Swiss beach volleyball professional Tanja Hüberli.

In the “Inquired” interview, the 28-year-old Swiss beach volleyball player and BTC athlete gives an insight into her life as a professional and the fourth-place finisher at the 2019 World Cup reveals how she recovers best and what role BE THE CHANGE plays in it.

When you don't have sand under your feet, how do you feel?
I don't like being barefoot at all except in the sand. Many people love to walk barefoot in the meadow, but I don't like it at all! Even at home I usually wear slippers or at least thick socks.

What is your biggest strength on the clay court?
I really want to win and will fight until the end. I am willing to work hard on myself and am always open to new things.

What is your most lasting memory as a professional player?
Fourth place at the World Championships was certainly our best performance. The week immediately afterwards, when we got straight back into the semi-finals at our favorite tournament in Gstaad, was my favorite time emotionally. We just enjoyed playing in front of friends, family and fans and the atmosphere was simply incredible - pure goosebumps!

What is your favorite BTC sports product and why?
I eat the porridge for breakfast before the tournament and love it! And then I could drink the chocolate protein drink every day! I love chocolate and this protein drink with the crisps in it almost qualifies as a dessert for me. 😉

How do you eat on a training day?
I start the day with a warm porridge. It's good for me if I can start the day with something warm. At lunchtime and in the evening I make sure to eat balanced meals with protein, fats and carbohydrates. When I have very intensive training, I sometimes take a protein shake as a supplement.

How do you best recover?
Sufficient and healthy meals, enough sleep and active recovery such as stretching, black rolling, cycling, etc.

After a game/training/tournament, the first thing I do is...
Immediately after the game there is always the Regeneration Shake Swiss Chocolate Crunch to replenish your memory and be ready for the next game.

What do you do intensively outside of beach volleyball?
I am also studying at the Bern University of Education. I'm also an interested person and like to learn new things that help me grow as an athlete. I also like to read specialist books or exciting biographies.

What role does sustainability play in your life?
I pay attention to sustainability wherever I can. There are practically no plastic bags left and I also try to avoid waste. I also like to spend more money on sustainable products or sustainably sourced foods.

Tell us something that hardly anyone knows about life as a beach volleyball player.
Traveling around a lot isn't always that much fun because we rarely see much of the surrounding area, only the airport and the place where the tournament is. We also play a lot of tournaments in cities and not always just on beaches.

What is your next goal?
The Summer Olympics in Tokyo this year are our big goal. We do everything we can to give our best performance and maybe even write a summer fairy tale.

«For me as an athlete, the right sports nutrition is something central and very important. Since I have some intolerances, I'm even happier to have @bethechangeswiss by my side. The products are made from the best ingredients in harmony with nature and are gentle on the stomach and intestines.»

Tanja was interviewed by Barbara Stolba on March 8, 2021