by Carla Caruso

Age is no barrier for Tina Nilsson.

The park-loving mum-of-three is currently in Nice, France, for the HYROX World Championships.

(In a nutshell, HYROX combines both running and functional workout stations. Participants run 1km, then use a functional workout station, repeating the cycle eight times.)

When Tina’s back on home turf, she’s a co-event director of the Nantu Wama parkrun in Lefevre Park / Nantu Wama (Park 6). (Read more about the parkrun here.)

You can follow Tina’s adventures on Instagram at tinks_nil. Meanwhile, check out our interview with her below.

*Tina is in France’s Nice with running partner Sirelle Mollison for the HYROX World Championships from June 7-9. Photo: Tina Nilsson.*

Hi, Tina. Please tell us about your fitness journey and the HYROX World Championships.

I’ve been a regular gym member for the last 30 years. I enjoy keeping fit and added running to my workout routine 15 years ago.

I currently train at Body Fit Training Kent Town (BFT). I was first introduced to HYROX fitness racing through BFT gyms as it is the Australian HYROX gym partner.

Hyrox was launched in Australia in 2023 and combines my two loves: running and gym work.

There are eight gym stations with 1km between each. I competed in the women’s doubles at the Melbourne competition with my running partner, Sirelle Mollison, and we won the 50-59 age group.

This meant we qualified for the HYROX World Championships in Nice, France, from June 7-9.

[Editor’s note: the word, HYROX, is a mash-up of 'hybrid' and 'rockstar' ; it’s a gruelling cult workout globally.]

*A lovely scene captured by Tina Nilsson during a coastal walk, from Nice to Villefranche-sur-Mer, on her travels.*

*Tina, left, also competed at the Melbourne HYROX competition last year.*

How did you become involved with Nantu Wama parkrun?

I’ve been attending parkrun since it launched in Adelaide in 2012. I was a regular at the Torrens, then the Pakapakanthi parkruns before wanting to launch my own event.

I decided to host it in Nantu Wama / Park 6 as it is a slice of the country on the edge of the city.

Since our launch in July 2022, we have built a wonderful community, who meet every Saturday morning at 8am to run, walk or volunteer.

I love parkrun as it is for everyone, it benefits your physical and mental health, and it’s a great event to catch up with family or friends, or even to make new friends.

*Celebrating the first birthday of Nantu Wama parkrun last July.*

Which park in the Adelaide Park Lands is your favourite?

I love the Adelaide Park Lands as a whole. I regularly run the Adelaide Park Lands Trail, which runs around the city and follows paths through all of the parks.

It’s well-marked, has great facilities along the way, and avoids traffic lights.

I live just up the road from Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi (Park 16), so you’ll also find me there most days, walking my two miniature schnauzers through the wetlands.