‘Good planning is important’

Alina Meier, a 25-year-old cross country skier, grew up in Davos. In an interview with SWI swissinfo.ch, she explains the challenges she faces in combining sports and studies.

The dual career of a top-level athlete and student is particularly challenging for Alina Meier because her sport has a seasonal focus. In winter, she has to be on the road a lot. After a lot of deliberation, the three-time Swiss champion decided to start studying in 2020 “because there was an opportunity to do all the studies online”.

Meier is now in the third semester of her bachelor’s degree. The coming semesters will be particularly intense for her, because in addition to her academic tasks, she still has one big goal: participating in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.