My name is Elena Weiss and I am from Austria. In Tirol, the part of Austria I grew up in, exercise is a part of life. In my childhood we would ski and ice skate in the winter and go mountaineering, swimming and sailing on the lakes in the summer. The weather was never an excuse not to get out of the house to exercise. For me, there is nothing more magical than getting outside early in the morning and being in touch with nature.
I have been living in Greece for the past fourteen years. Greece is a beautiful country, which has so much to offer. There are fantastic islands surrounded by deep blue sea, great mountains with untouched nature and some very beautiful lakes. Running and cycling through Greece’s country side has made me explore many places that I would have not seen without the sport. Swimming in the crystal clear sea is magnificent. It was very easy to make triathlon training a part of my summer holidays.
When the temperatures get very hot I exercise early in the morning. My day starts out with a running or bicycle training session, which makes me feel positive and full of energy. This doesn’t disrupt my family life as my training sessions are done early in the day, so I am free to do other things. There is no excuse for me not to train, as it is easy to bring a pair of running shoes or a swimsuit on holiday.
I have taken up running five years ago and added swimming to my training to get more balance. Since then, I have been playing with the idea of taking on triathlon, which was the next logical step. I love running and swimming and they are fixed parts of my life. The final push to start triathlon came from my husband who loves biking and was extremely supportive. I recently purchased a bike and started training.
I joined Giannis Psarelis and the Athens Triathlon Team about a month ago because as an inexperienced cyclist I needed guidance on how to incorporate training for the three sports into my everyday life. Giannis is very professional, has great experience and is a very positive person. The team was very welcoming and made me feel at ease. When I am on holiday and can not join the team for training, Gianni emails me my training plan and we discuss details over the phone. It is great help to be able to contact him while I am away on vacation and this support gives me confidence to pursue my goals.
In my opinion the motivating factors for training even in my holidays are the love for sports and the way they make me feel, the beautiful surroundings and a supporting coach.

Athens Triathlon Team Elena Weiss