In this series, we are individually presenting all of the coaches of the Live better, not perfect team. You can find the whole team on our About page. Today we’ll introduce coach Alexandra, a sports lover, foodie, and balance advocate.

What Does Alexandra Bring to the Table?

As a 13-year-old, falling in love with Basketball and devoting every spare minute to this beautiful sport, allowed Alexandra to collect some incredible memories. Winning championships, moving from Switzerland to the USA to play Basketball for a University, and being selected for the Swiss National Team are just a few of those highlights.

If you’d look at Alexandra’s resume, you’d find that she has already dabbled in many different things. From shipping to tourism to finance to sports, fitness, nutrition and even a short stint as a professional Basketball player. Variety is the spice of life and Alexandra is proud of and appreciates all experiences in each of those industries. 

Her diverse personal and professional experiences allow Alexandra to connect with and relate to individuals from many different backgrounds and walks of life. With her competitiveness and passion for a healthy and happy life, Alexandra’s mission is to help people find their perfect balance and become the best version of themselves.

Credentials And Achievements

One thing that has never changed over the years is her love for sports, food, and helping people. This is why a few years ago, Alexandra decided to start further educating herself in those areas. 

A Master’s degree in Sports Administration is accompanied by certifications in nutrition coaching, strength and conditioning, CrossFit, and of course, she’s also a licensed Coach by Swiss Basketball.  

Alexandra is 36 years old and as a daughter of ice hockey and volleyball parents, the fire for sports is in her DNA. Starting out with track and field and horseback riding, team sports eventually took over. Soccer was life for a few years but like in other relationships, she soon found out that sometimes you have to kiss many frogs before finding your prince charming. ;-) 

Towering over the other kids her age, prompted the gym teacher to suggest she’d try volleyball. More of a tomboy at the time, always wearing comfy not cute clothes, Alexandra could not imagine running and jumping around in these tiny volleyball shorts. The next obvious sport, where height could be an advantage, was basketball. Already in the first few minutes of the first team practise it was clear that THIS was IT! Alexandra’s coach at the time still tells the story to this day, of how she walked in and was just a natural. In her first year, Alexandra was already selected as one of the best players in the region and it took off from there. Many successes followed, including the highest honour- representing Switzerland as part of the national team. Hopp Schwiiz!

Alexandra’s Story

Alexandra was not always a sports and nutrition coach. Let’s find out more.

Dreaming the Dream

Once Basketball took over her life, Alexandra’s dream was to be the first woman in the NBA (National Basketball Association). Yes, you can laugh. :-) At the time, the internet was still dial-up, the WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) was in its first years, and nobody on this side of the world (Europe) had heard about it yet. With this dream in her heart, Alexandra attended every practice and every camp and took every opportunity possible to improve. Even moving to Oklahoma, USA as an exchange student to take it to the next level. One year abroad turned into five and ended with signing a professional Basketball player contract. Not in the NBA, but in Switzerland.

Modifying the Dream

As we evolve, so do our dreams, and that’s totally okay. We are not meant to be the same person forever. Looking forward to being close to her family again after many years abroad, Alexandra entered the corporate world. Monday - Friday consisted mostly of office and gym time. Weekends were spent with family and friends at home or travelling. Even though she was feeling content and secure in her life, something was still missing.

Feeling as though there wasn’t enough time to play basketball on a high level next to working full time (or more like 110%), Alexandra was looking for something to live out her passion for helping others with a flexible schedule. Welcome Online Nutrition Coaching! After researching and studying for a few months, she obtained nutrition coaching certifications from Precision Nutrition and ISSA (International Sports Science Association) and shortly after took on her first clients. Life was good but Alexandra felt it could still get better.

Living the Dream

Success requires trial and error. Alexandra tried a lot and failed a lot. However, she learned that failing is just learning what does not work, so even when you fail, you actually also win! Alexandra has now found her perfect balance. A part-time office job to stimulate her left brain, while also helping others become the best version of themselves through Livebnp, nutrition & fitness coaching, while still having enough time to play competitive Basketball and take her dog for long walks. Variety is the spice of life. This combination of all things important to Alexandra, allows her to check off many, if not all, aspects of the Live better, not perfect Well-Being Triangle. 

Mottos She Lives By

Here we present a couple of mottos that Alexandra lives by. Mottos are a useful tool, which can help in difficult situations to make the right decisions. They can almost serve as a compass to stay true to one's values.

“Balance is Key” 

Variety is the spice of life and balance is key to a happy, healthy and interesting life. Alexandra embodies this by not settling for just ONE thing. Whether it’s in her career, hobbies, or food. Eating lots of colourful vegetables and enjoying tacos or chocolate. Running around on a basketball court and shredding mountains. Working in an office and at home or outside. Living her perfectly balanced life. 

Legal Disclaimer: Her perfect balance may not be your perfect balance. Find what works for you and live it unapologetically. If you need assistance finding your perfect balance, join our vibrant Livebnp community and talk to our expert coaches about striving for your happiest and healthiest life.

“Carpe Diem” 

A phrase used by the Roman poet Horace to express the idea that one should enjoy life while one can. Seize the day, feed your soul, live in the present and don’t worry about the future. This one is so important to Alexandra that she even tattooed it on her body, in a place she’ll see it multiple times per day, to ensure she doesn’t let life just pass by but makes the most of every moment. 

“Do whatever you want, just don’t hurt people”

You only have one life (as far as we know) so live it the way you want. But always be kind. Be honest, but not brutally honest. Say “No” when you feel like it, but say it respectfully. Have your opinions, but don’t force them onto others. You get the picture, just be a good person. 

Other More or Less Interesting Stuff About Alexandra

In this section, we give some more details about areas that go beyond our typical health and well-being topics. We believe this helps to learn more about other interests of our coaches and the person they are.

Dual-Citizen at Heart

Having lived in the USA from age 17 -  30, Alexandra considers herself an American at heart and doesn’t feel foreign or like a tourist, whenever she goes back to visit friends, who are more like her second family now. 

Alexandra is definitely happy in Switzerland and can appreciate everything her home country has to offer. However, feeling at home in a different country also has its perks. Here we are again, balance is key and variety is the spice of life!

Foodie

Food is so much more than just fuel. Yes, first and foremost we need food as energy to support our daily activities and bodily functions. For Alexandra, the social and indulgence factors of enjoying good food with good people play a big part in her life. 

Travelling to different countries and trying different foods makes her just as happy as spending hours at brunch with family and friends. On top of that, she frequently tries new recipes or comes up with her own.

Get In Touch

The best way to get in touch with Alexandra is to ping her on Instagram @fitchefswizzy. She’s always eager to have fruitful discussions about any of the topics covered in this article.

Do you also want to strive for optimal well-being? Then discover our awesome community of individuals aiming to Live better, not perfect.