Militsa Mircheva - the big heart in marathon running!
"Over the years, I've realized that we humans are much stronger than we imagine."
Militsa Mircheva is the best Bulgarian athlete in long distance running. She was the first and only Bulgarian athlete in the marathon at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Part of her rich business card are numerous national records. She has been named the best female runner in running in Bulgaria for 2020.
Born in Dobrich, Militsa Mircheva, athlete of SC Athlete (Mezdra), is the Sportswoman №1 of the Municipality of Mezdra for 2019 and 2020.
Here's what she shared in an interview, especially for the "You can do anything!" series on maatinsideyou.com:
- How and why did you choose running?
I chose running because I have always loved running. When I was younger, I participated in races organized for kids from the city and I really enjoyed it, but at that stage I was a pretty busy kid. Later I joined athletics training because I wanted to play sport and the athletics hall was only 5 minutes from my home. Since then my life has changed in a wonderful way and I have discovered running as a way of life.
That's how it all started in 2009.
- Your successes are a fact, but outside of running, which everyone asks you about, what does Milica like to do?
I am a person with diverse interests that change and multiply over time. In general, I am a pretty active person. I like to keep busy. It makes me feel fulfilled.
My biggest passions are cooking, healthy eating and lifestyle. I am a certified nutrition and wellness consultant by the American Association of Fitness Professionals.
I love to help other people to lead a better and healthier lifestyle by managing the different elements of their daily life. I am constantly interested in current research in the field and the use of new products. I also enjoy creating new and interesting recipes.
I like to read books. I am also a fan of good movies and series. And nature... It gives me peace and time to think. Whenever I have the opportunity - I travel. I like to see the uniqueness of our colorful world and how much we humans have to learn about it.
I am currently involved in developing and promoting a great app called Vitesse Running. I hope it will be a strong motivator that will get many people moving. To discover the magic of movement, because it is life!
- On days when you are tired or just not in the mood for running and training, what is the thing that gives you back your motivation and pushes you to keep going and achieve your goals?
I'll be honest, I rarely have those days. If I'm tired, I'm probably mentally tired because physical fatigue is quite normal in my disciplines. We runners are used to dealing with exertion easily. If for some reason I am mentally tired from running, I simply take a day to analyze the source of the fatigue and how it can be corrected. When my training plan has my coach Yolo Nikolov assigning a time slot for a full rest, I make the most of it to pay attention to my family and friends and do things I don't have time for during camps.
- You are an exceptional athlete and I must admit, I often think of you and Krassi Georgiev when I run marathons. You motivate me a lot. I say to myself, "If they can do it, then I can run another 7 km to the finish line". You come from Dobrich. What can you tell us about Dobrich? How do people perceive you there? They are certainly very proud of you and your success!
Thanks for the kind words! Dobrich is a beautiful city and the people are friendly and smiling. I love my city! We have good conditions for everything. I don't get the chance to visit very often, but when I do people recognize me and enjoy it. Especially when they see me running in the park. That has always made me happy because I want to leave something behind. I get real satisfaction when I hear that I have inspired someone to achieve their goals. I hope one day I can do something special for my city and especially the teenagers in it, because they are our future.
- What's next for you? What are the new sport challenges ahead of you and what are you preparing for?
The only thing I hope for is to be alive and healthy and have the opportunity to train fully. I don't talk much about my future plans anymore because as the last year has shown us, life is unpredictable. We have to be flexible.
The challenge remains the same as the one I had set myself last year - to have the opportunity to realize at a big competition all the hard work I have put in with my coach Yolo Nikolov in recent years. Our efforts are focused on the marathon. This is the discipline in which I think I have really great potential, and it gives me real pleasure. Last year I wanted to make my "comeback" in the marathon at the oldest marathon in the world - Boston. I received an invitation to participate in the elite race, but since then the marathon has been cancelled several times (currently scheduled for September 2021). I say "comeback" because I've run a marathon before, but I was 21-22 years old then and it was more about exploring the distance than looking for a good result. I'm on another level now. I hope not only to achieve high results, but to be an athlete with achievements at the big European and World competitions and Olympics.
- You are an example of perseverance and persistence. During a competition, you always approach other participants with tolerance and a smile. Have you thought about becoming a children's coach when you retire from active sports? And what do you think needs to change in Bulgarian sport? What are its pros and cons? What should every future athlete in Bulgaria expect?
I would love to be involved with children after a while. However, I believe that there is the right coach for every age and level of development. Some work great with kids, others with adolescents, others with professionals. Unfortunately, in Bulgaria this is often blurred. In our country it is considered insulting and unprestigious to know and demonstrate one's exact capabilities.
There are a lot of coaches who work great with kids, and thanks to whom the sport is developing. These coaches, however, do not have the necessary qualities to become professional coaches and there is nothing wrong or shameful with that. On the contrary, we need every cadre at every level of the sport. This is one of the main problems of Bulgarian sport.
I think that for every level of sports development, you have to have the right coach who is very good at what he does. However, it often happens that our talents cannot develop for this very reason - lack of structure. There invariably comes a point in life where we grow up and we are no longer children, and to succeed we have to take a step forward and step out of our comfort zone.
In other words, we need to find the right team of people who can help us get to the next level in our lives. Lack of this type of organization is one downside in sports. We need to have coaches who work with kids only giving them the foundation on which to build their future athletic achievements. Others who work with adolescents and develop them further, and those who are only closely involved in professional sport. The downside is that there is often a lack of staff or one coach trying to develop all levels and thus not supporting the proper development of the athlete.
In recent years there has been a very positive trend in Bulgaria. Considerably more attention is being paid to the sport, and more funds are available.
A huge plus for Bulgarian sport is that we still have great talent in many sports and if an athlete is ambitious and gets to the right place, they can achieve great success. I hope this will be a motivation for future athletes.
- What would you wish for all the people who stop at the beginning or give up too quickly on their dream? What do you believe in?
I would wish all people to believe in themselves like no one else. Very often the most successful people in life have started from scratch and built their success step by step.
Over the years, I have come to realize that we humans are much stronger than we imagine. We just have to allow ourselves to know ourselves, not be afraid of the unknown and not let anyone put us in a box.
I believe that everyone can achieve a lot if they listen to their inner instincts and isolate themselves from the things that get in their way. For this, it is very important to surround ourselves with people who support us and encourage us to keep trying. I believe that no one can accomplish anything alone and we should be grateful to the people who make us better. Let's try to keep them in our lives at all costs.
And last but not least, I want to thank you for the opportunity to participate in your column!
We need more people like you to write about positive personalities, dreams come true, good things and peaks conquered in life!
Want to know more about Milica? Follow her here! 👇
🙃Start running today with https://vitesserunning.com/
If you need specialized care for your diet and nutrition in sports and specific loads contact Milica:
🙂 nutritionbymilitsa@gmail.com🙂
⚠️The photo material is from the personal archive of Militsa Mircheva 🙂
Author's note: Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Milica! Only forward! ❤️🏃♀️