She has a degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, a master's degree in Nutrition for Physical Activity and Sports, another degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and a Level I Motorcycle Instructor qualification.
Oh, excuse me. And her own trial school, too.
At twenty-seven, Maria Giró has built an impeccable résumé; but that isn't all she has done. She was eight when she combined rhythmic gymnastics competitions with trial competitions, and ten when her parents made her choose. “It's not feasible to compete in rhythmic gymnastics on Saturday and trial on Sunday.” I agree. So she gave up 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 sports 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 education is very important. Even when it is difficult. You can't make a living from trial these days, especially not as a woman (although, she says, “more and more girls are taking it up”). So she had to combine training, competitions, classes, and exams. And that taught her how to organize herself, “make the most of my time and get the most out of every free moment I had.” Even now.
A nutrition course led her to 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 compete in championships in Catalonia, Spain, and even at world level. So did she. Second place at the World Championship in Japan, first place in the team event at the World Nations Championship, sixth overall... Just to give a few examples.
Competitions at this level make me think about the mental management they require. 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 enabled her to work on it with professionals, and now she does the same with her students when they compete. She supports them psychologically, and not just them; she also supports their parents, who want their children to win. “Sometimes that can be more complicated 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 isn't working. I want to be like her when I grow up.
But why trial, and not another sport? “It runs in the family,” she says. 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 doesn't involve speed, which reduces the risk of getting hurt. “It's a really cool discipline.”
And where does nutrition fit in? Why should we take it into account? “If you don't have a proper diet,” she explains, “your energy during training and competitions won't be optimal, and that 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 it when I ask her what the most basic thing is that you need to do to have a healthier diet (in an impersonal sort of way). “Eat a varied diet and eat everything in the right amounts,” she says. Take note.
By the way, she has tried Salssa pouches. She seems sincere when she says 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...
