The journey of US student athletes to the Olympics

Student athletes heading to the Olympics in Paris this summer face a monumental task training for their sport while completing college courses.  

Universities will be sending scores of students to the games, representing the U.S. and other countries, which requires coordination from coaches and exceptional dedication and time management skills from students in order to complete an athlete’s dream while also earning a degree. 

While student athletes might get some leniency from professors, there is otherwise little special treatment for the ones going to the Olympics, coaches and hopefuls for the Paris games tell The Hill. 

It definitely adds a layer of complexity, said Fred Richard, a rising junior at the University of Michigan, who was in Minneapolis this week with hopes to qualify for the U.S. Men’s Gymnastics team, when asked about juggling school and training.

But I have a really strong support team around me, from my family to coaches to training staff to teammates to career management to social media production. So together we make it all happen fairly seamlessly, added Richard, who is majoring in business studies. 

Dozens of student athletes will be heading to Paris this summer to compete in sports from swimming to rowing, with the games running from July 26 to Aug. 11. The athletes are at varying stages in their academic careers, with some still early in their college studies and others with brand-new diplomas in their hands.