Mona is my number one all time girl crush!
My first meeting with Mona was at Tough Viking at Tryvann in 2014. The year the weather was totally crazy. It was raining and snowing, it was so cold that they had to close the swim…in May! Mona ran past me while I was struggeling with my log at the log carry. It was so heavy and when I first lost it, I could not get it up again. But as usual, Mona was on an easy run past me, looking like she was on a Sunday stroll with her little stick. I had to look her up on the results to find her name, because both me and Superman had noticed her…and kind of fell a bit in love!
From that race, the three of us have had so many amazing moments, races, trips, dinners - and we always laugh. We laugh and we cry and we hug and we drink wine - all while Martin and Mona are looking for the best place to eat a decent steak!
I choose to start this calendar with Mona, not just because she is my number one all time girl crush, but because she is one of the most fair girls I have met. She has a really high winning mentality, but she is always fair. She is an excellent runner, she is fast, have great endurance, she is strong and she is great on the obstacles. She always cheer on her fellow competitors and she builds people up. And she is always happy. She is smiling, and even though something is wrong and unfair, she takes it up with the right people instead of moaning about it to everybody else.
My favorite moment with Mona…how can I pick one…there are so many - but maybe our trip to Strong Viking in the Netherlands in 2016 - our first meeting with the obstacles of Strong Viking - totally crazy trip. But as usual - we laughed, we cried, we drank wine - and ate a seriously good steak!
Name, age and team/country:
Mona Strande, 37, Team Milslukern Driv Trening / OCR Norway
Instagram/web:
What brought you into this sport?
The playfulness, the unique combination of strength and speed needed to perform, and more smiles at every venue than I've ever seen in any other sport.
Favourite race?
Spartan Beast, or any race between 15K and 40K with a lot of hills, rough terrain and heavy stuff to carry along the way.
Favourite obstacle / venue?
Any obstacle that requires overall, consistent body strength, i.e. not just forearms and grip. Venue? Give me mountains, and I'm happy.
How is your training?
Versatile. I do what makes me happy. Very often that means hours of trail running or xc-skiing. I also love lifting heavy weights in the gym. But almost any outdoor activity or sport makes me smile, which I find is a great advantage when my goal is a limitless body.
Do you have a life motto you live by?
I don't, but I've learned a few things in life! ;-b The most important thing is that you are responsible for your own happiness! Listen to your heart, don't compare yourself to others (especially not on Instagram!), live a life you're excited about and surround yourself with people who respects your passion or drive. Choose a partner in life that can see it if you try to conceal the real you - and embrace that blessing instead of fearing it. Create a home where you feel grounded. Then, you can navigate through any storm or jump toward any star without losing yourself - or your passion.
Your goal for 2019?
My goal is to be the best me I can be. And to challenge my limits in everything I do, of course ;-)
