Emilie Dahmen is a Dutch HYROX athlete who went from volunteering at a race to competing in the Elite 15 within a year. She won the Barcelona Last Chance Qualifier in April 2025 and finished sixth at that year’s World Championships in Chicago.
Her introduction to HYROX came while studying sports management and business in Amsterdam. After volunteering to earn study credits, she received a free race entry and decided to give it a go.
In our September 2025 Rox Lyfe podcast interview, Emilie discussed her rapid rise, signing with Nike, and learning why training harder is not always the answer.
From HYROX Volunteer to First Time Racer
Emilie discovered HYROX through a university volunteering requirement. She spent eight hours cutting apples and bananas at the finish line of an Amsterdam event and received a free race entry afterwards.
With a week to go before her first race, she realised she had done little preparation specifically for HYROX. Her gym did not have all the equipment, and she first tried pushing a sled in the event’s warm-up area.
Despite that lack of station experience, her sporting background helped her make an immediate impression. That first race in Amsterdam in October 2024 began a progression that would take her to the Elite 15 World Championships the following June.
How Emilie Dahmen Trains for HYROX
Before discovering HYROX, Emilie played field hockey and tennis, spent time in the gym, and trained for a sprint triathlon through university. Although she arrived with little experience of the stations, she already had a fitness base built through running, cycling, swimming and strength training.
In our September 2025 interview, she estimated that she had been running around 60km per week before her Barcelona breakthrough, spread across up to four sessions. These included a long run, a speed session, an easy run and running combined with station work.
Cycling and other cardio machines also played a substantial role. Emilie explained that her body struggled with running every day, so she was learning to balance running practice with other ways of building endurance.
At the time of the interview, she estimated spending 20–25 hours per week training, although that included rest between strength sets. With a shin injury temporarily limiting her running, more of her endurance work had shifted to the bike and other machines.
Her approach reflects both her enjoyment of longer endurance sessions and the need to find a training balance that suits her body.
Learning to Keep Easy Days Easy
One of Emilie’s biggest training lessons has been learning when to hold back. Her enthusiasm made it tempting to push every session, even when her programme called for an easy effort.
“If it says it has to feel a three out of ten, it has to feel like a three out of ten and not like a six or a seven,” she explained.
She recalled messaging her coach during an easy two-hour bike session because she wanted to go faster. He reminded her that a hard session was scheduled for the following day. She kept the ride easy and then performed well in that harder workout.
For Emilie, this was an example of why doing more or going harder does not automatically mean making better progress. Learning to trust her programme meant allowing easy sessions to serve their purpose.
Breakthrough Moments
Emilie’s breakthrough came at the Barcelona Last Chance Qualifier in April 2025. She entered partly for the experience and a trip with her best friend, but was unsure how she would compare with the strong field. She went on to win in 1:01:10, securing her place in the Elite 15 race at the Chicago World Championships.
Chicago brought a different challenge: handling the attention and nerves surrounding her first Elite 15 Worlds appearance. Emilie recalled crying while speaking to her mum before the race and questioning whether she belonged there. She raced anyway and finished sixth.
She also explained how her Nike partnership began with an Instagram message that landed in her spam folder and was almost deleted. Discussions developed into a deal after Chicago. Alongside fulfilling a childhood ambition, the support helped her fund travel, coaching and training.
Emilie followed her sixth-place finish in Chicago in 2025 with seventh at the 2026 HYROX World Championships in Stockholm, finishing in 1:00:04.
Race Mindset and Ambitions
When races get hard, Emilie reminds herself of the demanding sessions she has already completed in training. She focuses on reaching the finish knowing she has given everything she can.
“I mean, it’s only an hour and the faster you go, the faster you’re done,” she said.
In our September 2025 interview, her ambitions included breaking 60 minutes, finishing in the top five at the World Championships and ultimately becoming world champion. She subsequently achieved the sub-60 milestone, winning the Women’s Pro race in Stockholm in December 2025 in 59:46.
Alongside those competitive goals, she spoke about finding a sustainable balance between training, studying and life outside the sport.
To check out the full interview, watch below or listen on the Rox Lyfe podcast.
