Laura Frigola & Savina Paul: A lifelong friendship through running
Even though Catalan runners and social media figures Savina Paul and Laura Frigola live very different lives, their friendship is remarkably strong. From the moment they met, running has been the thread that brought them together and kept closer than an atomic bond. What started through the Brooks team grew into a friendship built on shared values, support, and a deep love for the sport.
Text: Sjors Beukeboom Photos: Laura Frigola & Savina Paul
Savina Paul:
âI first met Laura when she joined the Brooks-team. My first impression was that she had an incredible positive energy. It may sound simple, but you can really feel that kind of energy. She was someone who shone and who smiled all the time. From the very beginning, it made me want to be close to Laura and to have her around. Even though we came from completely different backgrounds, running together and sharing this hobby, our training sessions, and our goals made it easy for two people with similar energy to connect very quickly.â
Lifestyle
âWhat I value most about Laura is that she is easygoing, transparent, and has no hidden agendas. In reality it is not so easy to find people who are truly genuine, who show themselves as they are, and with whom everything feels natural. We have mature friendship where we can say things as they are, knowing neither of us will ever look for a reason to argue.â
Laura Frigola:
âMy first impression of Savina was that she was a superwoman. She had such a positive character, full of energy, and she gave off an incredible sense of positivity. One of those people who seem to carry a kind of vitamin-like energy, the ability to stay happy, to turn things around, and to see things in a positive way.â
âFrom the start, I saw her as a role model, both professionally and in sport. Also the way she can combine her job as a pilot with such an active lifestyle is inspiring to me. In that sense I also see her as a motivation for myself to do sports as she makes is seem like it is always possible to exercise or run.â
Lifestyle
âWhat I like most about Savina is her honesty. She has a very humble spirit and is easy to approach. She is always grateful for everything that happens and she is a very good friend, someone who has always been there. What I value most is her big heart and the feeling that I am never alone, even if we do not see each other very often, since we live both busy lives. She is truly a great friend.â
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âRunning was clearly the starting point of our friendship, but in the end it has become more than that. Running is part of the way we both live. It is part of our balance and part of our routine. Through running you learn about sacrifice in training, the joy of racing, and the patience needed when dealing with injuries. In many ways it reflects a personâs values, their discipline, and their willingness to push themselves to achieve something. It is also a way of approaching life.â
Motivation
âOver the years we have been through many different moments together as runners. There were times when we trained for a marathon, other moments when one of us was running and the other was there mainly to support, and times when we travelled together and found ways to run during those trips.
âRunning, and sport in general, is very important in our friendship. We actually met thanks to Brooks, the brand, so running was the starting point of everything. It has always been the common thread between us because it is a hobby we both share.â
âOver time it has become clear that we also share similar values and a similar way of seeing life. The more time we spend together, the more I recognise myself in Savina as well. In that sense, running is part of our lifestyle and part of who we are.â
Motivation
âThrough running we have also shared special experiences. Thanks to her, I was able to go to New York and run in Central Park. Moments like that show how this hobby has grown into a strong friendship.â
âWe have also experienced periods when one of us was injured while the other was in great form. Right now, for example, I have had a year with lower physical performance after running a marathon and dealing with an injury, while Laura is in excellent shape. But through all those ups and downs we have always supported each other. We encourage each other to reach our potential, whether that means training hard, recovering from injury, going to physiotherapy, or simply celebrating or consoling each other after a race.â
Highlights
“If I had to choose a highlight we have shared, it was the day Laura went to New York for the first time. We went for a run together in Central Park. For many runners, that is a small dream. I had the chance to accompany her on that first run there.â
âWe definitely motivate each other when it is needed. We have not always been at the same point in our running, but we have always been at these points together. For example, there have have been injuries, highs, and lows for both of us. But what makes it special is that we support each other through every challenge. I feel Savinaâs support while I am also encouraging her in recovering from an injury as we speak.â
âWe encourage each other and celebrate each otherâs successes in a very genuine way. It is a healthy friendship, and that kind of support is not always so common in the running world or sports scene in general, I believe.â
Highlights
âLooking ahead, I hope we will share many more adventures together. More trips, more moments, and more dreams. One of those dreams is running the New York Marathon together, something we talked about during our trip last October. There is no concrete date yet, and maybe this year comes too quickly, but it would make me very happy if it happens one day.â
âI still remember my own first time in that city. It felt overwhelming and exciting to see something so big and iconic. Being there with Laura and sharing her first run in that place made it very special for me, and it is something I will always remember.â
âAs for the future, even though our professions are very different, I believe our friendship will continue for many years. We share a similar way of seeing life. I am sure we will keep supporting each other, both personally and professionally, and of course in our lives as runners.â
âIt is a dream marathon, especially after having had the experience of running in Central Park with Savina. Running and sharing the experience of one of the biggest marathons int he world with someone like Savina would make it even more special.â
âIn the end, sport and running are important to me, but what matters most is who you share those experiences with. Even though our daily lived are quite different – I am a teacher and Savina a pilot – being able to share these experiences with her is a true gift.â
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