Interview: Cabin crew, safety instructor and iron woman

Racing and rejoicing

Katrin Lilly Magnusdottir works in cabin crew and as a safety instructor for Air Iceland Connect. She practises various sports and outdoor recreational activities such as sea swimming, and last year she competed in a triathlon for the first time. This year, she plans to take it one step further.

TEXT: Eyglo Svala Arnarsdottir PHOTO: Arni Saeberg

You’ve previously trained in ballet and yoga. Why did you move on to triathlon?

I was sort of dared into triathlon and competed for the first time last year. My friend’s husband was turning 50 and was totally going to get into shape and set goals for himself. He formed a training group and challenged us to compete in the Laugarvatn triathlon, a half-Olympic triathlon. I took one week to think it through: “Can I do it?”. I had to think about all the pros and cons, but then I started training and I certainly don’t regret it. I attended cycling classes and took private swimming lessons – I hadn’t swum since high school! Then I was the only one who went to Laugarvatn and completed the challenge! I took a photo, sent it to the others and wrote: “Where were you!?”

How did you feel after crossing the triathlon finish line?

It was the most amazing feeling. Just wonderful. And it made me want to continue. Sometimes while training, I stopped to think: “Katrin, you’re 45 and you have never participated in any competition sport. What are you thinking?” But I want to be a great role model for my children. My daughter drew a picture of me competing in the first triathlon, writing: “Go, mummy!”. This is what makes it all worthwhile.

And now you’re about to become a Landvaettur. What is that?

It involves four challenges in each of the four regions of the country, which you have 12 months

to complete. You choose which challenge you take on first, and you have the opportunity to repeat it. The challenges are Fossavatnsgangan, a 50-km cross-country ski race in Isafjordur in the West; a 60-km bicycle race from Hafnarfjordur to the Blue Lagoon in the South; a 2.5-km swim in Urridavatn lake by Egilsstadir in the East; and a nature run, either the 32.7-km Jokulsa run, or the 25-km Thorvaldsdalur run. It gives me a training plan. I joined the cross-country club Ullur in Blafjoll and trained there while there was snow in the mountains. I focus on one challenge at a time and also do a different kind of exercise. For example, I try to go to yoga once a week. But, understandably as a single mum, I don’t always have a lot of time for training. You also go sea swimming regularly. What are the benefits?

I decided to try sea swimming to improve my resilience against the cold – I’m such a wimp when it comes to cold – and I believe that it’s working. I took my first ocean dip last year but started bathing regularly in January when the temperature was only about 1–2°C [34–36°F]! I usually go to Nautholsvik in Reykjavik and start with the hot tub. Then I bathe in the sea. At high tide I sometimes swim around the rocks and into the cove and finish by going back into the hot tub. I prefer sea swimming to the cold tubs at the swimming pools because I like being outside in nature. Nature gives me energy.

What do you like to do with your family when you have time off?

My daughter is 11 and my son is 16. I like taking the kids skiing; they both love it. There are many fine ski resorts in Iceland but I’m crazy about Hlidarfjall. To me, going to Akureyri is like travelling abroad. I took the kids there for a city break for a long weekend last spring. We went to the Myvatn Nature Baths, a concert at Graeni hatturinn, to the swimming pool and had the best brunch ever at Hof Culture Centre.

Tell us about your work as a cabin crew member at Air Iceland Connect.

From the outside, it looks like a service profession, but it’s first and foremost a safety-related profession. We are constantly following fixed safety procedures: Place the bags under the seats, make sure the seat belts are tight and many other things. The other parts of it are extra. It matters of course to have a good presence and be hospitable. It’s a very interpersonal profession. You meet people who are at a crossroads in their lives. They may just have had their first baby and are taking it home for the first time. People may be coming from a funeral or be on their way to a family reunion. A certain group of people have a fear of flying and they sometimes become so vulnerable and you become a listener. It’s important to be able to read into circumstances. It’s a very diverse and fun profession.

And you also work as a safety instructor.

Yes. I’m responsible for the formal retraining of all crew members and for teaching new employees the safety procedures, among other things. It suits me well to mix these two jobs together and the training job gives me a lot. I’ve also been educating myself in order to deepen my knowledge of teaching adults. I love working for Air Iceland Connect. I feel like we, the crew members, are one big family. We are there for each other. That’s invaluable.

What’s your next challenge?

I might do the Landvaettir again to improve my time or go on specified mountain treks. I have sometimes imagined that it would be fun to trek to Everest Base Camp or to the top of Kilimanjaro. The sky is the limit! The main thing is to take care of your health – we only get one body – and mental and physical health are two sides of the same coin. I dream about going on yoga trips or doing a different kind of exercise outside in nature. I get a kick out of cycling fast, but even though racing is fun, one must remember to rejoice as well.