What does your ideal day look like?
If you asked me, I would probably picture the sea, music, and a good conversation among friends in a fairly warm setting. For Maria Costa, however, the essentials are different. “A day in the mountains with the people I love. And making a good meal (I really like eating well).”
That’s not a bad option either.
But, wait, who is Maria Costa? A ski mountaineer. An Olympian! From Santpedor, but living in Font Romeu since she was 15. She is now 23, has a degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, and is studying for a Master’s in Sports Marketing and Sponsorships. Cheerful, active, and eager to experience new things.
Maria takes care of three non-negotiable verbs, like someone adding logs to the fire that warms her: eating, sleeping, and training. Her parents planted the seed of sport in the eyes of a girl who grew up surrounded by green and white, to the point of making them inseparable: “Ever since I was born, we would go up to the mountains on weekends. They made it very easy for me, because they love the mountains too.” Everything is inherited, of course. The good things too.
Her interest in nutrition did not arise until the most important goal of her life did too: going to the 2026 Winter Olympics—an objective, incidentally, that she accomplished with flying colors—and now, even in summer and outside competition, she continues to take it into account to perform at her best and prepare for the start of the ski season.
Before interviewing her, I do a little research into her life and see that she not only skis, but also runs and cycles. But there is one thing that, no matter how much I look, never changes: she is always in the mountains. And yes, just as I was beginning to suspect, she delivers the first blow: “I’m not much of a fan of the sea.” Well. That’s okay. “Last summer I went for one day.” Wow. “I can live without the sea.” Third and final blow. I sigh.
Nevertheless, we have more in common than separates us. For example, the power of trust. When I ask her what makes her feel most proud of herself, she does not hesitate: “always having fought and trusted the process. Believing it was possible, that I could achieve it, and continuing even when things didn’t always go well.” It seems to me that this faith, mixed with highly commendable perseverance, has something to do with the fact that she has reached the senior level of her discipline and is among the best in the world.
“You already have the no. Give it a try.” Exactly. Maria knows she still has a lot to improve, but that should not stop her from recognizing everything she does well. That said, she is clear that, in addition to working on her endurance, she wants to be more organized (“poor roommate”) and more mindful about nutrition and rest: “I was always on the move.” You see, some people would say, what a problem. For an elite athlete like her, though, it certainly is. She was told to go to bed early and do so regularly—and obvious as it may seem, I have not done that for years.
Fortunately for us (and for her, we hope), Maria recommends consuming Salssa. “I genuinely use it, both in races and training. It works really well for stomach discomfort, which I sometimes used to have.”
And most importantly, let’s not fool ourselves: “it tastes good.”
Perfect. We like eating well too.
