I am Cecile Mestrini, known on Instagram as @Sportieve_Bourgondier. Originally I come from South Limburg but I have been living near Breda for many years. I come from a wonderful Burgundian family, everything revolves around food and drink. Sports were never interesting, not to practice but also not to watch.
During my studies in Breda, I gained the student pounds very easily. That's why I slowly started running. I certainly wasn't sold right away. I always went from a phase where I was fanatical, to a phase where the Burgundian had the upper hand... In 2015, I ran my first marathon in New York. I was completely sold! Not only by the marathon, but also by the road to it. In the meantime, 14 (trail) marathons later... I can't imagine a life without running anymore. It's part of me. A week without running is actually almost unheard of these days. It's my therapy!
My best marathon was New York. The hardest was a trail marathon over the Mont Ventoux. The longest were the Krijtlandtrail in South Limburg (52km) and the Houffatrail (53km). What crazy things are still to come?
My favorite running buddy is my dog Joop! Whenever possible, he joins me on my adventures!
passion for cooking
In addition, I have a great passion for cooking. For years I have had my own catering company Mestrini Culinario, which focuses on Mediterranean cuisine. Through sports, the interest/knowledge of healthy food has grown. But taste always comes first! Healthy can also be incredibly tasty. I would also like to convey this to others. I try to inspire people with my healthy recipes.
Performing and enjoying
The triathlon has integrated me for a long time… That is actually because of the whole Ironman, which has taken place a few times in Maastricht. I have been there to watch it. I find these participants incredibly clever. All three disciplines, and then those enormous distances in a row. Almost inhuman… Completely on the bluff, I registered for a half Ironman in 2021. I had some experience with cycling, but that was a few years ago, but swimming, well, I got a swimming certificate as a child, but that's about it. Enough time to train, right!? I picked a training schedule from the internet, gave it my own twist. Hoppa and go…
The route was not always easy… Many insults during swimming, or during a heavy rain shower while cycling, were not unusual. Very strange also the training of those transitions. But the variation is very nice. I also really started to appreciate cycling. (Cycling up the Mont Ventoux 3 times in one week certainly contributed to this) But swimming, I still have a love-hate relationship with that… But I did it!
Of course this tasted like more! That's why my goal for 2022: Finishing a Full Ironman!!
Of course there is the focus during the competition, you have worked hard for that and then you go for it 100%. To achieve this everything has to come together on the day itself.
The vision and mission of Kalkman appeals to me very much, the combination of performance and enjoyment, this is exactly what I try to do every day, with my work, as a family man and as an athlete. Nowadays there are many 'unnatural' products in our food, I do not think this is a good development. That is why I am happy that I also get healthy and natural food during healthy sports, and this is precisely possible with Kalkman products.
In the coming years I want to continue to get the best out of myself, continue to run PRs, also run a marathon abroad every year... but above all enjoy all the kilometers on the way to the finish line!