alternative possibilities. However I was never bored as my life has much more in it than just the training.
We actually really enjoyed the weeks of the “lockdown” as a family, to have more time at home without any events, without anywhere to go, let us realize how lucky we are already with what we have at home and made us appreciate the time together. Besides I spent more time organizing projects for my foundation and we discussed how to move forward with our kids’ triathlon series.
Namita Nayyar:
Being a mother of three. Share your post-delivery workout routine after every childbirth?
Nicola Spirig:
I have always had good pregnancies in which I could still be active, and fast, complication-free natural births. Therefore, after a few days I started again with light weight training for the arms and with walks with the baby. No training for me, but I was glad to be able to move again and I also had the feeling that this was good for my body. I also incorporated training for my pelvic floor several times a day very soon after birth which was important for me and which the advice of my midwife was. For moving forward I trusted in my body and listened to its signs and how I felt.
Every pregnancy and every birth is different, accordingly its best to listen to your body and move forward at the pace which is best for it. In every case spending time with your baby and letting the body have time to adapt to the new situation, breast feeding and different hormones is priority. But I found that, like in pregnancy, being active and moving can support all this and help the body recover and adapt faster and better.
Namita Nayyar:
Just 12 weeks after your third child was born in April 2019, you were back competing in the World Triathlon Series Grand Final held between 30 August 2019 to 1 September 2019. How did you prepare for this one straight after delivering a baby?
Nicola Spirig:
It was not planned that I would already take part in an international competition only 12 weeks after the birth. But since everything went very smoothly, all suddenly went very fast. I was able to train well, things were going well with the family and so I “ventured” into the race. At that time Switzerland tried to qualify for the team event in the Olympics and needed points for the Olympic Ranking, that’s why this race in Hamburg (team World Championships) was so important for me as I thought I was already strong enough again to help the team.
And as it was a big effort to travel to Hamburg with my little baby and my parents to support me with it, I decided to also race the individual race the day before. After the race I was incredibly relieved that everything had gone so well. But sure, a big challenge. Breastfeeding a baby before the competition and worrying more about being back in time for the next feed than about the result is an unusual situation.
Namita Nayyar:
Social media has gained significance nowadays, how do you use it to inspire your audience?
Nicola Spirig:
I try to remain quite authentic and only write posts that really suit me. I didn’t grow up with it and I find it impressive to see how fast everything changes and which new ideas are coming up. It’s a very interesting platform for athletes. However, to do it right I think you need to invest a lot of time and energy, which is difficult to find in my full life, so I just try to keep it simple and find a middle way.
Namita Nayyar:
Share a few words about the website Womenfitness.net and message for our visitors?
Nicola Spirig:
A great magazine with many exciting contents and interesting interviews. And there are also great sports exercises. Many of them can also be done at home after the Corona time. Keep up the good work and stay healthy.
Nicola Spirig Social Media Presence
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/nicolaspirigofficial/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/nicolaspirig
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/nicola.spirig/
Official Website : https://www.nicolaspirig.ch/en/home.html
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.
All Written Content Copyright © 2021 Women Fitness