Written by Trackandmemes, Thursday, March 2, 2023
Rachel is our Norwegian athlete who manages with professionalism the combination of her competitions and her Norwegian schooling. This season, she set personal records in triple jump. First in 13m05, 13m19, then 13m25, to finally set a new record in 13m28. A progression that never seemed to end.
You are leaving the RESC (Brussels) to join the CABW (Nivelles). How has this change been beneficial for your career as an athlete?
I am often told that I am an ambitious person in everything I do. And in reality, I don't like to do things by halves. So I prefer to be in a team where I know I will be supported 100%. With CABW there was no hesitation.
Have you also made a change in your physical preparation?
This year, my winter training was much harder than I've ever had in my life. I was at a point where I was totally expecting an injury since the workouts were so intense... But it never happened. I had several trainings a day that I had to combine with my student life, and with sometimes little sleep on top of that... I think what saved me in terms of performance was the fact that I went on two sports internships. I did a first training in Vittel (France) with the CABW (Club Athletic du Brabant Wallon) and a week later I was in Spain with my Norwegian group, just before the season started. It was the first time I did training before an indoor season. The life student-athlete I find it much easier when you do everything in one place. The days are better regulated and the trainings are done in better quality.
"Every day we sleep and we wake up, there is a new record"
You are setting personal bests week after week... It seems like your potential is endless! How do you explain this?
The work paid off, ahaha. The triple jump is an event where when you want to get physically and technically stronger and beat your record, it is possible. It is even possible to beat it by 50cm in one competition, jumping three times.
As far as my coach is concerned, he sets things up in such a way that I understand quickly and can apply directly at the next competition. And sometimes, when he sees that I don't understand, he makes me do certain exercises until I understand what he wants to teach me.
We often see you traveling between Belgium and Norway, your two mother countries. Can you tell us more about these trips?
I used to live in Brussels for a few years. I went to high school there, but during the pandemic I had to go back to Norway for obvious reasons. I really hesitated to come back to Belgium after the covid, that period that seemed endless... But I finally started my higher education online, here in Norway. I study international relations. And since it's online, I can be wherever I want, whenever I want. I'm also learning French face-to-face in Norway, and sometimes online. But then, I don't really advise to study online, because it's not a system that would suit everybody.
I must also mention that Belgium, especially Brussels, contributed a little in pushing me towards the studies of international relations...
I've been going back and forth between Norway and Belgium for 5 years now. I'm used to it. Well... If you forget my aerophobia which, despite all these years, has never really disappeared...
I am of Congolese origin, I have family in Belgium, and sometimes I stay with friends.
You recently set a personal best in the long jump. Do you plan to juggle these two related disciplines; the long jump and the triple jump?
The truth is, I don't train for the long jump at all, from a technical point of view. I managed to make a record in the long jump (5m76) with a non-existent technique, and I used the run-up that I apply to the triple jump, so it was not perfect. Considering my physique and the qualities I have in my main discipline, we think there is potential in the long jump too. During my outdoor preparation, I will do some training to improve.
So you ended your winter season with two great personal bests. The summer season is just around the corner. Do you already have a perspective on how you want to approach it?
To begin with, I finished my indoor season with one competition that was not because of problems with my run-up. There is still potential and with more training, more clinics, I hope to be able to jump much further by the summer. My outdoor season will be a bit like the indoor one, but with a lot of competitions outside Norway. My first competition is planned for May 7, in Belgium. One of my goals will be to have a good ranking at the European U23 Championships in July.
Do you feel sufficiently supported, either financially or even from a social or moral point of view?
Morally yes. I think in particular of my coach and my parents. Financially, it depends. As a student, the support I get allows me not to worry too much about how to pay for my internships. And that's a point that has been essential in my progression over the last few years. But in the end, from a financial point of view, I lose much more than I earn. I live with my parents who support me a lot, and for the moment that's my key. Besides, I don't mind the way I live. Training, studying, eating, sleeping... This routine helps me a lot. And my studies will always come first.
As far as social support goes, it also depends because my circle is small, and I prefer to keep it that way.
Yulimar Rojas, the Venezuelan recordwoman in triple jump said "President Hugo Chávez has been a fundamental pillar for sport in my country. He has promoted many methods for sport to reach the lowest levels and for children to see that sport is important for health and human values." Do you see an improvement from the Belgian and Norwegian federations in the way they promote athletics?
In Belgium, I don't know. For the moment I am located in Norway so I am not very aware of everything that happens in Belgium. On the other hand, in Norway, there is an improvement. This year, they became a little bit stricter, but we have a lot of sub-federations in each region that do a good job!
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