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(Between the lines of an interview)
She is a pro mountain biker, model
and graphic designer; so strong and in the same time so fragile,
so young looking and so mature, innocent as a child but with
scars of a warrior – she is a phenomenal mixture of opposites,
so opposite that meet together in one name – Niki!
We have published some facts about
her last year /issue 4, 2005/ but at that time we had just
limited information available from her web site. Since then
I had that feeling telling me there’s more to it and
the natural continuation came by itself. Our paths crossed
at the Eurobike show in Germany.
I met Niki Gudex at the exhibition
stand of the clothing company Castelli, where she was meeting
fans and visitors, giving out autographs along with presenting
her own design line of cycling apparel for women of the same
brand. During the short breaks of signing posters and talking
to visitors I got the chance to do a short interview with
her and I was dazed by her immense energy.
At first sight I would have defined
it as an ordinary meeting for an interview but it turned into
an unforgettable moment that left permanent traces in my mind.
It would be very difficult for me to explain the nature of
my perception about her intricate and unmatched personality
but at least I could give it a try.
What I will try to tell you is
not her story but rather what’s behind it.
The personal story is an outcome,
end result, traces of what we do in our lives, and it’s
rarely associated with the actual character of the one who
created it. My meeting with the embodiment of the power, literally
and metaphorically, is the most inspiring thing that have
happened to me recently and that’s why I feel necessity
to “pass forward”.
All serious bike fans who browse discussion
forums, web sites and follow competitions know the name of
the Australian girl. She is an easy find – very beautiful,
very successful and resides at the pages of all popular medias
in Australia and US. Many have read her numerous interviews
in dozens of magazines and newspapers around the globe, and
of course they know her story.
To be completely honest most of what
I’ve seen and read about Niki was making me doubt whether
everything she does is completely true. But if I haven’t
been that suspicious back then I couldn’t be so convinced
right now in everything that I am telling you about her.
For most people who have realized
the meaning and the role of their existence, it happens after
some critical moment when their life was in danger, when they
understand their own transience and how fragile life is or
how much dependent we are on ourselves.
For her this should have happened
back in 1997, when she broke her back, while training for
a snowboarder in Sweden. She says “Everything was somehow
surreal”. So surreal that it was the reality itself -
on the hospital bed, with broken back things look much different
than when you are showing how good you are (not) in making
a back flip. It makes you think and realize things that are
often obscured by the every day life. Soon after getting back
on her feet she was again in search of commitment. And this
time she found it in mountain biking.
“While I’m riding my bike
I feel like I’m doing something… that feels right!”
– she says. Her irresistible striving to do the things
the right way have lead to success in all areas where she
expresses herself. Overall, the fields where she finds her
vocation are so diverse and she is so successful that it is
possible for one to think that all this must be a creation
of PR agents or a team of professionals. Thanks to our meeting,
the mystery is revealed – all this is done by Niki herself.
As unbelievable her story sounds, so unbelievable her results
are and times more astonishing person she is.
Her awareness, to take decisions uncompromisingly
and to follow them, as well as her incredible power helps
her move forward. Her desire to do always the best she can,
to expand her limits while staying on the safe side propel
her carrier forward simultaneously in all directions. She
is a true professional by all means of this term. Diverse
and fascinating, she achieves everything with very hard work,
persistence, determination and total commitment. In our conversation
she clearly stated her strong will and desire to achieve her
most daring dreams. Niki lives in the moment but her sight
is focused far ahead because her achievements until now she
easily defines as “it is past”, but I would add
“and a good motivation to continue”.
All difficulties and obstacles on
her way, which we all inevitably face in our lives, she overcomes
by concentrating on the possibilities in the spaces which
are countless compared to that single obstacle that blocks
our way. “I’m
trying to focus on the spaces, not on the trees.”
– she simply explains to me.
This is an advice that can be applied
in everyone’s everyday life – on the track in the
mountain or at work in the office or why not even in the hospital
bed - there are so many possibilities, except that “tree”
on the way; if you are looking further ahead, then the possibilities
become unlimited. She demonstrates control on the course and
in her life - control over herself. This
radiating modesty and infinite devotion can’t be seen
through a web site, nor can be read in the magazines; this
is something that can be experienced only in face to face
conversation with this incredibly brave and sensitive girl.
During many interruptions followed
by honest excuses that she had also to share her attention
with visitors and fans, something that made a great impression
to me was that she was writing to everyone “Have fun!”,
“Ride your bike” – things existing only in
a free mind of a person who is not dependent on her victories
or losses. Everything is enjoyment; it is all emotion and
fun.
Once you turn success into a fix idea
or you put it into “at all cost” circumstances it
becomes a torture and it will be hardly ever achieved. Even
if you get to it eventually you will miss all the other opportunities
you’ve had along your way. Does one victory deserves
all that? Victory over what or over who? The real competitions
are inside of us, with ourselves. To overcome yourself is
by far more challenging task than to overcome others. To set
new limits for yourself, for your body and mind is much greater
achievement than to win in a competition, where one fell,
another was sick, third had no motivation to win or forth
was not familiar enough with the course.
Victory over yourself and over your
own abilities is the key to your success. Only then one victory
leads to another. This is what Niki does and we are all witnesses
to her achievements – in cycling, in modeling, in her
designs.
We have all had failures and mistakes,
which are not a reason to despair; on the contrary they are
a great motivation to continue. To win and to lose (to accept
you’re beaten and to continue) requires equally much
power and energy. Although she constantly made it to the podium
over the last few years she missed her chance on qualifying
for the Commonwealth Games and she does not regret it. Chances
and opportunities constantly appear if you are moving forward.
What you have to do is - create them for yourselves, be prepared
and take advantage of them. The
reason to write all this is my desire for you to understand
the essence of what Niki Gudex does – how she acts and
how she manages to achieve everything in her life.
Not to praise her or to bow before
her talent, but to find and follow your own path, a path with
a heart, the one that will take you to the top – not
the one on the ranking list but the one inside you. If you
choose mountain biking, let it be mountain biking, if you
choose something else, let it be it – it doesn’t
really matter. Go and look around
her web site. See her pictures, read her diary. You
will see how versatile she is, in many pictures you’ll
see her distant and unreachable but in fact she is so down
to earth and it is so easy to touch her if you look her in
the eyes that it is surreal, so surreal that it is the reality
itself.
She is definitely a star! Not that
kind of star we are used to see on TV, but a star that shines
bright in all directions and is willing to give a sparkle
of her fire to everyone who is ready to accept it; and if
you are able to keep it and inflame, or even better –
to continue it and pass forward to someone else is what gives
meaning to our lives. And do what she tells you – go
ride your bike, have fun!
Profile: Ventzislav Kutinkov.
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