Verdean Maor Tiyouri Makes Her Olympic Dreams Come True
We all love to test ourselves via outdoor sports and ‘walk the talk’ here at Verde Brand Communications, but we’re not exactly Olympic athletes. With one notable exception…
Our colleague Maor Tiyouri, who works part-time at Verde to balance her ability to train as a runner, isn’t just an Olympian, she’s a two-timer. Maor recently returned from the Tokyo Olympics, having also competed in Rio in 2016, both times representing her home country of Israel in the marathon. We caught up with Maor on her return to the U.S. to find out a little bit more about what it takes to be an Olympian, and what it was like to go to this year’s event after it was postponed last year due to the pandemic.
Was it challenging to prepare for an Olympic event with so many unknowns around the pandemic?
The lead-up to this year’s Olympics was tough with lots of unknowns, not only for me but for many athletes alike. Besides the general hardships everyone faced, such as navigating the pandemic, races kept getting canceled, and then the Olympics eventually getting postponed with not a lot of assurances that they are actually going to take place. I faced some personal hardships leading into it: I missed a qualifying race due to catching COVID 19 a few days prior to the race. So I had to try to figure out another qualifying race while time was running out. Needless to say, it was a lot of pressure and everything had to work out for me perfectly in order to actually qualify. I am happy to say that in the end, everything worked out in my favor with what turned out to be a great mental, physical and emotional preparation coupled with the right opportunity.
What needed to work out perfectly in order for you to make it to your second Olympics?
In 2018, World Athletics, the governing body for Track and Field, changed the qualification from 2:45 to 2:29:30. My previous PR of 2:42.22 of course wasn’t enough to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, so I knew I had to raise my game if I wanted to be on that starting line. While I was sidelined by injuries and some personal challenges, the bar was raised by my peers so that showed me that I am also capable of improving. That together with my breakthrough performance at World Half Marathon Championships in 2020 gave me the necessary motivation and belief that I could do it! And indeed I cut 13mins and 18Secs of my previous personal best and ran 2:29.04 to qualify for Tokyo at the 11th hour. The qualifying race was on April 25, 2021, at Wrexham Elite Marathon near Manchester, England. After I was selected for the team, I had three months to train for the Olympics, while also preparing for the heat and humidity conditions that were expected in Sapporo, where the marathons and the race walks were moved due to the heat. I stayed in Boulder mostly and had a couple of trips to New York and San Diego for races/fitness tests.
“All in all it was still an experience of a lifetime, and I’d do it all over again.”
How did this year’s Olympics differ from your previous Olympics experience?
“COVID Olympics” presented a lot of challenges and were very different from normal Olympics, like Rio for example. Once we got to Japan we were under "quarantine guidelines" and had to get tested for COVID on a daily basis. The marathoners especially had pretty tough living conditions as we didn't stay in the Olympic Village in Tokyo, but rather in a hotel in Sapporo, which is a two-hour flight north of Tokyo. We were not allowed to leave the hotel at all, other than going to the dining hall or to the training venue, which was also confined to a 900-meter loop, and where we had to do all of our runs leading up to the race. Needless to say, it was tough. I am glad that despite all the restrictions our team got to spend the last night in the Olympic Village and go to the Closing Ceremony as well, which was very spectacular, yet emotional. All in all it was still an experience of a lifetime, and I’d do it all over again.
What was your actual marathon like?
The women's marathon was run in very tough, hot and humid conditions. Though everyone prepared for these conditions nobody knows how it will affect them on the day, which is why I think it is kind of an equalizer. Speaking for myself, I think I ran a pretty smart race and even though I ran into — no pun intended — a few obstacles mid-race, I was pleased with my performance. I finished in 48th place out of 88 runners, beating 30 women that were ranked ahead of me going into the race. All that while running my second fastest time in the marathon, despite the brutal conditions! I was also the first Israeli to cross the finish line.
What does it mean to you to represent Israel, your home country?
Representing Israel, such a small country that has known so many hardships in the little amount of time she existed, is such an honor and a privilege. I am proud of our country and what we have achieved. And I am proud of myself that I was able to grow up and grow into the athlete that I am as an Israeli. I feel like I carry in me everything that is Israeli and I am honored to be an ambassador of our country and our people on the biggest athletic stage in the world.
How did you end up living and training in Boulder, Colo.?
I chose to train in Boulder, Colorado after graduating from the University of San Francisco, where I ran on the Track and Field and Cross Country teams. I knew I wanted to keep running on a professional level and tap more into my athletic potential. I had big goals and dreams and I wanted to work hard to realize them. It might sound like a cliché but I feel like I can live my dream in Boulder — and that doesn’t mean it is easy. Boulder is an amazing place for training. Besides the abundance of great and beautiful places to run in, and the altitude, which makes you stronger, the overall environment is conducive for athletic success. My coach, Steve Jones, and my team, Boulder Harriers, are based in Boulder. There are many high-caliber athletes who live and train here who always help raise your game directly and indirectly. And the support personnel — physical therapists, massage therapists, sports psychologists, sports medicine doctors, and chiropractors — are some of the best in the world.
“...even though it is challenging, holding a job while training has an extra value to me. Not only does it contribute to my professional development outside of the sport, but it also helps my mental health by expanding my focus...”
How does your job at Verde fit into the picture of your life?
As I mentioned before, living the dream isn’t always easy. The reality is that the sport of Track and Field is highly competitive, but doesn’t involve a lot of money. Thus, many professional athletes have to sustain themselves by also working part/full-time jobs. In many cases, it is very hard to find the right fit to the lifestyle and training/racing schedules. Personally speaking, even though it is challenging, holding a job while training has an extra value to me. Not only does it contribute to my professional development outside of the sport, but it also helps my mental health by expanding my focus to other things as well. The importance of finding a job that fits those criteria and colleagues/managers that stand behind me and understand my lifestyle and passion was paramount for me, and so I am grateful that I found that with Verde so far.
What are some of your athletic goals looking forward?
Some of my future goals: Represent Israel in the world championships in the half marathon (March in China) and marathon (July in Oregon), set personal bests in shorter distances (5k, 10k, Half Marathon), get to race in high-end races, hopefully, secure a sponsor or two, and — of course — the biggest goal is to continue on to Paris in 2024.
The Verde team continues to be blown away by Maor’s drive and persistence in both her running career and in the way that she helps to serve our clients. We have enjoyed watching her journey to the Olympics and cheering along. We are grateful to have her as a member of our team and are looking forward to more success in the future, on and off of the racecourse.