Nele Göhl: On Track for the Top

Nele Göhl is not your average 22 year old.  

She trains seven days a week, her mother is a two-time world speed skating champion and she counts German junior 800m champion amongst her accolades.  

But her journey started long before any achievements or accomplishments – movement was simply a way of life growing up. Gymnastics, skiing, swimming, volleyball, road biking and spike ball were just a few of the sports Nele tried, but it was running that stole her heart. A passion for speed does, after all, run in the family.  

“I just loved to be fast,” she says.  

While Nele always loved to run, it took time for her to warm up to the idea of competing. Community was what fueled her passion for the track, so it was the support and encouragement of her coach and teammates that slowly shifted her perspective. 

“I developed a competitive joy. Now, I always connect competing with something joyful. I love the sport and I always remember this while I'm competing.”

Nele loves movement.

She took her time before she started competing.

In a matter of years, Nele wasn’t just enjoying racing, she was excelling.  

In 2020, she lined up for the national junior 800m indoor final. For someone who used to hate racing, the cauldron of an indoor track could have been an intimidating environment but, having come into the championships ranked only 10th, Nele felt free. There wasn’t pressure, only opportunity.  

As almost the entire field thundered down the home straight, straining under the fatigue, Nele was flying. In the final lunge for the line, she inched ahead, her first national title secured. 

“It was incredible because on the home straight I had so much energy left and I heard all my teammates and my friends, my family cheering,” Nele recounts. “After the finish line, we all celebrated together.” 

Against all expectations, Nele became national champion over 800m indoor in 2020.

As is so often the case in sport, the highest highs are followed by the lowest of lows. For Nele, the lows came in the form of the pandemic, followed by struggles with injury and illness. The momentum she’d been building had suddenly ground to a halt, but her commitment never wavered.   

“I don't define myself with titles because, for me, it's more important that I have fun and enjoy doing the sport. If I didn’t have fun in training and at the competitions, I wouldn't do this sport because it's so much effort, so many hours on the track and in the parks. I'm doing this for myself, and I think the most important thing is that you love what you do.” 

While success can fuel more success for months, even years, it’s a fragile source of motivation. What Nele has is much stronger: a true love for the simple act of pushing her body.  

When she was injured recently, she found a new way to satisfy that passion: cycling.  

“I found my love for road and cycling, and I found groups in Munich to go with. I love to cycle in the south of Munich and to the lakes, to the mountains. And it's also a positive thing that developed out of injury.”  

Even in harder times, Nele never lost her love for the sport.

She always prioritizes fun over titles.

The forced break from her favorite sport only deepened her appreciation for the daily role it plays in her life, and having joined a new training group in Munich in 2024, Nele’s now running more than ever.  

Every Monday kicks off with an 8K run and weights. On Tuesday, there’s a threshold to complete, on Wednesday she clocks up another 10K and some circuits, before a fartlek session on Thursday. On Friday the group works on their sprint speed and on Saturday they hit the track for a V02 max session. The week closes out with a Sunday long run. 

Undoubtedly, that’s a packed training schedule, but the hard work is balanced by the friendships it forges.  

“The most beautiful thing is all the people I’ve got to know.” 

Nele has found many friendships in her training group in Munich.

Last year, her commitment paid off as she added another national-level accolade to her resume winning a 3 x 800m relay team gold at the national championships. The momentum is firmly back rolling.  

The path there wasn’t easy, but it was, in many ways, simple: talent + joy in the process = success. The key is that Nele’s definition of success is hers and hers alone. Times and titles are the goal, but success is measured by a metric only Nele can assess: happiness.  

“There's so many steps in this sport, so I always remember where I started this journey. I'm excited to see what the future brings.”   

Without happiness there's no progression.

Nele is exited to see what the future holds.