They met at the swimming pool – I AM Kubiak

Does a shared passion like sport help in a relationship, or does it rather get in the way?

That’s not an easy question. In our opinion, a shared passion gives both life and the relationship a common direction. Thanks to our shared passion for sport, we understand each other better and experience more emotions – both the good ones and those that aren’t always positive. We drive each other to grow.

Very often one of us inspires the other to start something new, to develop in other areas, or simply to take part in competitions and overcome our own weaknesses. In life, just like in sport, there are plenty of ups and downs. Together it’s much easier to get back up and keep fighting to become a better version of yourself, and celebrating and experiencing many things together strengthens and deepens the relationship.

Did you meet thanks to sport? Do you meet many couples who have built their lives around a shared passion for sport?

Yes, we met at the swimming pool, where we were training triathlon together – back then at the club UKS Tri-Saucony Rumia (now Tri-Team Rumia) under the guidance of Piotr Netter. Even though we’ve both been part of the sports community for many years, I think there are actually quite few couples who train together and show up as a duo on social media.

It becomes even more challenging when children appear in the relationship. We know many couples where only one person trains and the other supports them and takes care of everyday life or looks after the kids. For sure, many couples met thanks to sport and still draw joy from it in various forms.

Maciek, your journey from racewalker to swimrunner is fascinating. Was it easy to combine racewalking, and later running, with swimming? What helped and what got in the way?

All the sports I’ve done in my life have, to a large extent, been a matter of chance. I started racewalking only because it was the era of “Korzeń” – Robert Korzeniowski. A few clubs were created under his name back then – one of them at my middle school. That’s how I started racewalking instead of running. It quickly turned out that I had good endurance, and after three years in racewalking I made it into the Polish national team and was winning top national titles.

I was young. My body was still developing and wasn’t ready for heavy, specialised training loads, which often led to injuries. That also pushed me to change sports. And that’s how I “drew” triathlon – literally drew it, because the day before I put three pieces of paper under my pillow with different sports written on them: racewalking, running and triathlon.

In the morning I drew triathlon. I was 19 then, and that same day I went to my first swim training. Over the next 16 years I did many sports – mainly triathlon, but also aquathlon, duathlon, cycling, running and swimming – until I eventually arrived at swimrun. Swimrun is the result of a running injury and Ola convincing me to try it.

To answer the second part of your question: doing racewalking at such a young age significantly shaped my body, even though I only did it for six years. On the plus side, it definitely helped me build an above-average VO₂max (72) and caused hyperextension in my joints, which is beneficial for leg movement in swimming.

On the minus side: heavily developed leg muscles, bow-leggedness and neglected upper body. At this point I feel the impact of not swimming at a young age more than the impact of racewalking on my swimming. You simply can’t make up for that later. Swimrun, however, thanks to its specific nature, allows me to fulfil myself both as a runner and as a swimmer.

Ola, you say swimming is your lifestyle… What does swimming give you?

From a very young age I felt that water was my natural environment, where I feel best. My swimming journey started thanks to my dad, who, when I was three years old, showed me that water is nothing to be afraid of. In swimming, if you don’t start training at a young age, you don’t really have a chance at top results.

I didn’t have the opportunity to train from early childhood. My passion for swimming came back to me with double the strength when I was a teenager and wanted to develop as a swimmer just for myself. At 15–16, I found my way into triathlon, even though I was actually looking for a club where I could just swim under a coach’s supervision. If I hadn’t ended up in triathlon then, I would never have met Maciek!

University, living together and the arrival of our daughter limited the time I had available. That’s when swimming was what remained from triathlon – and it was always closest to my heart anyway. For the past few years, I’ve been gradually trying to make my swimming dreams come true – from long-distance swims to ice achievements. Swimming is my greatest passion and at the same time my “me time”. When I get into the water, I cut myself off from all outside stimuli – it’s just me and the water. I think it’s a form of meditation and looking inside yourself, especially during long training sessions.

Water is a powerful element that must be treated with respect. In the sea you can feel small again, like a child. I’ve always loved jumping into and rocking on the biggest waves. On childhood holidays with my dad we would always go for the biggest waves in the Adriatic! When you learn to trust the sea, stop fighting and surrender to the waves, you discover incredible feelings and possibilities.

For me, swimming is a lifestyle because it shapes my everyday life – through training, travel choices, selecting interesting swimming events, and even the friendships I build with people who share a passion for sport and water. Sport develops a person on many levels; it teaches patience, perseverance and discipline.

Are you a couple that lives for sport – and do you also live off it? How do you combine everyday life with training?

We’ve been married for over 12 years. We live for sport, but we don’t make a living from it. For now it’s more of a bottomless passion, though we don’t rule out earning from it in the future. Recently we’ve started a shared adventure on social media – on Instagram, at @i.am.kubiak, we share our passion and experiences, and we’d like to inspire others.

In everyday life we both work full-time and raise our 9-year-old daughter. Our daily routine is really one big logistics exercise and a masterclass in time management. Juggling 8-hour workdays with our daughter’s school activities and each of our training schedules is often not the easiest task.

Each of us has their own daily rhythm, which we often bring together during joint training sessions – Maciek with the drive of a professional, and Ola with an undiminished joy of movement and that feeling of pleasant fatigue after a workout. [smiles]

When you picture yourselves retired in the future, then…?

Right now, while we’re still quite young, it’s hard to think about retirement. We try to get as much as possible out of every holiday. Maciek definitely sees himself somewhere warmer than the Polish seaside. I, on the other hand, see myself in a small house on a rock with a sea view, in a Scandinavian climate.

We’re both in love with Sweden, even though it doesn’t really spoil you with warmer weather than our Polish coast. Still, we always manage to find a compromise when it comes to trips.

For us, the greatest inspiration are Maciek’s parents who, despite being at a beautiful retirement age, are still very active and positive – they travel, take part in running events, do Nordic walking, and in winter go cross-country skiing and on mountain hikes. We would both very much like to have as much enthusiasm, drive and joy in life and movement as they do when we reach their age.

Interview by: Maciej Mazerant / Managing Editor of AQUA SPEED Magazine

Photos: courtesy of Aleksandra Kubiak