Mujinga Kambundji interviewed by Ambit Group
Fastest female sprinter in Switzerland
Mujinga Kambundji
Born: 17 June 1992 in Bern
Swiss record holder over 60m / 100m / 200m / 4x100m
The Achievements
- Indoor world champion, 2022 (60 m)
- European champion 2024 (200 m), 2022 (200m)
- European silver medallist 2022 (100 m)
- 5th/8th place at the World Championships in Eugene 2022 (100 m / 200 m)
- 6th place at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 (100 m)
- 6th/7th place at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 (100 m / 200 m)
- Bronze at the World Championships in Doha 2019 (200 m)
She is world indoor champion in the 60 metres, won the silver medal in the 100 metres at the European Championships and is two-time European champion in the 200 metres sprint: Mujinga Kambundji consistently runs at world-class level. How did she start out, who inspired her and what does her collaboration with the Ambit Group mean to her?
In this interview, she talks about her athletic development, setbacks and the continuous pushing of boundaries.
Hello Mujinga, thank you very much for taking the time for our interview. Firstly, of course, we're interested in how it all started: How did you get into athletics?
I got into athletics when I was about seven years old. I received an invitation to a race at school, a kind of ‘Visana Sprint’. Yes, and my teacher at the time said I should definitely sign up. That was the start for me. I started training regularly when I was nine. Until I was around 14/15, I actually did everything - in the all-around. Only then did I specialise in sprinting because it was my favourite discipline.
Did you have any role models that you modelled yourself on? Who were your biggest role models in sport and why?
Mireille Donders used to be my idol. As I had never watched athletics on television, I mainly looked for my role models in Switzerland. Back then, Mireille was also very successful in the 60 / 100 and 200 m sprint disciplines (editor's note: 8-time Swiss champion, among other things).
Later, when I was able to follow international athletics, Allyson Felix in particular was a role model. I found and still find her deeply impressive, with everything she has achieved in sport and in her life as a whole. Outside of the athletics family, Roger Federer is a great role model for me. He is simply an incredibly inspiring personality for me in sport and outside of sport.
I find asking questions that focus on perspectives from the past and the future to be interesting. So let's start with some unusual questions. If you could talk to your 8-year-old self, what would you like to tell her? And - what would your 60-year-old self be particularly proud of?
(laughs) Funny question. I think the biggest tip I would give my eight-year-old self would be: ‘Mujinga, do what's right for you.’ (thinks again) Yes, that's it. I would say: ‘Just keep going - it'll work out!’
Looking back, I would probably be particularly proud of all my medals and successes - and I really hope that there's a lot more to come. In any case, I would be proud of my journey. That I've just kept going since I was seven. That I've been able to turn my hobby into a career. That athletics has become so big in Switzerland - also thanks to my support. That track and field athletes can become professional athletes today - without having to pursue a profession at the same time.
When I was younger, athletics was not the sport in which athletes became professionals. People used to say: ‘You can't do this as a job; you can't make a living from it.’
Today, that's no longer a problem at all. In Switzerland, we are now among the world leaders in athletics. I'm extremely proud of that.
When I started out in the sport, I didn't have any great expectations. The only thing I did was that I didn't set myself any limits or boundaries. I just kept going and I'm very proud of what I've been able to achieve so far. Let's see what's still to come! (laughs)
What did your preparation for Paris look like?
I actually always do the same thing when preparing for competitions, and my preparation for Paris was similar. I've been a professional athlete since 2015 and have been fully focussed on the sport ever since. Training has always been a priority in my life since then.
A typical week for me looks something like this: Out of 5-6 training sessions, I do 2 x strength training, 1 x sprint training in Zurich with other sprinters, 1 x acceleration training, 1 x ‘endurance’. Endurance is in big inverted commas here, because the training is more in the direction of interval runs. Saturday training is all about lactate, long runs with short breaks - for me, it's really tough training. (laughs)
How important is mental training for you?
