Sports
How Endurance Shaped Lívia Moura's Life and Career
Business owner and former cyclist reflects on career transitions, raising five children, and redefining high performance.
In an open conversation, Lívia Moura shares insights gained from grueling amateur cycling races, taking the leap into entrepreneurship, and balancing a thriving business with raising five children. She explains how endurance sports built the foundation for navigating crises and fostering daily resilience.
In endurance sports, the line between pushing your limits and learning to live with discomfort is razor-thin. For entrepreneur Lívia Moura, founder of the Livskin clinic, the experience built over years of intense training and extreme road cycling races became the cornerstone for navigating the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship and the complexity of raising five children.
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The peloton's lessons and high-elevation endurance
Lívia's journey into endurance began with running and triathlons, but it was in road cycling that she discovered her true passion for long distances. Alongside her husband, Roberto, an experienced triathlete, she learned to pace her efforts, train with power metrics, and hold her rhythm in demanding pelotons, collecting finishes in events like L'Étape du Tour and notable victories, such as the VO2 race at Serra do Piolho.
Her ultimate test on two wheels came at the Haute Route Dolomites 2017, one of the toughest amateur multiday cycling events in the world, featuring seven consecutive days of severe elevation gain between Innsbruck and Venice. Battling a muscle injury from day three onward, Lívia finished the course through meticulous preparation and family support—only to discover later that she was already pregnant with twins during the race.
From corporate stability to entrepreneurial drive
Before launching her own business, Lívia spent 12 years building a solid corporate career managing timber investment funds and working in the renewable energy sector. Her decision to leave behind a steady paycheck to launch a medical aesthetics and dermatology clinic stemmed from a desire for greater autonomy and the commitment to be closely present for her children's upbringing.
She often compares running a company to riding a rollercoaster without a seatbelt, requiring the same grit to endure the process that she honed on the bike. The ability to pivot smoothly between operational headaches and strategic decisions was forged through athletic resilience, helping her clinic establish a successful ten-year track record.
Priorities, motherhood, and the transition to marathon running
Managing a household with five children—stepdaughters Carol and Manu, firstborn Valentina, and the twins—demanded clear choices on how to spend her time. The massive training volume required for high-performance cycling, which peaked at 20 hours per week, became unsustainable alongside caring for young children and navigating a high-risk twin pregnancy.
To keep sports in her daily life without shortchanging family time, road running emerged as a time-efficient alternative. Lacing up in the early morning hours before the kids woke up, Lívia shifted her focus to the 26.2-mile distance and has now completed four official marathons, using the discipline of endurance as a vital tool for mental balance.
Redefining the concept of high performance
Over time, the relentless pursuit of faster race splits gave way to a more mature, sustainable definition of performance. Today, Lívia views high performance as the ability to show up with excellence across all her commitments—in business, in active presence with her family, and in social initiatives—while honoring periods that demand extra rest.
When mental fatigue sets in, short, intentional breaks and walks help realign the day's priorities. Sport continues to serve its deepest purpose: not as an obligation to chase podiums, but as a practice in self-awareness and an unshakeable reminder that every storm eventually passes.
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