Freilauf Podcast #18: Leaving comfort zones: Monika Sattler on cycling tours and personal challenges

„"And at first I thought it (cycling) was super boring."“

Photo: © Michael Daiger

Monika couldn't let that stand. She had played volleyball intensively for four years during her studies in the USA. When Monika Sattler lost interest in the sport after completing her bachelor's degree, she initially tried various other sports, including "adventure racing," i.e., cross-country racing.

Eventually, a teammate handed her a racing bike and invited her to a 50-kilometer group ride.

„"And at first I thought it was super boring."“

Monika was confident in her fitness.

„"And after five kilometers, that was it. I was thrown out at the back."“

The ambitious athlete Monika couldn't let that stand. And so her passion for cycling was born. She now holds two cycling records:

Monika is the first woman who the Vuelta a España, one of the toughest cycling races in the world, has mastered and has also all 124 passes of Switzerland Conquered in just 26 days.

Monika isn't so much interested in setting big records. Rather, she wants to show how to push your own boundaries and what special experiences await you along the way.

„"At the end of the day, it's not possible
It's not about how many kilometers you drove, but what you did along the way.
"You have learned yourself."“

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