Olympians at IU: Champions in sport and study

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Dr. Carmen Thoma, COO of IU International University of Applied Sciences | Copyright: IU International University of Applied Sciences | Download

Top athletes from all over the world will be competing at the Olympic Games in Paris. The German team comprises a total of 427 athletes. Of these, 211 are women and 216 are men. More than 30 of them are studying at IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU), the largest university in Germany with more than 130,000 students. Among them are German football stars such as Giulia Gwinn, Klara Bühl, Sydney Lohmann, Lea Schüller and Nicole Anyomi.

The everyday life of professional athletes is strictly organised: daily training, regular competitions and frequent stays at home or abroad. If you want to continue your professional education alongside your passion for sport, you need a flexible study programme that meets your individual needs and can be optimally combined with sport. IU offers precisely this flexibility: students can choose from over 200 study programmes in distance learning, organise their learning time freely and study from any location via interactive online courses - an advantage that is particularly important for working people and competitive athletes.

Four Olympians share their tips on how they successfully balance their studies at IU with their careers in professional sport.

Simon Batz, long jump, IU student in the sport management B.A. distance learning programme

Simon Batz will be competing in the long jump in track & field at the Olympic Games. The 21-year-old IU sport management student recently won the German championship title with a jump of 8.18 metres. When asked how he masters the dual role between sport and studies, he says: "The fact that IU gives you the opportunity to stretch your studies and be flexible with the content means I can combine my studies well with sport. The fact that I can take my exams anytime and anywhere is particularly helpful. For example, despite a training camp in the USA lasting several weeks with a six-hour time difference, I was able to write my exams without any problems."

Mona Mayer, Athletics, IU student in the communication psychology B.A. distance learning programme

Mona Mayer is competing in Paris in track & field in the 4x400 metre women's and 4x400 metre mixed events. Mayer is also studying communication psychology at IU. When asked what excites her most, both in life and in sport and studies, she says: "What excites me most are the challenges that my studies, life and sport have in store for me. They allow me to improve and surpass myself. I'm constantly getting to know myself anew."

Katharina Filter, handball, IU student in the medical technology B.A. distance learning programme

Handball player Katharina Filter will be goalie for the German national handball team at the Olympic Games. As a professional athlete, she has also achieved great success in beach handball in the past. In January 2023, she began a distance learning programme at IU and has been studying medical technology ever since. She reveals: "It's easy for me to combine this with my sport because I can attend lectures when I have time or take breaks when major tournaments are coming up."

Camilla Kemp, surfing, IU student in the sports management B.A. distance learning programme

Camilla Kemp is the first German surfer to take part in the Olympic Games in Paris. The surfer is also completing a distance learning course at IU in the sports management programme. The 28-year-old explains how her studies are helping her to develop outside of sport: "My distance learning programme has helped me to acquire a wide range of skills both inside and outside of my sport, which will help me both now and in the future. I have learnt to manage my time better and that it is possible to study and be a professional athlete at the same time." She advises people who are faced with difficult decisions, for example because they are considering a distance learning programme, to "[...] set clear goals, work hard and always believe in yourself."

Dr. Carmen Thoma, COO of IU International University of Applied Sciences, says: "We are particularly proud that over 30 members of the German Olympic team are studying distance learning at IU alongside their intense sporting commitments. Their ability to combine high performance in sport with academic success reflects the commitment and flexibility we encourage and support at IU. It is impressive to see how they pursue and master their sporting and professional goals in parallel. This remarkable achievement illustrates not only the individual strength and discipline of the athletes, but also the high quality and adaptability of our educational programme. We wish all the athletes every success and good luck at the Olympic Games."

Flexible learning for working people and professional athletes at IU

IU offers its students maximum flexibility in all programmes: distance learning students can choose from over 250 courses, organise their learning time freely and study via interactive online courses regardless of time and place, which is particularly advantageous for working people and professional athletes. They have access to one of the largest online libraries with over 14,000 courses and use innovative learning tools on the Virtual Campus and in the "IU Learn" app. Examinations can be taken online or at the nearest examination centre. In addition, students have access to the personalised AI learning buddy Syntea, which supports them in achieving their learning goals through interactive and dialogue-based learning.

For all those who prefer a degree programme with attendance components, IU offers further study formats at over 35 locations in Germany. For example, practice-integrated dual study courses and programmes in myStudium, a model that combines online teaching and campus life.

All information about studying at IU can be found at: https://www.iu.org/

Weitere Informationen:
https://www.iu.de/en/distance-learning/