Qui est l'Athlète Sara Sigmundsdottir ? | Charlie Tango Fitness

Who is Athlete Sara Sigmundsdottir?

CrossFit, Vegan Diet, Games & Psychology

The Icelandic superstar made her CrossFit Games debut in 2015 and has been a crowd favorite ever since. She finished third in her first two Games but has been hampered by injuries.

Sara Sigmundsdottir is one of the most recognizable names in the CrossFit sphere, with an array of podium finishes to her name and constant speculation that she could be crowned the next " Fittest on Earth " by winning the CrossFit Games.


She seemed to appear out of nowhere, bursting onto the scene in 2015. But where did this 5'8", 150lb superstar come from?

Biography

Sigmundsdottir was born in Reykjanesbaer, Iceland in 1992. In 2013, she got her start in CrossFit but traveled under the radar, finishing 427th in the Open and 39th at the European Regionals. She improved the following year, finishing 75th in the Open and 12th at the Regionals. But it was in 2015 that she burst onto the scene in a big way.

She finished third at the Open, won regionals, and then finished third in her Games debut. Suddenly, the CrossFit world was abuzz with awe at the Icelander. She repeated her third-place finish in 2016 and finished fourth in 2017.

The 2015 and 2016 CrossFit Games champion was another Icelander, Katrín Davidsdottir. The fact that there were two Icelanders added to the fanfare around the two and propelled Sigmundsdottir to stardom.

Since then, every edition of the Games has been accompanied by speculation that Sigmundsdottir could be the year of the title.


But she has been plagued by injuries. A stress fracture to one of her ribs in 2018 ended her season prematurely. The following year, the Games introduced cuts, narrowing the field after each round. Sigmundsdottir was one of the first high-profile casualties.

"It was a little unfair. What I've always loved about CrossFit is that you can make a mistake and come back much stronger, but last year's Games, we were like, 'Did that really happen?

"Was this really the CrossFit Games? Is this the CrossFit Games I've been watching for five years?" she said.

In 2020, the format was changed due to Covid-19. There were 30 women competing remotely for five places at the in-person finals in California. A particularly strong season, which saw her claim victories at the Irish and Dubai Sanctionals, meant speculation about success was higher than ever.
But she did not pass the first round, finishing 21st.

She later explained that a bad cut, sustained while jumping from a box and resulting in a hospital visit, had become infected. The infection had caused adrenal insufficiency, leading to an imbalance in cortisol, the hormone associated with growth, which prevented her from reaching her potential.

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Diet

Being one of the fittest people on the planet requires a very specific diet.


According to Mike Molloy, her nutrition coach, Sigmundsdottir weighs her food before a competition to know the exact amount of carbohydrates, proteins and other food groups.

But then she goes back to a generally healthy diet. Then she fine-tunes it for most days of the week, and in the last block before the competition, Sigmundsdottir starts weighing every meal again.

"She has extreme goals, so she needs extreme methods," Molloy said. "If she did it six days a week, she could be incredibly fit, but if she wants to maximize her potential, she has to do it. But after the competition, we're going to back off, let her relax, otherwise she's going to burn out."

In 2019, she switched to a vegan diet. Using her food tracker to ensure she's getting enough protein, she eats beans, lentils, tofu, vegetables, quinoa, rice and sweet potatoes, according to ESPN.

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Psychology

Sigmundsdottir, who lives in California, is studying for a degree in psychology at the Open University.


"In between sessions, I'm studying. I'm working on my psychology degree. So far, I'm on schedule," she said on Instagram.


"I find it helps me relax and stay focused to have other things to think about besides my sport. I usually manage to study for about an hour every morning after my first workout. I use that time to study, have breakfast."

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