One Athlete. One Dream: A Magnolian competes in Ironman Hawaii

Annick Böhler is Magnolia’s Partner Enablement Manager in the Professional Services department. One week from now, she will participate in the IRONMAN World Championship 2023. The competition will take place in Kona, Hawaii, from the 12th to the 14th October.

In the world of endurance sports, Ironman stands as a testament to the limits of human strength, determination, and resilience. We are very proud to have the opportunity to support Annick in her great athletic endeavors.

Let us introduce her to you, and shed light on the recipe for success in corporate life and in sports simultaneously. It’s a challenge - we all know - that is not easy to master.

Having a soccer background, followed by a passion for long-distance running, triathlon was not on Annick’s sports palette for quite a while. But when she saw Jan Frodeno, a German Ironman champion competing in the Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt, Germany 2018, she was fascinated by the sport and the atmosphere. That was the moment the dream was born - she wanted to finish an Ironman and qualify for Kona.

So Annick took up swimming, participated in long-distance running races, and even patiently waited for the pandemic to be over in order to race her first Ironman. Until today, when she managed to qualify - two years in a row - for the Ironman World Championship.

“Before the race I was quite nervous - I was just coming back from injury, so I wasn't able to run properly for six weeks, therefore I was quite unsure about my running performance. But since I used the “running free” time I knew my swimming improved and I am able to bike quite well so I thought, I will just try to do my best.

I remember when I was coming out of the water and heading into the transition zone - the place where the bikes were - to start the biking part of the race, I was quite surprised that there were still many bikes there. And then, when I got back from the bike course to start the running part, I suddenly saw a bike in front of me."

Qualifying by placing 1st in her age group (and the third woman in the Ironman Portugal, 2022) her next stop is Kona, Hawaii. The past year has been spent with serious training and strength-building in order to feel prepared and ready for the ultimate challenge.

“Well obviously, I've trained consistently over the last couple of months and years and tried to get my body ready for the conditions I will face in Hawaii: humidity, and hot weather. In order to develop as an athlete I followed a training plan, written by a professional trainer on a weekly basis. I experienced it as very useful to have someone external ensuring you don't train too much and also in the right intensity.

Mentally, you have to be prepared that at some point something might go wrong. Either you take the wrong line when you're swimming or you hop on your bike and your gear is not working - which actually happened to me in my last competition - or you get a flat tire, which would be a disaster for me.

And then - of course - in the marathon at the end, you can be sure you will be tired, there is no way around it, but that's also the point where I tell myself: ‘Well, everyone will be tired at a certain point, so I will just enjoy the race and the atmosphere’, which always motivates me enough to just continue.”

Working full-time and following a rigorous training plan requires a good amount of drive and commitment.

“It was helpful for me to work for Magnolia, where I can benefit from the flexible working hours, so I can start early or work late in the afternoon. I am also grateful for the financial support I received for the championship. I feel thankful for having the opportunity to work for a company that is willing to support personal endeavors.

That being said, of course, I follow a rigorous schedule. I get up at 5:15 for the first training session, which can be anything, but mostly it's either swim training or some core/strength training. Afterwards, I start working which is around 7.30, and then the second session is often during my lunch break, where I would usually have a 45-minute or an hour run. If I cannot squeeze it in or it's a longer session, I complete the training day after work.

What keeps me on track is the fact that I am simply passionate about sports, especially triathlon. I love training way more than I love competing, which makes it easy for me not to focus that much on one race and just enjoy the process of becoming a “better athlete! I also try other sports, but my focus is - obviously - running, cycling, and swimming. You have to be passionate about it, otherwise, it is going to be hard to keep on training when the weather is bad or your friends are going out to parties.”

Getting really close to the big day, the die is cast! There is not much left to do.

“I think the constant question on my mind is if I am ready. Now that we are only a week away, I have to trust that the work I put in the last couple of months is enough to deliver a good performance. I mean it's clear if I am not yet ‘ready’ I won't be able to build up the missing fitness until Kona. But you constantly ask yourself if you have trained enough or if there is anything else I could do to be better prepared.”

Here at Magnolia, we are already very proud of Annick’s accomplishments and we will be cheering for her. Her journey to the Ironman, the power of determination, discipline, and the relentless pursuit of one's passions are more than inspiring. She reminds us that with the right mindset, we can achieve greatness in any endeavor we choose to pursue. Both at personal and professional levels.

Annick started working at Magnolia in a Business Support role in 2017. After 2 years at the company in 2019, she became a Product Manager in our Professional Services department. Not so long ago she started her new role as Partner Enablement Manager.