Being an elite sports athlete requires dedication and self-discipline

Sebastian Sand Gottlieb from 2x is a Team Denmark student and part of BG Eliteidræt. He takes his STX in 4 years as, alongside a good matriculation exam, he also has ambitions to participate in international championships as a senior swimmer - when the time comes.

Sebastian has been swimming competitively since he was 8 years old, and now swims on SigmaSwim's first team and is also on the Danish junior national team. It has taken a lot of hard work to get here! Alot!

Sebastian recently came home with metal from the Nordic Championships in Bergen. Here he had qualified in the 200 freestyle on a short track in a time of 1:48.62. It is just before someone would have difficulty running 200m in that time….

Sebastian is currently looking to get to EJM this summer, and in order to gain access to this, he must meet the required time in the 200 free on long track at the Danish Open in April. It is 1.53.00. When you look at his time on short track, it should be about right, but times on short track and long track are just not quite the same.

If the rest of us find it a bit difficult to get started after a weekend, Sebastian's typical Monday is outlined below, and is a really good picture of what it takes in terms of dedication and self-discipline to be an elite sports athlete - with ambitions to get all the way to the top!

Typical Monday: 4:50 - The alarm clock rings 5:35 - Meeting dressed in the swimming pool 5:45-7:30 - Swimming 8:00-15:15 - School 15:15 - Bus directly to training 15:45-18.30-19:00 Swimming and strength training 19:30 - At home About 19:30-20:00 - Dinner 20:00-21:00/22:00 - Homework/Assignments 22:00 - In bed