I'm one of those athletes who hardly ever use mental training. In my career, I have the feeling that I have always been able to deliver without having to worry too much. I only started doing it after coronavirus in 2021 when a colleague recommended a sports psychologist to me. It was more about knowing that I had support outside of sport and not necessarily about mental training for competitions. A lot of things happen unconsciously for me. I try to optimise everything around the training. The aim is to need less energy at the same time. That I simply have more air, less stress and more time to recover.
Does mental stress affect your performance?
Stress has a very strong influence on my performance. Especially when it comes to competitions. I'm then in the mode of training at the limit before the competitions. Always fully focussed. Always very focussed and concentrated. If I'm stressed during the competitions, then I'm also stressed. That's what I work on with the sports psychologist. But you can't avoid it completely.
What do you think: how important is the mental aspect of training? What percentage of your training is mental?
A lot of training is mental. I have to be 100 per cent focused on every repetition and give it my all. That's what I realise: when the season is approaching and the training sessions are very intense, and the nervous system is under strain, but the body doesn't like it yet. You have to fight through it mentally to get to 100 per cent. Even when you're knocked out.
Technique training, acceleration and sprint training: I try to do everything correctly with every repetition. Sprinting is a very intensive sport that puts a lot of strain on the nervous system. In the end, of course, you also need a fit body. I would say that 50 per cent of the training is mental and 50 per cent is about physical fitness.
Do you see any parallels with working life?
As a professional sportswoman, I work like an independent person with a team around me. In the end, I just have to make sure that everything works.
You make decisions and take responsibility for them. We work in a very goal-orientated way: My training has to serve a purpose. As an athlete, I am also extremely sensitive to potential risks. This is incredibly important in sport, as we also manage our injury risks with our decisions. My placings always provide us with crystal-clear feedback on how we have worked. We can see immediately how good our performance was.
If things don't go well, for example if we have a weak start to the season, then perhaps something didn't work. We take the feedback on board and then adjust accordingly. I think there are a lot of parallels and a lot more than I have mentioned. I'm curious to see what I'll do later on. (laughs)
How did your connection to the Ambit Group come about?
It must have been around 2014 when the Ambit Group approached me. It was clear from the very first meeting in Winterthur that the chemistry was right. Beat and Thierry wanted me to be the face of the Ambit Group brand. As everything was so uncomplicated and relaxed, it was clear that I would do it. Also because I simply like the people at the Ambit Group, and I think the feeling is mutual (laughs).
What is special about it? Why is the relationship with the Ambit Group different to other sponsors?
The special thing for me is that I know the people in the company very well. Everyone is very straightforward when it comes to organising something together.
The collaboration started when I was still studying alongside my sport. As part of my studies, I had to write a thesis about a company. I was able to do this at the Ambit Group. I then sat down with Beat Sengstag and Thierry Walt, among others, and once again understood how the company is organised. As a result, I not only got to know the people behind the Ambit Group better, but also gained a direct insight into the business. This has simply grown over the years and with an ever better understanding of the business. I really appreciate that.
Can you tell us which of our company values you identify with the most? I know I've asked this question before - sometimes times change, don't they?
I can identify with all of them - most of all with determination and down-to-earthness. Those are the values I can identify with the most. Sorry, I have to take two now (laughs).
We work very purposefully towards competitions, both at and outside of training. We know exactly what we're working towards.
Staying grounded is extremely important in sport. Just because you've run successfully once doesn't automatically mean you'll run as well the next time. What we achieve today may be over again tomorrow. We appreciate our success as something special. A lot of other talented people out there are working as incredibly hard as we are. You can never take winning for granted.
However, the other values are also essential in sports and for me. Professionalism is extremely important, as are reliability and passion. You need that to be able to practise the sport and stick with it. The order of importance for me would be: Determination, being down to earth, passion, professionalism. But also reliability. Above all, I need to be able to rely on the team. I have an extremely large team around me that supports me in being so good.
Thank you Mujinga for the interesting and detailed interview. We are really looking forward to your next milestones and hopefully meeting you in person again soon.
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Christian Schipp, Chief Business Development Officer
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