In conversation with Inma Zanoguera & Warrick Wood

Photography by Ben Rayner

 

 

Recently, our friend and sport psychology lecturer, NZ-based Warrick Wood, sat down with Inma Zanoguera. She is an incredible runner, writer, surfer, and PhD Student, with an inspiring journey of self-discovery. From her basketball career to finding new meaning in running, her story is one of carrying multiple passions, resilience, and seeking deep connection.

 

I was deeply grateful for the opportunity when Courier approached me about writing a story on an athlete that they had been working with; yet, my initial response was that I was in the middle of a busy few weeks and was unsure when I could turn it around. Mattie, one of the company’s founders, sent me some additional details including the athlete’s name. A quick search of the name Inma Zanoguera on Google was followed by a rapid message back to Courier… “I’m in”.

 

Born in Majorca, Spain, and adopted by a Spanish family with her sister and brother at the age of two, Inma has never met her biological parents – her mother was a refugee, born in the Western Sahara before it was colonised by Morocco. In fact, until the age of 23, she knew very little about her origin, and is in the midst of an ongoing journey of discovering her roots, seeking answers to many questions, and, ultimately, figuring out her relationship to what she finds. Currently, she resides in Brooklyn, NY, and is an absolute badass. A runner, writer, and PhD student that exudes passion and conviction in everything that she does.

 

Inma has an energy to her. A unique combination of focused intensity fused with a grace and thoughtfulness that made our time together deeply enjoyable. Following each question, there would be a brief pause followed by raw and beautifully articulated responses. No redundant silence fillers or searching for answers – every word carrying purpose and substance. This was not at all surprising given that she is currently putting the final touches on a PhD in humanities… yet still impressive. Conversing with Inma reminded me of the feeling of training with faster runners than oneself – it’s exhilarating and rewarding – and, ultimately, you just do your best to keep up and not get in the way.

 

 

Just as detectable as the honesty in which she speaks, there is a palpable gratitude in the attention that she gives to each question, and the tone in which she responds. It is not the kind of gratitude that comes simply from a daily reflection exercise, but stems from a rich appreciation for what is, what might have never been and, perhaps, the presence of a few battle scars picked up along the way.

 

At the age of nine, Inma discovered basketball and others discovered her talent for it. Once started, she didn’t stop for 15 years. Like many others who become good at something early on, when the time came, transitioning and all in which that process represented and involved, proved challenging;  

“I had become quite one-dimensional and it’s a pretty classic story on the surface with some nuance… I went pro, had a good contract with a professional team in Italy, but emotionally, spiritually, and even physically, I was running out of gas quickly. It became obvious to me that I had to quit. I made the decision to terminate my contract… I wasn’t happy, I didn’t feel energetic and I wasn’t excited to play basketball anymore. That’s where it ended, and that’s where it all began…”.

As many will relate to, team sport can provide an outlet, and a deep sense of meaning and belonging, and shifting out of basketball provided vast space and became a catalyst, welcome or otherwise, to reflect on areas of life and questions that she had not yet addressed. Questions around identity and belonging manifested and, perhaps, still linger on some level for Inma as she continues to make sense of who she is and her place in the world.

 

 

As we turned our attention to running, connection was a term that was explicitly implied and also constantly weaved in and out of our discussion as Inma described her relationship with running and also more broadly about life. It is clear that she pursues things that provide meaning, and does them in ways that serve her. As a case in point, she clearly identifies as a runner (amongst other things), and runs regularly, yet does not race often.

“I don’t do a lot of races… and I only do if it’s something that genuinely excites me”

Although she finds solace and joy on the trails, she doesn't feel the need to race regularly, which in some ways is surprising given her background as an elite athlete. Her relationship to exercise and moving her body clearly goes deeper and beyond race outcomes, and continues to evolve. With that said, Inma doesn’t shy away from speaking about her desire to establish a balance between her intrinsic joy found in running and not holding back or suppressing the more competitive side of her that wants to push her own boundaries and comfort.

 

 

Inma feels happy and fulfilled when running. She is part of a dynamic and exuberant running community that she describes as playing a big part in her life. Accordingly, she strives to create a lifestyle where she can continue to push that engagement further and strengthen the social and emotional investment in running, and the running adjacent, aspects of her life. Ultimately, this involvement has a profound and positive impact on her identity.

“First and foremost I’m a runner… most of what I do is centered around my love of running. It doesn’t always look like running but that is the reality of what my days and weeks look like. I love the fact that so much of my joy is around running. I need to remind myself that it’s okay to love running, and to think of myself as an athlete and a runner, and to move through the world as a runner is doing a lot for me. I supposed it’s nice to think about how running is my second chance at being an athlete, but in a more sustainable way, and that’s the challenge”

Notably, there was a moment of discomfort, or at least hesitation, from Inma when I introduced into the discussion the concept of the Renaissance athlete. Not in the concept or intention itself, but she appeared less interested in categorising who did and did not fit into this mould and the traps of identity categorization. 

 

 

Rather, she was more captivated by discussing how each of us can live a life that is aligned to cultivating our various passions, for many of whom involves balancing, or at least juggling, a number of pursuits. Naturally, for some, this comes with a sense of ease, whilst others need to work at it with ongoing intention and discipline. 

When querying this balance, Inma painted a picture of having two epicenters to her day-to-day life – one is running and the other is her PhD, which is really about understanding the world and what it means to be human. For her, a woman and, more specifically, a black woman, and how that meshes, and clashes, with sport and sociopolitical aspects of life.

“My PhD is just one part of that understanding, but I try to apply that same enquiry to many things that I do”

There’s a peaceful restlessness to Inma. She describes it as a critical curiosity regarding what we’re all doing and how things will continue to unfold. There is an awareness that she’s one part of a larger ecosystem and that the various parts of her life, at times, operate with a synergy where they feed off of each other, whilst can also be out of balance from time to time. There is also a rich awareness that whilst running can be meaningful in so many ways, it is important for her to cultivate a life that involves other interests and pursuits.

To me, the initial hesitations in labelling herself as a Renaissance athlete actually demonstrates the ideals in which the idea of the modern Renaissance athlete was established. Inma is not involved in various activities for the sake of them or an unfounded belief that they may lead to some external validation, but instead, hers is a life that is in alignment with her background, identity, and a curiosity regarding where the future will take her, and the role that she will play.

Total connection….

 

--

Stay Connected with those in this piece

Featuring: Inma Zanoguera

Words: Warrick Wood

Photos: Ben Rayner