“I’m Michaela, and I grew up in the beautiful nature of the north of the Czech Republic. It’s already been more than a year since I left Czechia to originally only to study for 1/2 a year, then also to work, travel and explore abroad — and I love running so much that I’ve been running in every country I’ve visited over the past year (except Pakistan…)
From an early age, I was naturally led toward sport by my parents. When I was 3 years old, they taught me to ski, cycle, and cross-country ski. We spent a lot of time in the mountains. Running, too, was always somewhere in the background of my childhood — both of my parents used to run when they were younger, and when I was around twelve, I started joining them. At that time (which was normal for my age, I guess), I was going through a phase where I had become quite lazy and lost interest in most physical activities. Sport no longer felt “cool,” and I didn’t have much motivation to move. Running with my parents began almost accidentally — but it didn’t take long before I fell in love with it. My dad soon started signing me up for cross-country races and driving me to competitions. In my final year of primary school, I also started doing athletics. What started as something casual quickly became an important part of my life — not only because of the sport itself, but mainly because of the amazing group of people I met there.
Athletics brought me close friendships, unforgettable experiences, and introduced me to structured training: not just running for fun, but working on speed, strength, and discipline. I fell in love with it so much that I even changed schools because the athletics training was in a different city than my school. However, everything shifted during COVID; we couldn’t train, and as I was also dealing with mental health struggles and issues with food, I slowly stopped doing athletics. The pressure of competition and performance no longer felt healthy for me, and stepping away was necessary. Despite that, my love for running never disappeared. It returned surprisingly quickly, and since the end of high school, I’ve been running consistently again mostly on my own, but also with my partner Lukas, friends, or running clubs.
Running has taken on many meanings for me. It’s my daily escape from stress, a way to reset my mind, and a way to release tension physically. At the same time, it has become a kind of addiction — in the best sense: to movement, to endorphins, and to the rare moments of solitude it offers.
For a long time, I avoided races altogether. But last year, during my international university studies in Portugal, I found my way back to them. I ran a half marathon when Lukas came to visit me in the Portuguese hills, and later completed my first official marathon. Even though I did quite well, I realised that competitions are not only about competing, but also about the atmosphere and the people. Spending a weekend in Aveiro, where we ran a marathon with my friends, was one of my favourite memories from Portugal.
We’ve spent the following summer in Norway, working full-time alongside two part-time jobs—but still finding time to run regularly in the breathtaking nature around me. Running became not just a habit, but also a way to experience the world. The years 2025 and 2026 have, for me, become years of running abroad. So far, I’ve run in more than ten countries across three continents. Now I live with my partner Lukas in a beautiful Fiordland in New Zealand, where I’ve been for four months, and despite being only 23, I can honestly say I’ve never experienced trail running as beautiful as it is here. I’ve completed runs such as the Kepler Track, a half marathon near Mavora Lakes, another around Moke Lake, and many other unforgettable trails.
Living abroad is a privilege — but it also comes with challenges. Running, and movement in general, has become one of the key things that helps me deal with those moments. It grounds me, clears my mind, and reminds me why I started in the first place. And above all, it continues to bring me joy.”
Michaela @m_vundererova
(temp. Fiordland)
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