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Daniela live
No planned events.
Unfortunately, I have to announce that I’ll be retireing early and that I won’t be able to do any more races this year.
The 36-year-old from Solothurn and ten-time Ironman and Ironman 70.3 world champion wants to devote herself to new projects in the future.
Nickname: Angry Bird
Birthday: May 29, 1987
Hometown: Feldbrunnen (Switzerland)
Degree: Bachelor in Food Science & Management (2021)
Training hours: 30 hours per week
Current projects: Actively supporting young talent development projects, such as the Solothurn Triathlon and Duathlon Regional Development Centre
Favorite drink: Red Bull
Hobbies: baking, meeting friends, and spending time in the Swiss mountains
"Success does not mean winning everything, but making the best of every situation."
Triathlon has been my passion since 1998 and my profession since 2007. My name is Daniela Ryf, I was born in 1987 in Solothurn. In 2015 and 2018 I was Swiss Athlete of the Year and have been a four-time winner of the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii and once in St. George.
I started my career at the Olympic distance, in 2014 I moved to long course racing. I am constantly on the road for the better part of the year, always aiming for the best possible preparation for my major races of the season.
5-times World Champion on long and short distance
The fifth time in her career she accomplished the prestigious double and an accomplishment that has never been achieved by any other athlete, neither man nor woman. As a result, Daniela Ryf has a total of twelve World Championship wins. Ironman 70.3 World Champion (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022), Ironman World Champion (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022) to complement short course career where she was the U23 ITU World Champion (2008) and part of the Mixed World Championship Team (2009).
Stay true to yourself and stand for your own values.
"I always try to make the most out of every situation," says the four-time Ironman winner. But relentless is not one of the values she wants to convey. Rather, Daniela stands for fighting spirit, seriousness, passion and determination. Serious preparation, always believing in yourself and sometimes taking a risk - this motto helped her achieve no less than five Ironman championships to date. Other values include loyalty, honesty, risk-taking, sustainability and respect.
Whether as a top athlete or as a private person: the value of sustainability accompanies Daniela Ryf at every step. It is no coincidence that the promotion of junior athletic talent and food science are projects close to her heart. Supporting the community in sports and in society is part of the life philosophy of Daniela Ryf.
Given the experience and support she received as a young triathlete, promoting the next generation of talent, along with foundation work are important goals and projects for the near future.
Thus, it’s no surprise to see Daniela devote herself to foundation work and to actively engage in a junior project as ambassador for the Solothurn Regional Triathlon and Duathlon Development Centre during her active career. "I have benefited a lot from the know-how of my coaches. Now I want to pass on my knowledge to those who have potential in sports."
A balanced diet and training regime is an important aspect of sport and everyday life for the versatile Daniela Ryf.
She is a welcome guest at symposia, lectures and talk shows with her expertise in nutrition. Feeling good about what you do is a motto of Daniela Ryf. As a quality-conscious and fashion-conscious woman, she also shows in everyday life that she optimally combines sports and private life.
Daniela will always have strong feelings for her home country. "Hawaii and other places in the world are beautiful, but at its best it's at home in Switzerland.", "Here I feel at home, here are my family and friendships are firmly anchored," says the multilingual Daniela Ryf.
Inspiration and zest for action: these are further features that distinguish Daniela Ryf.
"Studying sports would be too monotonous for me as a top athlete. I am inspired and like to inspire others”. That’s why she chose the field of study Food Sciences & Management. As a co-founder of a foundation that supports junior athletes, she can pass on her inspiration in a targeted, sustainable and far-reaching manner.
Discipline and purposefulness - two characteristics of Daniela Ryf that have brought her as an athlete a long way.
Determined in private life, but not averse to the finer things in life, Daniela Ryf seeks perfection in sports and is only satisfied when she has made the best out of the available situation.
Be disciplined with yourself and get the most out of what you do. This strength distinguishes Daniela Ryf. But also in the mental field, she proves her strength and maturity in every competition and every challenge in sport as well as in private life.
What is TLS:
TLS is a regional performance centre for young athletes who are promoted in a targeted manner. TLS pursues the task of promoting these young and talented triathletes and duathletes and prepares them for a career as professional competitive athletes. TLS creates, additionally to the associations, optimal conditions for these athletes. The program has the potential to boost the number of Swiss athletes competing internationally as professionals. The double burden of school and training is balanced ideally.
What TLS offers:
The success of the TLS model is based on:
Proven results:
Who is engaged:
Daniela Ryf, multiple world champion of the Ironman Hawaii, is the patroness of the TLS.
The Spirit Academy with the Olympic Champion in triathlon, Nicola Spirig, as its founder is also engaged in the TLS. It is part of the brand «Spirit Multisport» which is active in the area of education and quality assurance of coaches as well as in the collaboration of schools and training centres in triathlon. Additionally, it operates in employee’s projects of companies. The Spirit Academy provides services for performance centres and clubs in the field of training control, marketing and communication.
The TLS is further endorsed by the Swiss Triathlon Association.
