She has a degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, a master’s degree in Nutrition for Physical Activity and Sport, another degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and a Level I Motorcycle Instructor qualification.
Oh, sorry. And her own trial school, too.
At twenty-seven, Maria Giró has built an impeccable résumé; but that’s not all she has done. She was eight when she balanced rhythmic gymnastics competitions with trial events, and ten when her parents made her choose. “It’s impossible to compete in rhythmic gymnastics on Saturday and trial on Sunday.” I agree. So she left rhythmic gymnastics and continued with trial.
The first thing I ask her is where she found the strength to study so much. Not everyone has two degrees, a master’s degree, and a professional sporting career from the age of eight to twenty-four. She smiles and tells me that sport has always given her values and friendships, but that her studies are very important. Even when they are difficult. You can’t make a living from trial at the moment, and even less so as a woman (although, she says, “more and more girls are taking it up”). So she had to combine training, competitions, classes, and exams. That taught her how to organize herself, “make the most of her time, and get the most out of every free moment.” Even now.
A nutrition subject made her want to specialize and, after finishing her master’s degree, to pursue the degree. She completed it this year. Along the way, she had to give up trial, but she loved it so much that she set up a school where she teaches students from the age of four. Some of them take part in championships in Catalonia, Spain, and even the world championships. Just like she did. Second place at the World Championship in Japan, first place as a team in the World Team Championship, sixth overall… To give a few examples.
Competitions at this level make me think about the mental demands they involve. The nerves, the exposure, the expectations… When I mention it, she tells me that she struggled a lot psychologically at first. “I got very nervous and found it difficult to deal with mistakes.” But a sports scholarship allowed her to work on this with professionals, and now she does the same with her students when they compete. She supports them psychologically, and not only them; she also supports their parents, who want their children to win. “Sometimes that can be more difficult than managing the children themselves.” Even so, she is very happy with her lifestyle. She enjoys the world of motorsports and nutrition so much that she says she feels as though she doesn’t work. I want to be like her when I grow up.
But why trial and not another sport? “It runs in my family,” she points out. Her grandfather already competed, and the passion for motorsports passed from one generation to the next. Her father, her uncle, her siblings… They all liked it. “It was a way of bringing us together.” When I ask her why people should take it up, she tells me that it is the foundation of all motorsports. “If you know how to do trial, you can do anything.” She adds that people often see motorcycles as dangerous, but trial does not involve speed, which reduces the risk of getting hurt. “It’s a really cool discipline.”
And where does nutrition come in? Why should we take it into account? “If you don’t eat properly,” she explains, “your energy during training and competitions won’t be optimal, which increases the risk of sports injuries.” This is especially true in sports such as trial, where “the training volume and physical demands are very high.” I believe her. I try to hide my embarrassment when I ask her what the most basic thing is that you need to do to have a healthier diet (in such an impersonal way). “Eat a varied diet that includes everything, in the right proportions and quantities,” she assures me. Take note.
By the way, she has tried Salssa pouches. She seems sincere when she says that she likes them a lot and would recommend them. Their nutritional composition is nothing like that of other products on the market. And she’s right. You don’t have to take my word for it, but if she says so…
