Hailing from Denmark, 29-year old Sarah Maina has always been a lady with one foot in the outdoors. Coming from an extremely active family, she has done everything hiking, to running and eventually triathlon. In this one-to-one interview, we sit down with Sarah to find out how she became who she is now – one of the UAE’s premier lady triathletes.
Were you always into the outdoors growing up?
Yeah I was! I come from a very active family and my vacations has always included a certain outdoor activity. For example in the summers we would go to Greece where we’ll go hiking all day long – me, my sisters and my parents. In the winter’s we’ll go skiing and my mum and dad are also runners so I remember running with them whenever they went for a couple of rounds in the forest. My parents are doctors by trade and my dad is a triathlete and I kind of take from them. I’m also the most active kid in school back then, climbing trees and jumping around!
When did triathlon enter the picture in Sarah’s life?
A bit over a year ago, there was the Dubai International Triathlon and a friend of mine asked if I wanted to join it as a relay which meant that we had to do one part each. I remember that I was quick in saying: “Oh I want to do the swim” because I’ve never done triathlon before, and the swim seemed like the most doable part. So we signed up and for two months I started swimming training and enjoyed that with my friend. We did the DIT relay and it was such a blast. It was such an easy entrance for me to triathlon because my part was only 36 minutes. Despite not being a full triathlon, I got a taste of the experience that day which made me realize that “Hey, this is something I might actually be good at.” From that day on I started training for triathlon – I started running, and went to Al Qudra on Fridays to rent a bike and do one loop with my friends as sort of a social ride.
My first real triathlon however was in Abu Dhabi, a sprint distance race and it was a really cool experience. I didn’t know what I was doing [chuckle] but I got through it and finished third in my age category. That first race made me hungry for more.
Did you have some doubts early on that maybe this wasn’t for you?
Of course! Whenever you do something you don’t know. Triathlon isn’t just anything. Triathlon takes so much vocation if you want to do it well. It’s very time consuming and expensive. So I entered not having any expectations about how long I would do it. One thing I just knew for sure is this is a sport that can challenge me and teach me certain things no matter how long it’s going last for me. My mind was pretty open about it when I entered it.
What inspires you to push forward?
The knowledge that my body and mind is constantly getting tougher through triathlon — that is a huge motivator for me. Triathlon makes me see my strength and weaknesses, which I didn’t see clearly before. For me it’s also when I’m getting results and noticing how my body gets stronger physically and my results improve gradually, that’s a very motivating factor. That’s why I’m so passionate about it – because of the way I can tell it’s developing me as a person.
How do you see triathlon becoming more open towards women participants especially in the UAE?
I think some people, when they think about triathlon; they perceive it to be a very masculine sport. But that is not the case especially in the UAE because there are relay races where girls who haven’t tried before can partake in whichever leg they feel comfortable doing. Also there’s something called the Super Sprint distance nowadays which is a 400m swim, 10km bike ride and 2.5.km run and I think that’s manageable for most ladies.
Then there’s also the community which of course has a competitive nature to it but what they are overflowing with support and acceptance of any kind of level as long as you have the will to train. It’s not really a tough community but rather a very warm and welcoming community that helps each other out.
As an individual, how do you believe are you encouraging more ladies to take part in outdoor activities?
Well I’ve been doing triathlon for over a year now so I hope that I’m inspiring ladies to do triathlon and showing them how far they can get with consistency and hard work.
Do you receive some feedback from other women on the field?
I’ve gotten a couple of responses. People saying I’m an inspiration to them which I’m elated about. It’s an amazing feeling to do what you really like and then in the process, actually make other people want to work harder on their own training.
The most memorable moment in your tri career?
It would have to be that very first triathlon relay I did over a year ago. Although I only did a small part, what is precious about that experience were the feelings going through my body and mind leading up to the race and during the race. The feeling where you’re both ecstatic and nervous then the action starts and finishes, and then there’s this satisfaction and happiness from doing something outside your comfort zone. That memory keeps me going when things are not very fun.
Are there any big event’s your preparing yourself for?
I usually participate in Sprint distance events (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run) as I’m very much into short and intense races, so I don’t really need a long downtime. I do Sprint distances regularly – around one to two, even three races a month. There’s a lot of races to join in before the season closes so a lot of action to be had. As of late however, I’m currently working on my running as I’m not a very good runner despite growing up running. There’s this certain pace I’m working towards which will take some time to master so I’m focused on that aspect.
So how are you working on your running?
I’m currently working with my running coach, Neil Flanagan for half a year now and with my swimming coach Rory Buck to improve my run. Right now I have to train five days a week with two sessions per day. We do three full runs a week one of which is an aerobic run which focuses on heart rate; and then twice we do a “brick” run after cycling where I’ll do a full bike session and the immediately jump off the bike and do a 10-15 minute run to work on my transition – getting my legs adjusted from the bicycle to the running. Majority of my training for the run is about intervals and pace.
What would be your advice for the ladies who would like to give it a “tri”?
First would be to get a coach as it makes a world of difference when you have someone there to answer all of your questions and make you feel safe in what you’re doing. Other than that, getting into the sport is all about confidence and a coach will make sure that you’re starting exactly at your level thus building up your confidence in the process. Second would be to join in on the community so you have some fun too. Lastly be patient, start humbly – don’t aim for a half ironman on your first go, but rather, take on the shorter distances first.
What is the most challenging episode in a triathlete’s life?
When you hit a plateau – for me and other people as well that is very dreadful. Because when you’re doing everything right, eating right, sleeping right, following your training schedule but nothing happens it is very disconcerting and can go on for months – which is very frustrating especially if you’re very passionate about it. That for me is one of the biggest challenges a triathlete could face.
Thank you for your time Sarah! So how can people get to know more about what you do?
They can definitely check out my Instagram handle, @sarahmaina where I share my training days and some info on my supporters such as The Cycle Hub, Enduro Sport, FitRepublik, and Fitness Fuel.
