Business
"Swimming Is Active Meditation," Says Flávia Roma
Flávia Roma details her journey from inactivity to half marathons and her technical training routine for triathlons.
Flávia Roma shares her journey into endurance sports, moving from a sedentary lifestyle to completing half marathons and training for triathlons. Her story explores physical discipline, the mental focus required for swimming, and managing mindset under continuous strain.
Flávia Roma, marketing manager at Grupo Bario Bar, detailed her introduction to endurance sports during a conversation with Bruno Gimenes on Marketing - The Podcast. After six months of inactivity in 2024, Roma set a goal to tackle long-distance races, starting with road running before progressing to multisport triathlon training. The topic was part of a broader discussion on career and business.
In the video above, Roma details the practical dynamics of daily training and the behind-the-scenes decisions that drove her to take on high-intensity physical challenges. The initial push came from a bet with her brother, a longtime runner who offered to cover travel and race entry costs if she completed a 21 km race within twelve months.
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From a sedentary lifestyle to a half marathon
After expressing an interest in running, Roma was challenged by her brother to finish a half marathon within a year. She joined a running coaching group on August 18, 2024, ultimately crossing the finish line of her first race on August 24, 2025. The process demanded a complete lifestyle overhaul to stay consistent with training through harsh weather conditions.
"In exactly one year, I went from being sedentary for about six months—because I was going through a very tough time, and you end up giving up on yourself—to someone waking up at 5 a.m. to run in 48-degree rain," Roma explained. Completing her first half marathon paved the way for subsequent races and her next step in the sport.
Swimming and mastering open water
As her running progressed, her physical conditioning expanded to include pool workouts for cardiovascular support. In March, Roma's brother registered her for Tri Day Bertioga, a sprint-distance triathlon. Entering the water demanded strict technical precision, unlike the automatic rhythm common in other disciplines.
"Swimming is an incredible active meditation, because if you start thinking, 'I need to do laundry,' you swallow water and choke. You have to think about your movement; you have to be completely focused on what you're doing," Roma said regarding the lack of distractions from watches or phones while in the water. Her preparation also included a 500-meter open-water race completed in January.
Contrasting disciplines and the flow state
Roma highlights the perceptual differences among the three triathlon disciplines. While swimming demands continuous mechanical focus on breathing and stroke mechanics to maintain form, running and cycling allow athletes to alternate between focus and mental decompression. Cycling, which she had practiced recreationally on mountain bikes with her father since her youth, served as a leisure activity before being integrated into structured training.
"In running, we often enter a flow state. It's tough, but you slip into a flow state where you just keep going, and suddenly you've finished the distance without realizing what happened along the way," Roma noted. Bruno pointed out that intense athletic pursuits, such as running and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, are frequently used by leaders to organize their thoughts and build resilience under professional pressure.
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