LOWA TRAIL Racers Team Gioia Bebi

Don’t wait for the storm to pass, but dance in the rain

About lacing up your running shoes, stepping out of the front door and in a few minutes exploring natural, undiscovered trails in the middle of the Grison Alps… This sounds like something out of a picture book but has been real life for Gioia since she was a child. No wonder her love and enthusiasm for mountain sports prac­tically go back to her birth. While she above all loves cross-country skiing in winter, her heart belongs to trail running in the summer months.

Even as a child, Gioia, her sister Selina and their cousins would scamper around specially made sports tracks in the garden, reenacting the Olympic Games, or career down the moun­tainsides as fast as they could during family hikes. From these playful mountain and valley activities of her childhood years, the young athlete from Davos has since developed a true and earnest passion for trail running: “The sport gives so much back to me, it’s incredible. Outdoor running surrounded by nature, first and foremost, means pure relaxation for me. I can sort out my thoughts, am completely at one with myself, and can deal inten­sively with whatever issues I have. On every run I make, I experience new adventures and chal­lenges, which make me more self-confident and at the same time also more disciplined.”

Gioia also takes the strength and focus she gains from trail running with her into her competitions. Her ritual before every race is to clear her mind, focus on her body, breath, and consciously visualise the goals she has set for herself. The down-to-earth Swiss athlete is aware of how her training helps her grow and develop, and says that “The special thing about trail running for me is that the sport strengthens me both physically and mentally”. After the race, Gioia always takes a few minutes to enjoy the moment, relax and congra­tulate other participants. After all, supporting each other and being sincerely happy about each other’s successes is part and parcel of sports.

At all events, Gioia is looking forward to the upcoming trail sessions, in both the training and the competition rounds. Her favourite trail companion? Without a doubt: LOWA CITUX!