Topics: Legal internship, Alpine skiing, studies, UniDistance Suisse, elite sports, time management.
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Hello Mr. Roulin. You are well known as an outstanding alpine ski racer who competes with the world's best on the steepest ski slopes. Less known is the fact that you have successfully completed your law degree at the Swiss Distance Learning University alongside your skiing career and are currently doing a legal internship at a top law firm. What motivated you to study law in parallel with ski racing, and what fascinates you about this field?

When I completed my secondary education, the dream of becoming a ski racer and competing in World Cup races was present, but at the same time, I couldn't estimate whether this dream could be realized. Furthermore, in sports, you never know how long a career will last because it requires not only determination, clarity, and dedication but also talent and a lot of luck. Therefore, I made a commitment to myself that I would complete an education alongside my sports career.

Because I spend a significant amount of time traveling as a ski racer, traditional university studies were not feasible. That's why I enrolled in the  UniDistance Suisse . At the time, I had four fields of study to choose from, and law was the one that both interested me the most and promised the greatest flexibility for a future career choice. This led me to choose a law degree.

I was particularly interested in this field of study because the law significantly shapes our lives and our coexistence.

How does your daily training routine as a ski racer look, and how do you find the balance between training and your law studies or legal internship?

This summer, my daily routine has changed quite significantly as I began an internship after seven years of studying. During my studies, I had complete flexibility in how I structured my day. With the internship, which I'm doing at a 50% capacity, my daily schedule is somewhat restricted due to work hours and location.

Specifically, I've organized it so that in the mornings, I train from 7:30 to 10:30/11:00. At 12:00, I'm in the office, focusing on legal tasks. After work, I either go for training again (2-3 times a week) or head home directly.

My goal was to maintain the same number of training sessions despite the internship, as I did before the internship during my study period. I succeeded in achieving this, which made me very happy.

What helped me the most was setting priorities. - Gilles Roulin

Pursuing two demanding careers undoubtedly requires excellent time management. Could you share some of your proven tips on how to stay focused and successful despite numerous commitments?

Indeed, time management has been a significant aspect of my life in recent years. To meet my obligations and live up to my standards, it was crucial for me to allocate my time wisely. What helped me the most was setting priorities. "Which task has what priority at a given time?" - This question was at the forefront of both my daily and long-term planning.

Furthermore, I found that having clear, well-defined goals made me more efficient. I differentiated between short-term goals, which I could achieve daily, medium-term goals (for each season/semester), and long-term goals (completing my studies/achieving specific rankings).

As a third tool, I always aimed to strike a balance between duty and pleasure, ensuring that I didn't deplete my resources excessively. I made sure to keep my intrinsic motivation consistently high.

I highly value challenges because they allow me to get to know myself better and grow. - Gilles Roulin

How do you deal with challenges in both ski racing and the legal field, and are there similarities in coping strategies?

I highly value challenges because they allow me to get to know myself better and grow. Therefore, I constantly seek out both small and big challenges and strive to overcome them. I actively look for challenges, as it allows me to have the best control over the direction of my personal development. One could discuss at length how challenges in sports differ from those in the business world, or one could describe that challenges at a higher level are essentially the same or at least very similar.

For me, it's not crucial where the challenge comes from but how it can help me develop and bring joy to the process.

Many of my values and qualities I have discovered and developed through sports. - Gilles Roulin

What lessons from your elite sports career have proven useful in your legal career, and conversely, is there anything from your legal career that has helped you in ski racing?

For me, sports serve as a wonderful school of life. Many of my values and qualities I have discovered and developed through sports.

From a performance perspective, parameters like performance improvement, peak performance, resilience, and clarity are, of course, qualities one must develop to succeed in sports. Simultaneously, you learn values such as respect, joy, gratitude, and fairness, which hold immense value for personal development. These values and experiences shape me and connect me with sports. In my studies, I have benefited from certain insights gained from sports. Conversely, it's been less, though that doesn't mean it's not possible.

Do you have any specific role models or sources of inspiration, be it in ski racing, the legal field, or elsewhere, that have helped you pursue your diverse goals?

I don't have direct role models. At the same time, I am inspired and fascinated by countless things. While external inspiration certainly helps in achieving goals, I firmly believe that intrinsic motivation is by far the most important driving force for goal attainment.

Irrespective of achieving specific goals, I find it immensely enriching to be inspired by something, marvel at something, and experience enthusiasm.

I would like to stay connected to sports in a legal capacity and work as a lawyer in this field - Gilles Roulin

What are your long-term goals in both alpine ski racing and your legal career?

In skiing, I aim to remain active at the highest level for as long as possible. Winning a World Cup race would, of course, be the pinnacle.

In the legal field, I would be very proud to pass the bar exam one day. Ideally, I would like to stay connected to sports in a legal capacity and work as a lawyer in this field.

What advice would you like to give to other young athletes who have similar ambitions to pursue both sports and studies simultaneously?

It's quite challenging to offer a one-size-fits-all advice because every situation and every young sports enthusiast is unique. I've walked the dual path and appreciated it. It has enabled me to achieve a lot and has given me tremendous experiences. However, focusing entirely on a single pursuit can also be very meaningful.

My advice would probably be for the reader to find their own individual answer to the question: 'What would you want to do when nobody is watching, when you're not getting any feedback, when it's all about your own satisfaction and self-worth? Who do you want to be, and what do you want to be, for yourself?'

Thank you for the insightful perspective and helpful tips. We wish you all the best and great success in the upcoming season! We're rooting for you.