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Rachel Frei Bandieri, lone runner and limitless adventurer with a unique bond with nature.
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1Brands, People & Love
Brands, People & Love
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WANDERFUL
Rachel Frei BandieriLone runner and limitless adventurer with a unique bond with nature. by
WANDERFUL
3Brands, People & Love
Passionate long distance runner, mountain trail walker, horse endurance rider and explorer of the Great North; constantly striving for change and vitality in life, dynamic and tireless, she feels a deep connection with nature and the environment.
When she is not planning for a new adventure, Rachel trains athletes and amateurs, preparing their minds and bodies to face their limits and go beyond them.
Rachel Frei Bandieri
WANDERFUL
“Sometimes to improve we just need to slow down and listen to ourselves.”
WANDERFUL
7Brands, People & Love
Rachel, tell us your story: how did you
realize that your passion was so impor-
tant?
The path that brought me here was a
little bit unusual: I studied Law and
Criminology and I started my career as a
lawyer in England, then I moved back to
Switzerland and joined the police. I really
liked my job because of its dynamism, but
something was definitely missing. In 2010
I finally realized how strong my passion
for endurance outdoor sports was and
that the spirit of challenge, the sense of
achievement and fulfillment that those
activities gave to me was everything I
wanted. So I quit my job and headed off
for the Alp Trekking, a two-week trek
set among the beautiful Alpine peaks. In
nearly fifteen days I walked and ran 530
kilometers as the first woman to face this
trail completely alone. On those peaks I
had the ultimate coup de foudre and decid-
ed never to stop doing what I loved. Back
home I started RFB Concept, which aims
to train people mentally and physically
for better performance in challenging
endurance events. I practiced and studied
a lot, and now I can declare myself an en-
thusiast, satisfied with my achievements
both as a trainer and as a runner.
What are the fundamentals of your
training?
My approach to training is a holistic ap-
proach. Mental preparation gets the same
attention as physical, if not more: it’s
definitely the mind that shapes the body!
It took me a while to understand how
important it is to take care of your mind
while preparing for a physical effort.
Years ago, I was all for the “maximum
effort with maximum output” creed,
then I discovered Dr Phil Maffettone’s
training approach, which totally changed
how I trained. Combining it with men-
tal preparation techniques, I developed
a method that teaches how to connect
body and mind for better performance
and increased well-being. Each of us is
different, we each have our own pace, and
sometimes to improve we just need to
slow down and listen to ourselves.
WANDERFUL
“What was missing in my life was the contact with nature, the spirit of challenge, the sense of achievement and fulfillment.”
9Brands, People & Love
WANDERFUL
Do you find this body-mind connection
on the trail? What are you looking for,
walking and running for so long?
Finding this interaction is the first step
in all my excursions, and the feeling just
gets stronger as I walk and run. Lone-
liness is helpful there: listening to your
heartbeat and senses, you slowly learn
how to understand your body-signals.
You also feel a complete and overwhelm-
ing symbiosis with nature, which is un-
doubtedly the greatest gift. I just love the
feeling of running, of moving fast on the
trail; it doesn’t stop me enjoying the mo-
ment, being fully in what I am doing, and
taking in the scenery – on the contrary!
And of course there is the pleasure of
meeting your limits and surpassing them,
going beyond your own assumptions. I
have always admired people who refuse
to limit themselves… I mean, life is really
too short to be small!
How do you face the difficulties of such
challenging trails?
First of all, it is essential to be prepared.
Preparation is even more important
than the trek itself: you must study the
maps, the alternative paths, the weather
conditions and so on. Yet no matter how
well you prepare yourself, it’s unrealistic
to think you can predict every possible
hitch. We can’t protect ourselves from
everything, and we shouldn’t be afraid of
unpredictable events, because fear always
leads to bad decision-making. Always.
One thing I try when I feel a bit down or
tired is positive thinking: I imagine my-
self reaching my destination and seeing
at last all the people who have supported
me – and that helps a lot.
Speaking of preparation, in the last few
months you are getting ready for a great
adventure, and this time you won’t be
completely alone…
In August I will start on the longest and
toughest expedition I’ve ever faced: the
Nordkalottleden trail, a 800 km long trail
that runs through Norway, Sweden and
Northern Finland. It’s really demanding
– I’ll have to walk and run for about 40
kilometers a day with a 12 kilo backpack
on my shoulders and nobody keeping me
company… except for two exceptional
friends: Sparta and Nyx, my beautiful
dogs! I met them by chance in 2011 – or,
rather, I saved them from an unfair end
– and it was love at first sight. We bond-
ed immediately and now have a pretty
strong relationship: they usually train
with me, and are definitely used to long
walks and runs! This is why I thought I
should take them with me on this North-
ern adventure. Going on trails with them
is amazing: we communicate without
even knowing it, we adapt to each other’s
pace and they are really helpful when
it comes to listening to the path and
understanding the surroundings. They
have also taught me something impor-
tant: challenges are good, but the greatest
thing on such adventures is to really en-
joy the path and sometimes even stop to
stare at the wonders around you. We have
been preparing a lot for this and I am
so looking forward to sharing the Great
North experience with them!
11Brands, People & Love
“When I’m alone, I feel a complete and overwhelming symbiosis with nature. This is the greatest gift.”
WANDERFUL
15Brands, People & Love
Why did you chose the Nordkalot-
tleden, and what motivates you?
I have always been attracted to the
Northern regions, maybe because of
my Russian origins, or maybe be-
cause I’m attracted by people who live
differently from us. Northern people
have an amazing traditional connec-
tion with nature that I deeply admire.
Apart from that, Hiking for the Arctic
– which is what I decided to call my
adventure – has a clear purpose:
raising awareness of the continuing
climate change that is causing so
many environmental shifts. I will also
be able to contribute to some major
research conducted by anthropolo-
gists at the University of Lapland’s
Arctic Centre; its purpose is to un-
derstand the life of Sami people and
other indigenous populations who are
also struggling because of the chang-
es their land is facing. My strongest
motivation, therefore, is knowing
that I am not just running for my
own sake, I am doing it for a better
cause. And I know that even on those
days when I feel exhausted, this will
help keep me going. People expect
me to make it, and if I can be of some
inspiration for others, I will consider
myself satisfied.
“My strongest motivation is knowing that I do not run for my own sake, I am doing it for a better cause.”
19Brands, People & Love
The Wanderful TakeMeet your challenge.
Rachel says that life is too short to be small. We should never limit ourselves, but instead search for those things that challenge us and make us leave our comfort zone.
And if fulfilling our goals is important, enjoying the journey is fundamental: the way defines us better than the destination.
Don’t resist the desire to push boundaries and keep raising the bar; strive for change, change for the better. Never settle for normal; always seek for Wanderful.
WANDERFUL
WANDERFUL MAG
Contributors
Micol Biasoli, Editor in Chief Giulia Piazzi, Art Direction Simona Tami, Director of Photography Alberto Bernasconi, Photography
Publisher Ander Group SA, BSW Lugano, Lausanne, Geneva T. +41 91 966 99 66
wanderfulmag.com
All rights reserved, 2015