"I never felt like I missed anything" - Lisa Hauser on life without biathlon and what comes next
Lisa Theresa Hauser, Austria’s most successful female biathlete ever, closed her career five months ago in Oslo. After leaving biathlon behind she says “I really enjoyed my spring and my first summer without biathlon training. It has been a bit different from my life before. I really tried to do a lot of things I did not do in the last years.”
Since beginning biathlon at age 16, Hauser’s life has pretty much been, “eat, sleep, train” with room for little else. Now with a resume that includes 387 World Cup starts, a World Championship title, eleven single mixed relay podiums, victories in every individual discipline and four Olympic Winter Games, life is moving at a different pace.
“I don’t miss twice a day training”
The unofficial start of training on May 1 passed with Hauser missing absolutely nothing. “I really wasn’t sad that I did not have to start training again in May," she tells Biathlonworld when discussing her first summer without biathlon.
"I was really unmotivated for the first 2-3 months to do any sports. It was like you don’t HAVE to do it anymore so don’t do it! Now I am more motivated, doing sports with friends, cycling and hiking in the mountains. I don’t miss the twice a day training, but I am enjoying doing things when I want to do them.”
“Missed times like this”
This spring, the 32-year-old realised one big difference between life today and her athlete life. “When I was an athlete, I never felt like I missed anything. But this summer, when we were out on the bike, stopped somewhere and met friends, I was not stressed to get home because I had another training session. That was the first time I recognised, ‘Hey, you missed times like these.’ I never had that feeling before, because I liked being an athlete. Now, (without biathlon), I have more spare time and time for friends.”
Relaxed Trip to Tour de France
A short flash trip to the Tour de France last month was a different, more enjoyable experience without training worries. “This summer we went to the Tour de France for the second time. It was much easier and relaxed than before since I did not have to train. I really enjoyed it, going up on Alpe d’Huez and Col du Galibier. I love the French mountain scenery. It is so cool to be there, camping overnight. The huge crowds and atmosphere are amazing.”
“I miss the people”
Although she has no regrets about missing the rigorous training, Hauser does, “miss the people and the racing itself. I met so many cool people in the last 14 years in the World Cup. I think a lot about the Swiss girls that I trained with a lot over the last years. That is a sad part about retiring.”
The people she misses include now German Women’s Coach Sandra Flunger who was, “really important for me; bringing me to biathlon when I was 16. She and Alfred Eder always supported me in good and bad years. It is very strange because we used to be together almost every day; just a few days ago, we talked for the first time since I retired!”
“One last big goal, to win a pursuit”
Looking back over career, Hauser’s final win in last December’s Oestersund Pursuit stands out. “It had been three years since I won in Le Grand Bornand. Although I never said it, I always had one last big goal, to win a pursuit. If I could win just one more race I wanted it to be a pursuit. When I did it, It was a really special feeling.”
Future beyond Biathlon
The Austrian’s future beyond biathlon is far from settled, but she feels little pressure. “My military obligation ends on August 31. After that I have to find something new that I like. I am struggling a bit with what direction I should go in. I still need some time to think about what I want. Right now, I do not know where I will be in a year.”
. Reflecting wistfully on her biathlon journey, she added, “I was sixteen when I began biathlon. Everything was new: shooting, a new team, and I never expected such a successful end to my career. I am really thankful and grateful for my career because you need luck and people behind you to have the success.”
“I am really surprised my career went as far as it did. When I look back I think, ‘Hey, you really had a successful career!’ When you are an athlete, you never think about that so much.”
Now she has the time and plenty of reasons to smile.
Photos: IBU/Christian Manzoni, Nordic Focus, Lisa Hauser
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