Pillow Talk with Jolanda Neff, world cup winner \Lin cross-country mountain biking

Joanna Peyer for Pillow & Pepper: Jolanda Neff, you are the 2017 mountain bike world champion, two-time European champion and two-time overall winner of the world cup – an awesome track record. What is your next athletic goal?

Jolanda Neff: Next year, the mountain bike world championships will be held in Switzerland. This highlight of the year will be an extraordinary opportunity, with many people lining the road who know me personally. Another major goal for me next year will be the world cup; this year, I placed fourth overall – and I want to fight my way back to the very top.

Any kind of pro-sport calls for extreme discipline. Injuries are major setbacks. Have you ever felt like giving up your career in sports?

Jolanda Neff: Giving up my career – I hope it will never come to that. But the injuries did make me restructure my life to some extent. While everything used to be focused on the sport, I have since created structures I can rely on. I think it’s extremely important to have your life in balance. Sports obviously take centre stage for me, but you also need a social environment, and my degree program is also doing me good. My objective is to organise my life in such a way that it’s good for me, makes me happy, and lets me keep cycling for many years yet.

You quit being a full-time professional. For a year now, you have been enrolled in history, French and English at the University of Zurich. Are you actively planning another professional life after your athletic career?

Jolanda Neff: Although I’m enrolled in a degree program, I am still a professional cyclist. More so than ever, actually, because every since I won the world cup, the requirements in addition to the sport have increased, such as interview dates, charity events, autograph sessions, sponsorship obligations, and media requests. I would have an easy life if I only had my sport and my studies to think about. I’m in no way planning a second career after my sporting career. In my present situation, the degree program is helping me find the perfect balance, and it keeps my head clear. I guess I will have to wait and see in what way exactly the degree will help me further down the road. But for the time being, it has already benefited me.

How important is it to you to start a family later on (after your athletic career)?

Jolanda Neff: You know, I don’t actually think about my life afterwards, because my life is now. I live for the moment, and enjoy all that is. When the right time comes to start a family, things will simply fall into place.

What does luxury mean to you?

Jolanda Neff: Since I spend a large part of my time on the road and living out of suitcases, it means the world to me to be able to relax in a hotel and to feel at home. To me, luxury is simply checking in and finding everything in working order. We travel all over the world, and come in touch with the most diverse cultures and standards. I love all these new experiences, but it’s still the greatest luxury for me to wake up in a snuggly bed in the middle of the Swiss Alps.

How would you define luxury for yourself, or a luxury holiday?

Jolanda Neff: The finest hotel won’t make you happy if their program is not right for you. So, for me, a luxury holiday means primarily getting the right blend of relaxation and action. If you don’t have to do anything, but have every option – isn’t that luxury? For instance, the range of activities available at the Giardino Mountain is brilliant. Every morning at breakfast, your will learn which tours you may join; there is an extremely diverse sports program; you can take it easy in the in-house spa or on the sundeck; the cable cars start right outside the door. Despite its upscale standard, the hotel is modern, young and active. Sometimes I simply enjoy staying in bed and letting the day run its course. It’s just one of the many options open to you at the Giardino Mountain.

When do you consider the mark of perfection in a hotel?

Jolanda Neff: Friendly staff. As a guest, you sense invariably whether the employees enjoy their work. You simply feel like you’re in better hands when you know you may address yourself to any of the staff and will always find them accommodating. To me, it is therefore the warmth of its employees that makes a hotel great.

Do you have a favourite hotel in the Swiss Alps?

Jolanda Neff: At some point, I discovered the Giardino Mountain in the Engadine. For endurance athletes like me, altitude training, meaning training upward of 1,800 metres above sea level, an integral part of preparing yourself. The Giardino Mountain in Champfèr is perfectly situated for the purpose. I’ve been to many hotels, but I’ve hardly ever felt as good as I do at the Giardino. It’s like a piece of heaven on earth. The receptionists are very cordial, and take care of everything, the rooms are marvellously stylish and still cosy – it couldn’t be more charming. To say nothing of the breakfast buffet, which tempts you with domestic products, non-processed ingredients, and delicious dishes. This will turn a training session before breakfast into sheer delight as I imagine while working out which kind of crêpe I will have with my cappuccino later on.

What do you like best about the Engadine?

Jolanda Neff: The mountain world! I love the mountains more than anything! I never cease to be amazed when I’m out on the road with my bike. Combined with the amazingly pristine mountain air that revives you with every breath you take, I sometimes find it hard to believe that I get to be here at all. Also, the trails for us bikers keep getting improved, and the network of trails is being expanded all the time, so that we can easily share the vast valley with the hikers. Moreover, the plants and animals of the Engadine are quite unique. Here, the high alpine climate displays its full splendour.