Swiss brand On stages its third youth camp at altitude in Switzerland
On athletes such as Yared Nuguse, Hellen Obiri and George Mills have made a big impact this year but the Swiss company already has an eye on the next generation.
The third On Youth Camp took place in St Moritz, Switzerland, earlier this month with a number of Europe’s top endurance talents in attendance to experience life as professional athletes, immersed in training, education and mentorship.
Leading the 10-day course was Emelia Gorecka, the former European under-20 champion on the track and cross-country, plus Dr Georgie Bruinvels, another top runner who is also a research scientist and female athlete researcher.
The athletes at the camp included those from Switzerland, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Norway. Alongside the physical training elements, the athletes were exposed to workshops covering key areas such as nutrition, altitude training, media interaction, anti-doping and sports psychology.
“It has been a wonderful experience working with such a talented group at this year’s On Youth Camp,” said Gorecka, a multiple AW cover star in the past. “The camp’s focus was to provide an insight into what life as a professional athlete could be like for these athletes in the future if they choose to follow this pathway.
“Here we provided an inclusive training schedule – including altitude acclimatisation, gym activations and various running drills. The athletes also attended weekly educational workshops designed to further their awareness and knowledge around key high-performance topics.”
Among the athletes benefiting was Lyla Belshaw, who won European under-18 1500m gold for Britain earlier this year. Belshaw and others were able to rub shoulders with On Athletics Club Europe (OAC) such as Irish miler Luke McCann, who said: “It was fantastic to see so many hungry young athletes asking the right questions and showing such maturity. I’m excited to follow their journeys in the years to come.”
Silja Mühlebach, athlete manager at On, added: “The On Youth Camp perfectly blends in with the overall differentiating approach that we, as a brand take when it comes to athlete partnerships. From the very beginning of the On Youth Camp, our vision was to go beyond traditional sponsorship and take a holistic approach to this project.
READ MORE: Lyla Belshaw interview
“As part of our mission to ignite the human spirit through movement, we aim to inspire the next generation of runners and provide these young talents from across Europe with the chance to live experience life as a professional athlete. The idea of the camp is for all participants to go home with newly learned tools and skill sets that they can implement into their everyday routine that will help them navigate the ups and downs of being an athlete.”
Belshaw said: “The On Youth Camp is an incredible gift. We’re so grateful to have had this opportunity to train at altitude, learn from top professionals, and make friends from across Europe. It’s been an experience we’ll never forget.”
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