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.

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.]

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. 

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. 

What else keeps you busy when you’re not meandering the parks?

I’m married with three teenage boys. I also enjoy spending time with friends and travelling. 

Any special memories from your time spent in the Adelaide Park Lands? 

It would have to be the launch of Nantu Wama parkrun.

As co-event director, it was a rewarding experience to have months of planning finally become a reality and bring this event to the local community.