Franka Rust from Grünhagen: On the way to the 2028 Olympic medal!

Franka Rust from Grünhagen: On the way to the 2028 Olympic medal!

Franka Rust, the 22-year-old triathlete from Grünhagen, brings a breath of fresh air to the northern German sports scene. She is currently living in Sursee, Switzerland, where she is intensively preparing for the upcoming World Cup in Australia. Her big goal: to take part in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 or in Australia in 2032. These ambitions are not unfounded; In her third appearance in the World Triathlon Championship Series, she finished 20th and was the second fastest athlete in her age group, the U23. This is what az-online.de reports.

Franka discovered her passion for triathlon at the end of 2016, inspired by her stepbrother. I got into the sport after a kids duathlon at the local club, the RSC Lüneburg in Bleckede. A lot has happened since then: she trains for several hours almost every day - a total of around 30 hours per week. Her week looks like Monday and Friday as off-load days and she fills this time with about an hour and a half of swimming and strength training. All three disciplines – swimming, cycling and running – are on her training plan.

Step by step to success

The training not only takes them to Lüneburg, but also to idyllic Switzerland. Franka emphasizes the importance of patience and hard work in her progress. Her coach Jonathan Pargätzi plays a crucial role and supports her in her quest to get to the top. One of her most notable achievements came last year in Italy, where she achieved her first international podium at the European Cup, finishing second. Shortly before, she celebrated her greatest sporting success to date, the European championship title in Melilla.

But the path to success was not always easy. In 2019 she suffered a serious injury that affected her emotionally. Despite the challenges, Franka respects accidents in competitive sports, but she is not afraid of the sport itself. “It has to go on,” she is convinced and pursues her path with determination.

Combine sport and studies

Franka manages to balance between competitive sport and her everyday life thanks to the support of her family and friends. Her boyfriend is also active in competitive sports, which helps her to combine the two worlds. She is also studying psychology part-time to find balance to her intensive training. This versatility has given her a good knack for proper time management.

Franka still has close ties to her home region, even though Switzerland is currently her home. Regional sponsors from the Uelzen district are enthusiastic about their ambitious project and support them wherever they can. In addition to the World Cup and the Olympic Games, there are numerous other competitions on their program, including European Cups in Rzeszów, Olsztyn and Caorle as well as team races in the 1st Bundesliga.

The spectators can be curious to see how Franka Rust develops - on the way to Olympic gold!