Garmin Women PH Spotlight: Nylah Bautista–“Make every moment right for yourself.”

1. When did you start using Garmin? How and why did you start the Garmin journey?

I started using Garmin when I decided to train for Triathlon way back in 2011. I needed a functional and stylish watch that can handle the rudiments of training and racing for 3 sports namely swim, bike and run. Garmin is a trusted brand known for its accurate GPS features which are important for navigation especially for cycling and running. Garmin is very instrumental in tracking all my training activities, daily, monthly and annual statistics. It my constant in every race that I join, from toeing the race start all the way crossing every finish line.

2. What does Garmin Women mean for you? How does it feel to be recognized as one of the Garmin Women?

A Garmin Woman is someone who lives and breathes health and wellness which can come in many forms, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Garmin women have the passion for life, ready to take new challenges and adventure to improve her well-being. Garmin women are open to changes and keeps herself attuned with the latest technology to keep in touch with global developments. I am humbled and deeply honored to be recognized as part of Garmin Women team and will do my best to help and inspire other women to be the best version of themselves through sports especially triathlon.

 

3. What would you say is unique about your story in your journey of beating yesterday as a Garmin Woman?

I personally experienced the painful loss of a dear loved one and running helped a lot in my grieving cycle. I discovered the joy of running and its huge benefit in weight loss and physical health. Mentally, running became a form of meditation to clear my mind thinking that I can achieve anything and that nothing is impossible. It can be physically challenging but the endorphin high gives you a sense of euphoria and personal fulfillment. I started signing up for short distance races first and gradually leveled up to joining half marys and eventually finishing a marathon. After crossing each finish line, there’s an inner voice that gives you the self-confidence to beat no one but yourself. You challenge yourself to get better on the next race, either by getting a faster time or running a longer distance. It’s constant work in progress to be better than who you were yesterday.

 

4. What is your favorite activity to do?

I love to swim, bike and run. My journey in triathlon started with running and amongst the three, it’s the simplest and requires lesser gear vs swimming and cycling. With running, you can just grab your favorite running shoes and run every road and mountain you can. We have endless roads ready to be conquered by your strong legs. All you need is motivation, determination and commitment.  

 What’s your advice to other women aspiring to find that work, life, sport/passion balance?

If you want to achieve something, don’t wait for the right moment instead make every moment right for yourself. Many of us wait it out until we have time, resources, network etc. So many conditions set in our mind when all you need to do is Just start working on it. No matter how small it is, take the first step to do your passion project. If you want to lose weight, begin your healthy lifestyle. Take simple and baby steps to achieve your goal. Celebrate small wins once you make progress. You will eventually discover that your strength and potential is limitless once you do what you love and once you find time to do what makes your soul happy.

 

6. What do like most about Garmin?

Garmin is user-friendly. For a non-techy person, exploring Garmin’s features is simple with its clear screen format features and easy to navigate buttons. I love the Garmin app which shows the complete stats of each workout. I specifically like the Training effect feature which measures the quality of each workout. I’m after performance, not only for myself but especially to my students. Garmin app gave the tools to measure if each workout will give gains to achieve our goal. Another cool feature is you can get free workouts and training plans too from coaches across the globe.

 

7. Tell us a little more about yourself

I’m an age group triathlete doing 140.6 distance triathlons. Completed 9 full Ironman races and will do more in the pursuit of my Ironman Kona dream. I share my passion in swimming, cycling and running through formally coaching beginners and intermediate athletes. The active lifestyle keeps my sanity from juggling my day job as a full-time entrepreneur and retail consultant. I race to challenge my limits and I coach to help people to discover their strengths and become the best version of themselves through sports.