Kathrin Walther

 

Team	Liv Athletes
Birth date	June 4th, 1986
Hometown	Stellenbosch, South Africa (Originally from Southern Germany)
What is your biggest achievement?	Winner of Challenge Almere-Amsterdam 2015 (my favorite full distance event) in terms of triathlon. In terms of cycling: winning a bet at age 19 which included cycling around the island of Mallorca (330km) on my own, with a slow grandma-style bike (gel saddle, funny handle bar and all), with no food and only water in the bike bottles! I really don't recommend it, and it wasn't healthy either, but it sure taught me something about the power of my mind. It took me 16 hours to complete the challenge, and two of my fingers got numb for several months. I really was a wild child back then!
What is your professional goal for 2017?	In February 2017 I had a scooter accident in South Africa with a very serious (and potentially career-ending and life-altering) injury. Turning this situation around to a positive state of enhanced performance, motivation, well-being, self-awareness and sense of purpose is my biggest achievement to date, in life and in sport. It is my ultimate goal to return to elite-level full distance triathlon racing on 9th September 2017 as part of the ETU European Land Distance Championships at Challenge Almere-Amsterdam. This race means so much to me and would complete a circle. It is a crazy goal, considering medical statistics, but I know I can achieve it, and it gets me out of bed every morning and fuels my motivation and relentless rehabilitation every day.
Why do you love cycling?	Cycling is my physical and psychological talent. It's my favorite and strongest leg out of the three triathlon disciplines. I also have an utmost passion for cycling in general. I like the way it feels when I get tired and push my boundaries on the bike, but I also enjoy social rides or touring a new place or foreign country on two wheels. You experience your surroundings and nature in a unique way.
Why do you love riding for Liv?	Liv is more than pretty bikes! Liv authentically stands for a cause, for a mindset and a lifestyle. I grew up as an independent, strong girl, 'liv-ing beyond', and I developed and keep on growing and improving through cycling on an almost daily basis. Also, besides all this - I'm still really into pink and pretty stuff ;-) so Liv really is the bike brand of my dreams. I am so stoked to be able to spread the message and help inspire and assist others to push their boundaries and at the same time have fun on their bikes!
What is one item you would never leave home without?	My phone. Fortunately/unfortunately always on the hunt for pics and social content these days!
If you could learn a new sport or skill this year, what would it be?	Surfing! In South Africa I live only just over half an hour away from a solid surf sport, but I never really get around to the beach much. I'd love to get a more laid-back hobby and hang out with different people to balance the performance mindset that tends to come with triathlon.
What is your favorite place to travel?	South East Asia. Always crazy, noisy, bright, exciting and full of surprises. I must admit, it really resonates.
What is your favorite food?	Salads. Yes, I'm that boring. The second favorite would be chocolate though. I eat both on a daily basis.
Who is your favorite riding partner?	Anyone who inspires me to push that little bit harder.
How do you spend your time off the bike?	I keep quite busy swimming, gymming, running and looking after my tri-related admin. Also, I got to finish up my Master's thesis on sustainable brand leadership sometime soon. Other than that I live with my boyfriend Philip on his wine estate 'De Meye' near Stellenbosch, South Africa. I'm quite a farm girl. I like to just chill out on the farm, maybe with a glas of wine, be in nature, look after our dog and two cats, improve and renovate our nice little house, and chat to interesting non-triathlon people about non-triathlon topics for a change.
What do you want to be "when you grow up"?	My primary goal is to achieve excellence in ironman distance racing during the next couple of years as I'm starting to approach the right long distance endurance racing age. I will always be sporty and I'd like to have a long career, but I also find joy and fulfillment in other areas of life. I'd like to work more with brands and businesses in the future and help them be more healthy, sustainable and innovative. Then there's of course our wine farm, which is quite a cool project too. Last but not least, I'm a creative and arty person, I have always enjoyed arts and design, and interior design in particular. This is also something I would like to pursue more again in future, be it as part of my brand-related work, or just by annoying my partner to the max by re-decorating and optimizing our house for the 100th time.
Words you live by...	"You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it's better to listen to what it has to say." (- The Alchemist). YOU ARE HERE TO BE YOU!