Tanja Žakelj is a Slovenian racing cyclist, holder of multiple world- and European champion titles. She was born in Kranj. She competed in mountain biking at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She is the current European Champion and overall World Cup Winner (2013).
She lives in Ledine, a small village of an altitude of 780m. Countryside there is beautiful and surrounded with hills makes it perfect for mountain biking. Many times their family gathers together to help working on the farm. This keep them connected and give them back the feeling of belonging to nature away from the every day rush. One day it happened in autumn 2008 that after the work was almost finished she went to clean the machine while it was still working and suddenly her two fingers were totally cut off her left hand. Luckily there was only little consequences.
For her sports was always one of the main way of spending free time, more often the competitive way of sports – not only for pleasure and health, what she needed were challenges and being among the best helped her to increase her self-confidence.
After finishing primary school she went to secondary school in Idrija. She was always among the best students. As a very good runner she was selected into the team that represented school at world championships in orienteeering. School teacher noticed her talent and introduced her to the first mountain bike trainer. Having no technical skills she first did only uphills, but after taking parts at some Slovenian cross-country races and joining Slovenian national team, she improved very fast.
Meanwhile she played football in U16 girls team (They were national champions), She went skiing and cross-country skiing many times in winter time and if there were days with a lack of time she went for a short session of running or even better – mountain running. One of her goals was to run half marathon in Ljubljana below 1h 20min, but she was nearly for one minute slower, which was still a good result.
All these sports and challenges helped her in adolescence to built her personality and physical abilities. Luckily her family supported her all the time and it still is. People in Ledine accepted her successes in sports with joy and pride, they created a fan club and are there always when she need their support. Nevertheless what makes her the most happy about is that more and more of them is cycling, running and having fun in any kind of sports.
After successfully finishing secondary school she joined University in her Capital city to study chemical engineering. From year to year she was focusing on mountainbike more and more and she found it hard to study at the same time, so she made a break in studying for a year. Good performance in Olympics in London with 10th place was a reward for all the time, work and energy put into training. This achivement highered her ambitions and gave her some fresh positive energy to continue my career as a mountainbiker. In 2013 she became Overall World Cup winner and in 2014 she won the European Championship.
Achievements of Tanja Žakelj in Mountain Bike Cross country
ELITE
2014
- European Continental Champion – XCO Germany
- Grazer Bike-Opening Stattegg Champion Austria
- XCO Premantura Kamenjak Rocky Trail Champion Croatia
- Internazionali d’Italia Series – Gaerne MTB Trophy Champion Italy
2013
- Overall World Cup winner
- First World Cup race win
- European Champion
- World championship 5th
2012
- Olympic Games 10th
- World championship 13th
- National championship 2nd
2011
- European championship 3rd
- National champion
- 9th World Cup Race
U23
2010
- World Championship 4th
- European Championship 3rd
- First time top 10 World Cup Race
- National Champion
2009
- 2nd National Championship
2008
- World Champion, European Vice-Champion
- National Champion
2007
- World Championship 7th
- National champion
JUNIOR
2006
- World and European Champion
- National Champion
2005
- First World Championship, 3rd place
- National Champion
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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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Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Tanja Žakelj:
When it comes to eating, I try to stay moderate in regards to quantity, but not quality. I don’t experiment much, I eat what I like and feels good. I do avoid certain things, but I’m far from a strict diet.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding competitive 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. Tanja Žakelj:
Enjoy mountain biking! This is my first and the most important advice. When riding be strong and decisive, master your bike, don’t let the bike lead you. Learn something out of situations and try to see the good side of anything that happens – on and off the bike. Believe in yourself and be grateful for all support you get. Also keep in mind that mountain bike is not everything, so don’t forget to live your own life.
Tanja Žakelj on WomenFitness: Hopefully many women are getting inspired by your website, which is really good. It pushes you to be active and to live a quality life. I hope I contributed a little to that.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
How did you feel before and after your first World Cup win in cross-country mountain biking in Nove Mesto in 2013?
Ms. Tanja Žakelj:
After much better than before! I actually woke up with little headache and didn’t feel really good. That changed during racing when I took the lead in prelast lap, but I also crashed over the rocks just before entering the last lap. I put all my effort to stay in the lead and I still get goose bumps when I think of that moment when I was crossing the line as a world cup winner for the first time in my career.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Who has been your greatest influencer and motivator in your success in the field of your career in competitive cross-country mountain bike racing?
Ms. Tanja Žakelj:
I could say that my father was the one who motivated me a lot when I started to ride a mountain bike and I also saw a competitor in him when we went together for a ride. But he couldn’t help me on technical side, so I tried to learn as much as possible from my national teammates. I always compared myself to better riders and tried to do everything to become as fast as well. I’m lucky to have many friends and teammates who help me a lot.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Tell us about your experience of winning gold at 2014 European Champion in cross-country mountain bike racing?
Ms. Tanja Žakelj:
It was awesome to hold the title of European Champion from 2013 for another year. Winning is always sweet. At the start of the race in St. Wendel I wasn’t at my best, but was extremely strong in the last laps, especially in the very last one, where I managed to keep safe distance from followers and could celebrate the victory when crossing the line.
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. Tanja Žakelj:
I believe that every effort gets paid at a time.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?
Ms. Tanja Žakelj:
Hopefully many women are getting inspired by your website, which is really good. It pushes you to be active and to live a quality life. I hope I contributed a little to that.
To know more about Tanja Žakelj latest endevour, check her out at: http://www.tanjazakelj.com
To know latest about Tanja Žakelj check out on her social networks:
Women Fitness Team thanks Tanja Žakelj for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and also wish to thank Grega Stopar from Unior Tools Team who made this interview happen.
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All content on this site is copyright of Women Finess 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.