Healthy habits
Olympian Victoria Thornley reveals her wellness tips – and the essential part her Geberit shower toilet plays in keeping her on form
l For former pro-rower Victoria Thornley, having a good morning routine guarantees a productive and positive day ahead – both on and off the water. Her daily wellbeing rituals include invigorating showers, nutritious pre-training snacks and regular moments of meditation. Plus, she explains how clever tech, such as her Geberit shower toilet, helps too.
A GOOD START
‘Having a bathroom routine that sets me up for the day and helps me to recover at the end of a session is really important,’ says Victoria, noting that, although she loves a relaxing evening bath with aromatherapy oils and a good book, she’s really at her peak before 9am; squeezing in a sunrise training session before her day gets too busy. ‘I’ve always been an early riser,’ she admits, explaining that adding a Geberit Aquaclean Mera Comfort shower toilet to her bathroom has been ‘a lifesaver’ on cold winter mornings, thanks to its sensor-activated orientation lights and heated seat function.
HIGH-TECH HYGIENE
In Japan, shower toilets are the norm but they’re a relatively new concept here. Victoria was already aware of the hygiene and wellness benefits of an intimate wash before heading to Japan to compete at the 2021 Olympics, having used a Geberit shower toilet in a London hotel a few months before, but after her time in Tokyo, she had a Geberit Aquaclean Mera Comfort installed in her home. ‘I have an incredibly close connection to water through rowing, and enjoy the cleansing feeling of it,’ she says, adding that, not only does the cutting-edge Whirlspray and air-dry technology of the sleek Geberit design provide a ‘fresh, out-of-the-shower feeling,’ but it eliminates the need for toilet paper, making it eco-friendly, too.
STAYING MINDFUL
Despite retiring from professional rowing last year, there’s little chance of a rest in Victoria’s future. When she’s not running ultramarathons, she’s taking part in international rowing races for fun, adding that her body ‘doesn’t feel mine’ and her mind ‘doesn’t feel right’ unless she’s exercised. To combat this, she focuses on keeping up the meditation and mindfulness techniques she started practising in 2016 to help deal with the pressure of training for the Rio Olympics, where she won a silver medal. ‘Wellbeing is a big part of my life,’ says Victoria, citing her lunchtime walks and bathroom self-care rituals as daily non-negotiables.
THE BENEFITS OF A GEBERIT SHOWER TOILET
• It combines the functions of a classic WC and bidet • The gentle Whirlspray ensures optimal personal hygiene by cleansing purely with water • A simple wall fixture ensures fuss-free installation into your existing bathroom scheme • Integrated seat heating is a welcome bonus on cold mornings • Automatic odour extraction ensures a pleasant experience