The cycle of life. How athlete Diana Muscat found her passion and her balance.
Diana Muscat
From an early age, sport has been central to DIANA MUSCAT. As she grew older, her passion for physical activity evolved - from playing basketball at a competitive level, to discovering the freedom and challenge of cycling. In this piece the top female cyclist - who won the Malta Mountain Bike Association National Championships this year, represented Malta in the Small Nations Games, and is excelling in the National Road Cycling Championship - talks about how, what began as childhood play on a bicycle after school, developed into a lifelong commitment to fitness, resilience, and self-discovery.
Were you always the sporty type?
I’ve always loved sports. My father was the sporty type - he played basketball and squash, and I used to love going with him when I was a young kid. I was always begging to have a go at something.
When I was 10, I started playing basketball with a club and also took up tennis. From the age of 15, I focused solely on basketball, playing for Luxol and the junior national team. In my 20s, I fully committed to basketball and even played at the University of Southampton when I was a student there.
I always loved biking. I learned to ride when I was three, and after school, I’d do my homework and then ask to go out on my bike. I didn’t know back then that cycling could be a sport. I just loved it. When I lived abroad for two years, I bought bikes to commute, but I didn’t start cycling competitively until much later.
When did you start cycling?
I played basketball until I was 29. Then I stopped, became a mother, and didn’t do much for a few years.
When my daughter turned three, I decided to start moving again, so I bought a bike in Malta. I began riding whenever I found time and was keen to meet others who cycled. I met a group of friends for regular rides. I had a very basic mountain bike and started fitting in one or two rides a week.
As I got more involved, I met more riders and realised I really enjoyed off-roading. I noticed others had full-suspension bikes, so I upgraded and got even more into mountain biking, riding more frequently, though still not competitively.
When COVID hit and I couldn’t go out, I bought an indoor trainer you attach your real bike to. I also got a road bike to use with it and continued exercising throughout the pandemic. I followed training programmes and pushed my fitness.
It was really tough but helped me improve a lot. Once things reopened, I began training outside with both my road and mountain bikes. When I couldn’t ride outdoors, I used my trainer indoors.
How did it shift to racing?
Through this, I met people who raced and encouraged me to join a team. That’s how I started racing - first with mountain biking, then with road cycling.
Racing is intense - you’re in the red zone most of the time. It’s painful, but it’s addictive. There’s a high that comes with it. I upgraded my mountain bike, raced abroad and entered local races, and also got a better road bike. I started getting good results, and people told me I had potential.
I really upped my game three years ago when I decided to start commuting by bike. I live in Balzan and work in Birgu.
Photo by Matthew Mirabelli
How do you fit in the training?
On the days I don’t have to pick up my daughter from school – either because she has an extracurricular after school or gets picked up by someone else - I cycle to work. I even shower at work and keep a set of clothes there.
After work, I do a two-hour ride about three times a week. On weekends, when my daughter has activities, I bring the bike on the car and fit in a ride while she is busy. I do about 12 hours of training per week, even fitting in rides when she has a party.
I make the most of the time I have, fitting rides in instead of waiting until later, when I’d be home with her and she’d have homework.
Cycling is tough. Why do you do it?
To be a cyclist, you need to put in a lot of hours. A few hours a week isn’t enough to reach a certain fitness level - you need at least 10. But cycling doesn’t take energy from me, it gives me energy. When I’ve had injuries and couldn’t ride, I felt more irritable and snappy.
“The bike keeps me going. It doesn’t take anything away from me - it adds to my life.”
The bike keeps me going. It doesn’t take anything away from me - it adds to my life. During the three years I was inactive, I didn’t feel like myself. I remember thinking: “This isn’t me.” I feel like an athlete. It’s part of who I am. When I’m not exercising, I’m not myself.
Racing is addictive. Before a race, I’ll ask myself why I’m doing it: it’s tense and tough. But once it’s over, I’m already thinking about when I’ll do it again. The suffering is real, but I enjoy it.
Does it impact your body image?
Sport has definitely had a positive impact on my body. At 41, I feel fitter than ever. Basketball was intense, but it wasn’t as full-on as cycling. A nice side effect of cycling is the physical fitnesses - I feel more confident in my own skin.
A lot of people exercise to look good. In my case, looking fit is just a side effect of doing something I love. I watch my diet too, to keep my weight in check - not for looks, but because excess weight slows me down on the bike.
Do you hope to pass on the sport bug to your daughter?
If you asked me years ago what I imagined about motherhood, I’d have said I pictured myself cheering my child on at competitions, like my parents did for me. Now, when I have an important event, my parents still come and support me. I wanted to pass on a love of sports to my daughter, Emma.
She does a lot of different sports, and while she enjoys them, she doesn’t have the same passion I do. I’ve learned that your child isn’t going to be a copy of you - she is her own person.
She has her own gifts - she can paint better than I ever could. So instead of watching her in athletic competitions, I watch her shine in plays and concerts. Her passions are different, but just as special.
Do you have a message to share?
It’s important to promote sports in young children and be a role model. My daughter doesn’t want to compete, and that’s okay. I’ll always encourage her to keep an active lifestyle and enjoy sports for fun.
You don’t need to be the best or be competitive - but being active should be a part of your life to stay fit.
Sport as a lifestyle impacts your health and makes you more mindful of what you put into your body. By living it ourselves, as parents, we set a strong example for our children.
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