Maria Giró, two degrees, a master's, and a trial school (and only twenty-seven years old)
REAL STORIES
Published 3 Jun 2025
/
By
Ona Canales
She has a degree in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences, a master's degree in Nutrition for Physical Activity and Sports, another degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, and the title of Motorcycling Instructor I.
Oh, sorry. And her own trial school, too.
At twenty-seven years old, Maria Giró has secured an impeccable CV; but she hasn't just done that. She was eight when she juggled rhythmic gymnastics competitions with trial biking, and ten when her parents made her make a decision. “It's unfeasible to compete on Saturday in gymnastics and on Sunday in trial.” I agree. So, she left gymnastics and continued with trial biking.
The first thing I ask her is where she found the strength to study so much. Not everyone has two degrees, a master's, and a professional sports career from eight to twenty-four. She smiles and tells me that sport has always given her values and friendships, but studies are very important. Even if they're tough. That with trial biking you can't make a living, nowadays, especially not in the women's field (although, she states, “there are more and more girls practising it”). So, she had to combine training, competitions, classes, and exams. And that taught her to organise herself, “to make the most of her time and to squeeze every moment she had free.” Even now.
A subject in nutrition led her to want to specialise, and after completing the master's degree, to undertake the undergraduate course. She finished it this year. Along the way, she had to leave trials, but she liked it so much that she created a school where she teaches students from the age of four. Some of them participate in championships: Catalonia, Spain, and even world championships. Like her, who also did. Second place in the World Championship in Japan, first in team events in the World Championship of Nations, sixth overall... Just to give an example.
Competitions of this calibre make me think about the mental management they entail. Nerves, exposure, expectations... When I mention it to her, she lets me know that at first, she suffered a lot, psychologically. "I used to get very nervous and found it difficult to manage mistakes." But a sports scholarship allowed her to work on it with professionals, and now she does it with her students when they compete. She supports them psychologically, and not just them; she also supports the parents, who want their children to win. "Sometimes that can be more complicated than managing the children themselves." Even so, she is very happy with her lifestyle. She enjoys the world of motorsport and nutrition so much that she says it feels like she isn't working. I want to be like her when I grow up.
But why trial and not another sport? “It's in my family,” she points out. Her grandfather already competed, and the passion for motor sports passed from generation to generation. His father, his uncle, his siblings… They all loved it. “It was a way to bring us together.” When I ask why it should be practised, he tells me it's the foundation of all motor sports. “If you know how to do trial, you can do everything.” She adds that many times people see motorbikes as something dangerous, but trial doesn't involve speed, and this reduces the possibility of getting hurt. “It's a really cool discipline.”
And where does nutrition fit in? Why should it be considered? “If you don't have a proper diet,” she explains to me, “the energy during training and competitions is not optimal, and then the risk of sports injuries increases.” It happens especially in sports like trial, where “the volume of training and physical demand are very high.” I believe it. I try to be discreet when I ask what's the most basic thing to do to have a healthier diet (you know, impersonally). “Eat everything and varied, in the right amount and quantity,” she assures. Take note.
By the way, she has tested Salssa's pouches. She seems honest when she says she really likes them and would recommend them. That their nutritional composition is nothing like other products on the market. And she’s right. You don't have to take my word for it, but if she says so…
Join the Salssa community
Discover how our pouches will take you to the next level
