KIELBASINSKA Anna

General
COACHING CHANGE
In 2020 she left coach Michal Modelski. "I was not satisfied with our partnership. My physical condition has gone down in the last year [speaking in 2020] and my health was getting worse, so I decided that change was the only way out. I know myself and I know that my body responds very well to new stimuli. In new relationships, I want to show my best side." In 2021 she began working with Urszula Bhebhe, and has input from Aleksander Matusinski and Swiss coach Laurent Meuwly. "Ula is a young coach who is learning. She is very open and already has amazing knowledge. Some people may think it's strange because she is younger than me and has only just retired from competing, but I think she is already better than a number of coaches in Poland." (sportowefakty.wp.pl, 18 Feb 2021; dziennikbaltycki.pl, 23 Feb 2021)

TEAM LESSONS
She says joining the Polish 4x400m team nicknamed 'Matusinski's Angels', who have won a number of medals including world championship silver and European indoor championship gold, has helped her develop mentally as an athlete. "It's great motivation. The girls set the bar very high, but at the same time have developed such calmness, and that has affected me. We are not going to the top events to get nervous and stressed, just the opposite, we go out there to fight and win." (prestiztrojmiasto.pl, 01 Jan 2020)

FINDING PEACE IN YOGA
She says that yoga helps her to find a balance in life since being diagnosed with autoimmune disease alopecia areata. "I cannot imagine not doing yoga. If you have never tried it, you would not understand how beneficial it is for the body. Many people treat it as additional training, but we have so many variations, from very tiring to relaxing. When I finish my yoga session, even after the most tiring run, I feel rested. I think one day I can see myself becoming a yoga instructor and working with athletes." (przegladsportowy.pl, 26 Oct 2020)

AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
In February 2016 she revealed that she has suffered with the autoimmune disease alopecia areata, which causes hair loss, since childhood. "In 2016 I was in a hopeless situation. Everything was fine for a few years and then suddenly it flared up again. This disease is so nasty, it lets you forget about it for a while and then it returns even stronger. Practically all my hair fell out. Back then, I couldn't hide it anymore. I was already becoming recognised as an athlete, so I had two options, to stop training and stay at home waiting for when my hair would grow back, or to say it out loud and keep doing my job. At the beginning it was hard. There was a lot of speculation, judgements and opinions, but there were also a lot of nice calls, support from friends and relatives. I regained my faith in people." (prestiztrojmiasto.pl, 01 Jan 2020)