Swiss Javelin Thrower Nadja Marie Pasternack

For our third installment of speaking with some of the worlds best athletes we had the privilege of meeting with Swiss Track and Field Star Nadja Marie Pasternack.  My favorite aspect about following Nadja on Instagram is her workout videos, proving just how important the weight room is for athletes, especially Throwers.  I’d highly suggest all our track athletes check her page out and pay close attention to the work that is required to succeed in this sport.  As she comes back in 2018 after an injury you can expect to see her hit new PRs as she works hard to reach her goal of qualifying for the European Championship.

1: How did you get started in your Sport?

I tried lots of different sports when I was younger, track and field fascinated me the most. Different to lets say handball, you can actually see your improvement by measuring meters, centimeters or time. Also its you that improves and not the team.


2: What was a major struggle for your training and/or success?

I stayed in a toxic coach / athlete relationship for too long because I couldn’t find a way out (no other coach) and was afraid of training alone. 


3: What is your current goal?

My realistic goal for next season would be to throw a new personal best, after I was injured in 2017. My dream goal is to qualify for the european champs in berlin next year and to participate at the olympic games in 2020 in tokyo.


4:  What advice would you give a young athlete?

Do it for yourself and not for anyone else. Don’t do it for your coach, family, friend etc. Do it because you want to do it. Set small goals and write them down. 


5:  How big of a role is nutrition when it comes to your training? 

I used to think nutrition wasn’t as important as it actually is. What I learned recently is that you should never feel hungry! 
My body needs a lot of energy. If i don’t have enough energy for my training, I’ll first get tired so much faster, second cant get my training done 100% and third i have a higher risk of getting injured. I eat clean during the week. On weekends I allow myself to “cheat” a little bit by eating a pizza or cake :)