Who I Am

My name is Paula Sierzega. I am an 18-year-old IT student. I was born and raised in Austria, but my nationality is half Dutch and half Austrian.

What I Love

Skiing has always been my biggest passion. Besides, I go to the gym frequently.Now I am a triathlete as well. Apart from that, I really enjoy reading.

How It All Started…

My biggest passion in life has always been skiing. I’ve been a ski racer for some years, but I have always felt not good enough to compete at the race level (talk about perfectionism).

My Love For Skiing

Ski Training

I love skiing so badly…maybe a little bit too much. It’s especially sunny days like these that make my heart beat faster.

Ski Instructor

In July 2021 I completed ski instructor training and in December I taught children.

In December 2022 I broke my jaw while skiing, which ruined the rest of my season. So, I stopped training in ski racing completely.

Even with my broken jaw, nothing could stop me from going to the gym (I think that helped my recovery process). I started going to the gym regularly in December 2021. I missed skiing so I thought I was ready for my next challenge. As a kid, I participated in a Triathlon and a few Duathlons, so I thought, why not do that again? My cardiovascular fitness was nonexistent, so I basically started from scratch and gave myself four months to train for my first Sprint Triathlon. The training was mostly random, I trained when I felt like it. I thought one bike ride every week or every two weeks, some runs and swims would leave me well prepared for my race.

My “First” Triathlon

The day of my first Sprint Triathlon came…The weather was as bad as it could be… I have been training in really hot conditions and then suddenly we had 15°C in August??? It was rainy and windy, so perfect conditions for my triathlon debut. (Also, just as I picked up my race documents, I got my period!) But nothing could bring me down. Most of the People swam in wetsuits because the water temperature was only 17°C, but Amateur that I am, I didn’t have a Neoprene Suit (I still don’t have one). The swim was really hard for me, as I have only swum that far once in training (Dummy). But the bike ride and the run went well.

My Next Challenge

So, I checked the challenge Sprint Triathlon off my list, and I want to go after bigger goals now. I have set my mind to finishing an Ironman 70.3. My Dad told me that I was crazy and that I should start with an Olympic Distance or consider doing the Middle Distance in 2025. But I have set my mind already to it, so there’s nothing he can do except support me. He also competed in a few Middle distances but then focused on running and got into Marathon Running and Ultra Trail Running. So, I’ve got him (and the rest of my family) to support me.

Bigger goals need better planning. That’s why I have gotten into the Science of Training after my Triathlon and started reading up on it as much as possible. So, with a plan and a better understanding, I hope that I am on the best way to finishing my first Ironman 70.3 in 2024.

Also, it is my goal to provide you with as much valuable content as possible.