Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou a Greek pole vaulter, who won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Beijing in 2015 jumping 4.80m. During the 2015 season, she set five Greek records (indoor and outdoor) raising the bar to 4.83 meters. The same year, she became the first Greek athlete to win the IAAF Diamond League.
After becoming a mother to a baby girl in 2017, she announced her return to competition for 2018 and went onto win the silver medal at the 2018 European Championships.
For all her fans out there, you must read Women Fitness’ exclusive interview with Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou.
Namita Nayyar:
You started out competing in gymnastics but soon realised your love for pole vault, what lead you to realise this?
Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou:
It’s the sense of freedom that pole vaulting has. I feel like I’m flying during my vault, trying to reach the sky!
Namita Nayyar:
What is the best part about being a professional athlete?
Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou:
Professionalism is part of my mentality in anything I do. This includes determination and hard work to reach my targets. Being a professional athlete is the result of my way of behaviour doing sports. I enjoy this every moment. Digging deeper into it, one of the bright sides is the travelling and to see a lot of places!
Full Interview Continued On Next Page
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All Written Content Copyright © 2018 Women Fitness
Namita Nayyar:
In 2017, you gave birth to a beautiful daughter and returned to competition in 2018 striking bronze at the Mediterranean Games. How do you feel about this incredible comeback? Share your prenatal fitness routine?
Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou:
My daughter is my world, my power and inspiration! Before I became pregnant I had planned that I would return to competitive sports. That been said, I was careful during my pregnancy and followed a strict diet, while I actually never lost contact with some kind of fitness routine and exercises, until the 7th month. My training schedule included 4 light training sessions per week in the local gym. We focused to minimise loses on physical condition. Of course my coach was in close contact with my doctor in order to be sure our workouts to be on the safe side.
I feel great about my “come back” among the best pole-vaulters for 2018. So far I have jumped 4.72m but the season is not over yet and I believe the best is yet to come!
Namita Nayyar:
After embracing motherhood, what challenges did you face regarding your fitness levels and how were you able to overcome them?
Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou:
During my pregnancy I added 11 Kg, while with the birth of my little princes I lost immediately 8 kg of them. I was breastfeeding my daughter for the next 3 months, so I had to eat for two! After those 3 months I was able to follow a more strict diet, protein based, and lose the remaining extra weight I had. After the first 40 days I started, progressively, again to perform light workouts like 4 times per week for the first 2 months. The target was to get back in shape. Here I need to say that due to my background of 15 years of training, my body has a memory and getting back in shape was not the hardest thing to accomplish.
Namita Nayyar:
To perform your best you need to fuel your body well too, what according to you should comprise a healthy breakfast meal? Also, what snacks do you like to munch on during or post training?
Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou:
My breakfast choice is a high in dietary fibers meal (like cereals, mostly oats) and to combine that with a whey protein shake. I follow my nutritionist advice to keep my breakfast with a low glycemic index score (the cereals), which will help me to combat food cravings during the day and maintain a healthy weight. In addition, the whey protein shake will give my body the amounts of essential amino acids, helping to promote lean muscle development.
Namita Nayyar:
Your biggest pole vault inspiration?
Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou:
My inspiration is… me in 3 years!! I have a dream and I chase and get inspirited by myself in that dream for what I will have been able to accomplish, in my way, with my efforts during my sporting life adventure!
Namita Nayyar:
You won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Beijing in 2015, what training routine do you follow to stay fit & strong?
Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou:
My training routine those days included 9 training sessions per week. That would count for 3 times pole vaulting, 4 times strength and conditioning and 2 times gymnastics. After my pregnancy, there was a need to change my coaching team, so now I follow a different training schedule which is more light comparable to what I did in the past and it is focusing more on my technique.
Namita Nayyar:
Favorite exercises that are a must in the workout routine of a professional pole vaulter.
Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou:
Pole vault technique world-wide includes 3 major “schools”, which are the Russian, the French and the US school. Every school has succeeds. Due my gymnastics background, when I was a kid, it’s the Russian pole vault technique approach that fits me the most. Favorite exercises I constantly do, when I do not do jumping exercises include the High Bar, the Parallel Bar and the Still Rings.
Namita Nayyar:
How would you define Women Fitness?
Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou:
Women Fitness is the “Bible of Fitness Secrets” for women who are dedicated to improve their physique but also their mental and spiritual wellness. Women Fitness is the way and the destination, the motivation to be and feel better and ultimately to give women’s every day moments an essence of fresh newborn life!
Namita Nayyar:
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, you could not compete due to an injury. How good is the recovery? Will you be able to make it at the 2020 games?
Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou:
Just a month before the Olympics I had a severe bone oedema and a sprained toe in my right foot. This was the reason I could not run at all. I did not give up and did several different treatments from 06.00 am until 21.00 pm every single day up to the day of my competition. The pain I felt when I tried to run was unbeatable and I withdrew my participation from the qualification round. It took me 4 months more to recover completely and I was already pregnant when my injury was healed. The 2020 Olympics is my biggest target and my performance evaluation even from my first competition season, just 9 months after the birth of my daughter are on the right path and very promising for a successful season to come!
Namita Nayyar:
What other competitions are you preparing for now?
Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou:
I just participated at the European Championships in Berlin, then I will hopefully compete in Birmingham Diamond League and the final of these competitions in Zurich.
Namita Nayyar:
How is your training with your new coach Andreas Tsonis, who is an ex pole vaulter himself, going?
Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou:
I’m excited with the training and have a lot of fun. It’s like I discover pole vaulting all over from the start. We do a lot of new, for me, exercises and I get into the known of pole vaulting deeper and deeper every day. To learn or to change your technique, especially in a very complex discipline like the pole vault, you need to be patient in order to give time to yourself to adapt to new movements and understand the synchronization needed to perform at your best. I’m a good student and I learn fast.
Namita Nayyar:
How do you relax after a hectic training session?
Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou:
One of the secrets to be a better athlete and maximize sports performance is to find the best way to recover faster from a heavy workout. I take care of this in several ways.
The first thing what I do is a proper cool down after I finish my last exercise. I do this by doing a light jogging for few minutes and a 10 minute easy stretching routine. In addition, twice a week I do an ice bath and I wear my favorite air compression boots, while two more times a week my physiotherapist will give me a full body massage. Last but not least I never skip to drink my recovery supplement shake, especially prepared for my needs and according my training routine. But the ultimate best relaxing therapy is to hug and play with my baby girl and for me nothing compares to this!!!
Namita Nayyar:
Message for Women Fitness on our 19th Anniversary?
Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou:
Time flies when you’re having fun! Women Fitness is the most pleasant fitness surprise every women should give as a gift to their self’s! Discovering the little secrets in every page I’m sure those will last a lifetime. Happy Women Fitness 19th Anniversary!!!
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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.
All Written Content Copyright © 2018 Women Fitness