(CNN)As we approach the end of our professional career over 20 years, Nicola Spirig will not say goodbye to the triathlon. I know that. It's not easy, nor can you put off a training day altogether.
Old habits may die hard, but 40 The old spirit knows that this is a time of change.
She has three children, ages 9, 5, and 3, and is looking forward to spending more time with her family and getting out of the training schedule where she spends everything.
She says her new routine is likely to involve an hour of exercise each morning rather than the three daily sessions she is accustomed to swimming, cycling and running.
“Being a professional athlete also means that I have to train every day,” says Spiritig. "There are no weekends or holidays. I'm always training. I'm always ready to work hard."
If the beginning of her final season is over, two Olympic medalists 6 European champion Spirit does not quietly end her professional triathlon career.
Earlier this year, a serious bike accident caused her to suffer from three rib fractures, a clavicle fracture and a lung puncture, which could upset her season.
This happened a few months before Spirit was scheduled to participate in the Phoenix Sub8 project. This is a team support challenge in which two women, Spiritig and Katrina Matthews, a British triathlete, attempt to complete a full distance triathlon. -2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, 26.2 miles of running-for the first time within 8 hours.
Surprisingly, despite being injured in a motorcycle crash, Spirit challenged on June 5th in 7 hours 34 minutes 19 seconds on the German Lausitzring race track, three minutes behind Matthews. Has completed.
"The accident happened in February. I wasn't allowed to breathe hard, which means I couldn't train properly," says Spiritig.
"I was short of training to do for about 12 weeks, but the last few weeks before I could see how the Sub8 project went very well and how fitness went. I was able to see how strong I was, and I think I did my best 100% from the situation. "
Unlike regular triathlons, the spirits A team of 10 pacemakers accompanied us for the Sub8 project, especially to create fast conditions on the bike.
Swiss stars first started a 10-year-old sport and more Olympics than any other Olympics (5 times) ) Participated in. He is a triathlete, winning a gold medal in London 2012 and a silver medal in Rio 2016. This was a time when triathlon was a relatively new sport in the Olympic program that debuted in 2000.
"I was a pretty good junior. I had beaten some of the Swiss athletes in Sydney (in 2000) so I thought I might be able to compete in the Olympics next time. "I did," says Spiritig.
"That was when my personal Olympic dream really started. But going five times and actually becoming an Olympic champion and winning another medal is my head. It wasn't in.
"I will quit much sooner. I studied. As a lawyer, I thought I could live a more or less normal life as a lawyer after the 2nd Olympics.
But Spirit is still at the end of her career. She has participated in over 120 World Triathlon events, and her love for sports is burning brighter than ever.
"The most important thing is my passion for it. I still love it," she says.
"On the other hand, I love to train, move and act. It just makes me feel good. On the other hand, I like challenges and races and where are my limits? I like to see how far I can go, how fast I can go. ”
Beyond medals and podiums-Spirig learned a lot from his triathlon career. She used her racing experience while training to become a lawyer.
"I took the final exam and everyone was very scared. I was worried," she recalls. I'm always under pressure in the race, so I know how to deal with the pressure. You also know how to work to reach your goals: how to improve efficiency and how to plan.
"It was a study session, not a training session. For me, it was easy in a way because I was able to learn all of this in sports and apply it to my research.
Sports "help you deal with real problems, but there were times when life helped to deal with Spirig's approach to sports.
This includes how her attitude towards training after giving birth has changed.
"For example, after a bad session, before a child is born. I thought about it for days, why it was a bad session, and what I could do differently. "Spirig says.
" And now I don't have time. It doesn't seem worth getting angry with one bad training session because there are more important things in life. "
Husband Leto Fugu is a former Swiss triathlete. Spirig was ready to retire from sports after his first child was born in 2013 and won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics. This race was determined by a dramatic photo finish.
After a sprint to the line between Spirig, Sweden's Lisa Norden was given the same finish time for both players. However, Spiritig was later determined that she finished less than 15 centimeters in front of Norden because she won her first Olympic medal.
"A few years later it was like another little gift that I could always enjoy but didn't expect," says Spirit. A little present. We appreciate.
She doesn't know exactly what her life will look like after this season. In addition to spending more time with her family, Spirig wants to visit the school to encourage her children to start playing sports. She is also busy lining up sponsorship promises.
Training will continue with reduced capacity, but later this year she will consider lining up for the final race as a professional triathlete.
"I will miss the race I think because of my emotions," says Spiritig. "Race means you have really intense emotions. Whether it's joy, joy or disappointment, it's all intense. To achieve.
"I have never done anything completely different," says Spiritig. It's time for change. It's the right decision for my family and I'm happy with it.