Mona Mitterwallner, a mountain biker with big vision

Mona Mitterwallner, 22, is proud to have joined the Julbo family. Her favorite discipline? Cross-country Olympic (XCO). Born on 9 January 2002 in Austria, she decided to embark on a professional mountain biking career at the age of 15. A passion she inherited from her father, who is also a big fan of cycling. “In a way, this love of the sport was passed on to me from birth. My dad is a passionate cyclist who also competed in races when he was younger.”

The young Austrian took part in her first mountain bike race in 2019. In 2021, at just 19 years old, she was crowned the youngest ever cross-country marathon world champion. Two years later, the reigning world champion was awarded the rainbow jersey again. During this period, she also won the mountain bike world cup several times. “I love that adrenaline rush where you have to give it your all for 90 minutes,” says Mona Mitterwallner who, in addition to eating healthily, has adopted a vegetarian diet.

The role of clear vision and her partnership with Julbo

As someone who wears glasses, Mona attaches great importance to the issue of vision in pro sport. “Of course, you can’t win races without seeing clearly, because vision is one of the main elements required for top performance. It’s extremely important to see clearly. So I’m very happy to have Julbo as a partner,” says Mona.

The challenges of creating optimal sports sunglasses: clarity, flexibility and comfort

For Mona, the criteria necessary for an ideal pair of sports sunglasses are crystal clear: “For me, the ideal sports sunglasses allow you to have clear vision whatever the weather. They must be light, provide good ventilation and fit the shape of my head.” Her requirements when it comes to sunglasses start with good vision and she’s a big fan of Julbo’s REACTIV technology: “Julbo makes photochromic lenses that adapt to the light. The speed with which they change color is truly amazing! I also make sure they’re comfortable, not heavy and provide good grip. Of course, I also have to think they look cool.”

Julbo models in action: ULTIMATE and upcoming DESTINY

“When I choose a pair of sunglasses, I make sure they fit the shape of my face and are comfortable. I’m currently wearing the ULTIMATE model with REACTIV photochromic lenses offering category 1 to 3 protection. They’re great for me and work really well in all circumstances. But I can’t wait to try the new DESTINY model that I’m about to receive. So far, ULTIMATE is my favorite model.”

Complete confidence in Julbo: RX glasses, an ideal solution for glasses wearers who love to bike

As a wearer of eyeglasses, Mona says her experience with Julbo has been one of total trust. She had always worn contact lenses in training and competition before testing Julbo’s prescription lenses mounted in sunglasses: “As a glasses wearer, I have an RX model, in other words a model with corrective lenses, and it’s the best thing that could have happened to me,” says Mona referring to her experience of wearing contact lenses until this point. She explains the key benefits of RX glasses: “Up until now, I’d always worn contact lenses. My eyes got extremely dry, which is a real drawback.”

Safety is another issue that plays a decisive role, as Mona explains: “When I rub my eyes because of dust or something else that gets in them, I could easily lose my contact lenses.” Julbo came up with a solution for Mona. The company solved her problem and gave her access to comfort that she hadn’t ever previously experienced: “The funny thing is that I’ve been competing for seven years and I wore my first prescription glasses last year in my seventh season. I haven’t worn contact lenses since and I don’t have any at home anymore. I tried the glasses once and had complete faith in Julbo,” says Mona about her partnership with the brand. With its bespoke prescription sports sunglasses, the company has created an ideal solution to meet the needs of this glasses-wearing mountain biker.