“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” -Muhammad Ali
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
-Muhammad Ali,
Being a wife and working leaves not a lot of room for pursuing your own dreams. It can be scary ,impossible even but for Wenda Nel it's a challenge that has been gladly excepted. Kind hearted and humble are words that are regularly used to describe her.
She is currently 10th on the IAAF ranking, with 54.37 as her fastest record in 400 meter hurdles. She is one force to be reckoned with. I have always been interested in the life of an athlete. What they eat, how they travel and exercise. I asked her a few questions to find out more of this jet setters lifestyle.
1) What's your go to items to pack when traveling?
Most of the time I travel for my sport so my race kit/spikes are one of the first things that I will pack. From there I will make sure that I have all my toiletries and clothing for daily wear. I pack enough nutrition and recovery food for training sessions and races. The most important items will be in my hand luggage which will include things like: my Bible, phone, passport, ipad, money/cards, snacks, small toiletries, books to read and a clean set of clothes.
2) How do you maintain your diet when traveling? This is one of the bigger challenges when traveling. I try to stick to my same routine that I follow at home. I always carry my porridge and snacks with me. This helps especially when I arrive at certain place where the food it not that good and I have to provide for myself. Having my own food helps me to buy less unhealthy options and it saves a lot of money.
3) How do you prepare for your next race? Training sessions are very important and also how utilise my time before a race. Recovery, enough sleep and nutrition are top priority. I usually analyse the previous races and try to improve. I like to focus on the positive things. I like music and I am always with my ipod in my ears or reading a book to calm my nerves:-)
4) Where have you been thus far?
I have traveled quite a bit this year, from China to a few countries in Europe like France, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, UK and Morocco.
5) Which country is your favourite?
I have been to Stockholm, Sweden for the first time recently and I think it is one of the most beautiful countries I have been to. One of my other favourites are Switzerland.
6) What are your future traveling plans?
I am part of the athletics team to participate at the World Championships in Beijing later in August. From there I will race again in Europe and end my travel period in Africa, Brazzaville.
7) What advice would you give for a new traveller?
Be prepared: know where you should be, where to go (address, name of place etc) and you transport method. Have the most important items in your hand luggage and always travel with a set of clean clothes, underwear and allowable amounts of toiletries. It has happened more than once that my suitcase didn't arrive with me so I had to get by with what I had for a day or two. Most importantly,enjoy your trip!:-)
Thanks goes to this inspiring athlete. I certainly have a better perspective of her busy lifestyle. It takes hard work and determination to achieve your dreams. Most of the preparation is behind the scenes, but the real test comes to life before a crowd of thousands. Exited to see where her career will take her.
Going away anytime soon? Check out these apps to make your life a bit more easier when traveling:
*airbnb
So motivated already? Start packing and get those limbs moving. Looking for a breakfast recipe to try out for your training? Try this protein packed Breakfast Pie. Who knows you could achive your dreams just yet.
M*
Yummy Protein Breakfast pie. Click on the image to get the recipe.
