FIR student Amálie Hilgertová – the European Champion in Water Slalom

Kayaker Amálie Hilgertová, a student of the 2nd year of International Business became European Water Slalom Champion in Pau, France. In the thrilling final round, she beat all her rivals and won a gold medal! FIR congratulates Amálie on her great success and representation.

What is it like to be a European water slalom champion?

It’s great. It was a really special moment because I surprised everyone, including myself. I had such a childish joy from the performance and I enjoyed it so much. It pleases you when you watch the astonishment, but also the respect for what you have just done.

 

How do you manage your studies and sport?

I would say that I am not doing as well as I should. I do a lot of things at the last minute. I am currently in my second year of bachelor’s degree, but because of my training, I decided to slow down and study much slower than others. I do not have the ambition to get a bachelor’s degree within 3 years, but I would still like to complete the University.

What are your plans for the future?

In terms of sports, I would love to be at the Olympics, which is a reward that every sportsman dreams of. But it is difficult in the slalom because we have only one available spot per category, unlike in skiing, where more competitors may qualify so three Americans may be there. However, I try to maintain more achievable goals, such as bringing medals from world events until I am 23 years old.

I would also like to take the benefits of all the opportunities offered by the University, but unfortunately, I have less time to do so, so I will have to see. Meanwhile, I enjoy the extra-semester courses, where I reserve one week for school to discuss a certain issue in depth. Erasmus is my study dream because living somewhere else for half a year is different than coming to races and going between hotels and tracks.