“Love at Second Sight” – Noémi Palkó’s Journey from Being Overweight to Becoming a Triathlete and Lifestyle Mentor

As a child, she hated sports. Today, she cannot imagine her life without them. After graduating from high school, Noémi Palkó opened her own fitness studio, but it was triathlon that ultimately helped her find herself. As a coach, she believes it is important not only to motivate people in person, but also through social media: more than 25,000 people follow her on Facebook and over 16,000 on Instagram. However, movement and exercise were not always such a natural part of her life.

“When I was a child, I was severely overweight. The extra kilos started piling on during my teenage years, and I drowned my sadness in sweets,” says Noémi, who was often mocked in high school because of her weight. “My weight also affected my immune system. I constantly caught upper respiratory infections and went from one illness to another. Eventually, after struggling to fit into a pair of tight jeans, I decided it was time to change.”

“I was looking for a type of exercise that could truly engage me. In the end, I found Kangoo Jumps, and I started attending classes four times a week. Once I discovered it, my motivation finally arrived,” shares the triathlon coach, who also changed her eating habits shortly afterwards. “I gave up white flour and sugar, started eating regularly and consuming smaller portions. The hard work paid off: week by week, the kilos melted away.”

The Ironman® triathlon — consisting of a 3.8-kilometre swim, a 180-kilometre bike ride and a 42.2-kilometre marathon — fascinated her so much that she eventually completed a specialized coaching qualification as well, opening up entirely new opportunities for her.

“If you move through life with your eyes open, you know exactly how to develop yourself as a coach, dietitian and professional.”

“Since then, I’ve been building my own team, where everyone has their own personal racing goal — whether it’s running their first 10K or completing their first marathon. Triathletes, ultrarunners and trail runners all come to me, and I’m happy to help anyone regardless of their goals. Everyone can find the distance where they feel successful. The same is true for running: not everyone wants to become an ultrarunner or complete marathons. Some people simply want to become the fastest version of themselves over five kilometres.”

“I would like to continue in the direction of sports dietetics and nutritional science. I believe these fields would complement my coaching career perfectly. At the moment, I’m also working on a Scientific Students’ Association research project, although I can’t reveal the details just yet. This direction has completely captivated me. My long-term goal is to educate my community while continuously developing my knowledge in sports and nutrition.”

Although Noémi’s days are incredibly busy, she tries to fully live every moment. KUBIK’s office environment also helps her a great deal: besides the colorful spaces filled with natural light, the community itself motivates her.

“The most inspiring thing is how different we all are. You can learn a little from everyone, teach a little to everyone, and genuinely connect with others. It feels amazing to work in an environment where people pay attention to you. Everyone working here is kind and supportive.”

“Many people have been with me since the very beginning of my journey into sports, and many of them completed various challenges alongside me. We organized squat challenges, plank challenges, step-count challenges, and even ‘eat some vegetables every day’ challenges,” says the dietetics student, who would also like to bring similar programs into KUBIK.