Pixie Lale-Klasicki - Athlete Ambassador
Pixie is a swimmer and trained osteopath. She talks to Sundried about training and racing.
Have you always been into sport?
Yes, as an only child my parents wanted to keep me entertained so I was always busy with multiple sports. However swimming eventually claimed all my time and that is where I stayed
How did you first get into triathlon?
I have never competed in a triathlon, I would love to be capable of a half iron man but there is no way I could run (I would rather swim the run distance and run the swim distance). As for how I got into swimming; I started lessons at the age of 8 and had a wonderful teacher. Just when I was getting my 800m badge he left and took up coaching at a local club. In order to remain with him I joined the club and progressed into lengths through that club. Since then, I have been at 7 other clubs (mixture of amateur and elite). And for weightlifting; I have always supplemented my swimming with land based strength work but in summer 2019 I became really interested in it. Since then, through training 5 times a week in the gym I have busted through the plateu I hit when I was 17 (I am now 25).
If you are interested in starting your own fitness journey, Sundrieds Active Life Kit is suitable for beginners as well as seasoned athletes. We have both men's and women's options available.
What has been your favourite race to date and why?
I think 50m breaststroke at English Summer Nationals in 2015. I went into the event ranked 23rd of 24. In the heats I PB’ed and qualified for the final in 9th. In the final I had an outside lane (not someone really considered to land on the podium) but I fought for it and came out ranked 3rd overall with a 1.5 second personal best (which is significant drop for a 50m swim).
What is your proudest achievement?
Qualifying for the Tokyo 2020(1) Olympic Trials for swimming in 3 events or qualifying for national competitions every year since 2010 (aged 14).
Have you ever had any racing disasters?
Aside from only being disqualified 3 times since the age of 10, I would say swimming a 400IM (100m of each stroke consecutively) when I was very unfit and just struggled to the end in a disastrously disappointing time.
How do you overcome setbacks?
I'm not too sure. I have had set backs but I always just get back to training and put the bad race behind me. I will however pick one thing that went wrong in the race that I could improve upon or change.
What advice do you wish you'd been given when you first started out?
Train how you race. I was given this advice from the age of 14 but I never really understood it. I think bringing a positive/determined head to training is key, remembering why you are getting up at 4:40am to train and why you go back there at 4:40pm to train for another 2hrs. Don’t lose sight of your goals and do something every day (in or out of the training environment) that is going to help you reach that goal.
What are your goals?
Go to the olympics one way or another - this could be as an athlete or as a member of the medical team.Failing that, competing at an international competition (masters or open) is the next natural progression for myself. Iwould also like to dive deeper into crossfit/functional fitness competitions
Who inspires you?
Katinka Hosszu, who is a Hungarian swimmer. The amount of grit and determination she brings to each race is something I would love to convey to my audience.
Why work with Sundried?
Because Sundried is a sustainable, affordable brand that provides all levels of warmth with comfort.
To hear more from our ambassadors and get free tips on workout plans and more, connect with the Sundried Personal Trainers on our app.
