Zoe
Barossi

São Paulo → Berlin

I was born in Los Angeles. When I was four, we moved to São Paulo — that's where I grew up. Brazilian with Italian roots. My home was loud, chaotic, and complicated. I studied psychology, trained as a psychodrama therapist. I wanted to understand people. Maybe I wanted to understand myself.

At 21 I packed a backpack and traveled through Europe for seven months. Alone. It was the first time I felt who I am without my surroundings. Then back to Brazil. Then away again.

"Moving continents, being away from family, experiencing a start to a new decade from the other side of the world."

End of 2019 I came to Berlin. I had to leave Brazil — this wasn't a trip, it was a decision. I joined N26, a German neobank. Customer support. The very bottom. I worked my way up. Today I'm a project manager. Full-time. Still.

Berlin didn't become home overnight. It happened piece by piece. Friends who became family. On my 30th birthday I sat with my people in a bar in Neukölln and knew: this is my chosen family.

"I kept it going, strong and faithful. It's another start."

The Transformation

A few years ago I started going to the gym. Nothing crazy — routine. Feeling my body. Building muscle. Having something that belongs only to me.

Then anemia hit. My body broke down. Two flights of stairs, heart rate at 180. I couldn't do anything. Nothing at all. Me, who used to train every day, couldn't even walk to work without being completely wrecked after.

Recovery took months. But I didn't stop. I started running. One kilometer at first. Then two. In July 2022, my first 10k — the ARCN race in Berlin.

"This race has a huge meaning for me. Its completion represents my recovery from anemia, from the time I couldn't go up 2 flights of stairs without my heart beating 180bpm."

That wasn't just a run. That was proof. Proof that my body belongs to me. That I come back stronger.

The Half Marathon

April 2023. Berlin Half Marathon. My first big race. Weeks of preparation. The nerves before. The excitement. And then the day itself.

21 kilometers through my city. Through Kreuzberg, Neukölln, Mitte. People on the sidelines screaming. The energy — indescribable.

"I was running on clouds and absorbed by all my excitement, tears, dopamine, serotonin, cheering crowd and the strongest positive energy."

"From that point on I knew nothing could take me off of the track. Literally! Determined, focused and fck excited!"

At the finish line I cried. Not because it hurt. Because I understood: my body can do more than my mind believes. From that point on, there was no going back.

The Leap

September 2024. My first triathlon. Hannover Volkstriathlon, sprint distance. One month of training. Swimming, cycling, running — three sports I barely knew individually, combined in one race. 12th in age group.

"It was insanely fantastic, it was a milestone! I want more."

And I wanted more. Immediately. Everything.

That's when it got serious. 5 AM alarm. First session before work. Second session after work. 5x a week on the Canyon Kicker at home — Zwift sessions, alone, drenched in sweat, in my living room. Weekends outside. Running. Swimming. Always forward.

May 2025: First Olympic triathlon — 5150 Kraichgau. 6th in age group. 2:52:57.

"I always cry at the finish line, it's so much hard work put into it, I get deeply emotional and proud of myself. VAMOOOOO!"

July 2025: WTCS Hamburg, short distance. 7th in age group. 2:36:49.

"My jump at the finish line replaces all possible captions — WHAT A DAY! UNSTOPPABLE."

September 2025: 70.3 Ironman Emilia Romagna, Cervia. My first half Ironman. 35°C. Dehydrated from km 50 on the bike. Headache. Nausea. I could barely see. And still — still I ran. 21 kilometers. Every single step. 9th in age group. 5:42:36.

"35°C on my head, dehydration already at km 50 on the bike, with a headache and sickness that somehow brought me to the finish line."

From first sprint to 70.3 Ironman in one year. Alongside a full-time job.

"~15h of training per week, + work and housework, + social life >> it's an everyday decision that I make, setting it as my priority. VAMOOOOO!"

Nice 2026

April 2026: Qualification in Brasília. Back in my country, for the biggest race of my life. Then Ironman World Championship Nice. The goal everything is building towards. Every hour on the bike, every kilometer in the water, every run in the dark before sunrise.

Amateur — for now.

Four Languages

Portuguese. English. Italian. German. Not because it looks good on a resume — because every language is a different version of me. In Portuguese I'm loud and soft. In English direct and clear. In Italian melodic. In German? I still struggle sometimes. But I like to fight.

"From mountains and lakes to techno parties and dance — that's all within my life range."