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Alica Schmidt is one of the most popular athletes in the world. The German runner was part of the national team that came second in the 4 × 400m relay event at the 2017 European Athletics U20 Championships. She was also on the team that came third in the same event at the 2019 European Athletics U23 Championships.
She was previously a fitness coach for Bundesliga football club Borussia Dortmund. Schmidt was part of the German relay squad at the 2020 Summer Olympics, though she did not compete in the games.
She hasn't competed as much as some of her track and field counterparts, but she still has tons of recognition. The runner has been deemed the "World's Sexiest Athlete," and at age 23, there's still plenty of room for her to gain more athletic prominence.
Despite not being an Olympic gold medalist or world champion, she has a lot of insight and knowledge. She's given a few quotes that fans of hers and of the sport in general should know.
Quotes from World's Sexiest Athlete Alica Schmidt
3) Working hard
When Schmidt made the cut for the European titles, she nearly burst into tears. She reacted to the news, saying:
"I've worked so hard and made many sacrifices to get to run in Munich in front of a home crowd. To achieve this goal now is the best feeling ever and I'm beyond happy. Cheers to the most special race of my career so far. Can't wait."
She was so excited to be able to perform in her home country, something many athletes might take for granted. Even being on the world stage, there is truly nothing like competing in front of people who share the same nationality and background.
Schmidt reminded fans of that and of her love and passion for the sport when she said this with tears in her eyes.
2) Beauty isn't everything
Upon being named the World's Sexiest Athlete, she shunned the title, saying:
"I do not know why I got this title. Sport comes clearly first. There are thousands of girls on Instagram who look good but having many fans doesn’t make you interesting. That's just competitive sport for me."
As gorgeous as she is, Schmidt claims beauty is not everything. In fact, for the German runner, it's nothing. Beauty is important to many people, but being good at what she does is more important.
It's an important reminder to young fans of hers who might not feel like they're as valuable if they don't look like her.
1) Everyone has detractors
Schmidt said that supporters are more important than detractors:
"There are always people who judge you. That's part of the game and I'm happy that I have so many supporters along the way. I'm so, so grateful for that."
Almost every athlete has people who hate them, even those who are as universally appreciated as the runner herself is. She believes that they don't matter that much as a result. Fans and supporters are the ones who truly matter.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the views of the author.
