E: Hi Kiara, you’ve been living in Berlin for a few years and coach at @BLN.Athletics several times a week.
Why Berlin?
K: I grew up as a village kid and needed a breath of fresh air and what better city than Berlin.

E: How old are you? How old do you feel?
K: I am 19 years young, but I regularly find myself mentally in the role of “mummy” and physically in the body of a “granny” after a strenuous week of training.

E: What is your favourite post-workout meal?
K: For about a year now, I can’t imagine life without the post-workout shake. Currently my favourite combination is with banana, oat milk, oatmeal and the Caramel protein powder from @Maxinutrition.

E: You spent your childhood in Kempten in the Allgäu, what is your earliest memory of sport?
K: I’m pretty sure it has something to do with skiing, because that’s the sport I did most intensively and for the longest time in my childhood and youth. The first thing that comes to my mind is the memory of my first ski race at the age of 5. I was very disappointed at that time because I was too small to be allowed to ski from the top.

E: How did you get into CrossFit?
K: I was told about the sport by a physiotherapist back during my active ski racing days and my rehab for an ankle injury was very close to Crossfit. At some point in the process he said “If you ever stop skiing and haven’t had enough, you should try Crossfit, I think you could be quite good at it”. And here I am, trying to get pretty good.

E: What does a typical day look like for you?
K: My typical day starts with the alarm clock at 5:05 a.m. I coach the early birds at 7 a.m. from Monday to Friday. Then I have a small breakfast before the first session at around 9am. Afterwards I drink my shake and coach again. Depending on which day it is and whether it continues with a second session, we have lunch or just a small snack in the case of a second session. Every now and then I have a personal training session at lunchtime, but generally I try to finish the “active” work before my second session. The afternoon and evening then revolve around recovery, eating, studying or meeting friends. In the evening, grandma comes through again, because I’m usually in bed by 20:30 at the latest.

E: What would a perfect cheat day look like for you? Do you have cheatdays?
K: I wouldn’t call them cheatdays, I don’t think much of that word. In terms of food, there is no good or bad food for me, I have had bad experiences with it in the past. But what I do like to do on my off-days is go out for breakfast in good company, or spend a few hours on Netflix.

E: Your biggest CrossFit success and fail?
K: The biggest success so far, and an absolute highlight, was definitely the Malta Throwdown this year, where we came third as a team and took home two event wins. But the biggest success is my personal development over the last year, which I owe mainly to this sport. My biggest fail and definitely the biggest construction site at the moment is that it is difficult for me to believe in myself and my abilities when it comes to qualifiers for competitions.

E: You have already competed in some CrossFit competitions such as the Malta Throwdown, what helps you to focus before that?
K: Making a realistic plan for the upcoming workout and visualising it. If my nerves get the better of me, I try to put myself in a place that embodies security and calm for me. For me, that’s a snow-covered mountain peak in my home country.

E: Who do you thank after a competition?
K: Well, the first big thank you goes to my coach, nutrition coach and mental coach. This team of three is irreplaceable. Directly after that, and no less important, come the sponsors. The competitions, especially when they take place internationally, are anything but cheap. Financial support from sponsors is a huge help here.

E: What has CrossFit/sporting taught you?
K: That you have to trust the process, you need patience and no matter how many times you face a wall, you just have to learn how to overcome it. Each of these experiences increases your toolbox to deal with the next obstacle. Ah and that before anyone else believes in you, you have to do it yourself first.

E: What tip would you have liked to have had as a CrossFit newbie?
K: Stay in the classes for now and stop banging out so many workouts. Build a foundation and practice the basics.

E: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
K: Honestly, I don’t even know where I see myself in 5 years. However, I know where I am right now and that makes me very happy 😉

E: One last question: What advice would you like to give to your younger self?
K: No matter how much you change yourself to please others, you can never please everyone, so the focus should always be on yourself, because you alone are your most important person.