Armbruster Balances School and Ski Jumping: "Living on the Edge"

Armbruster Balances School and Ski Jumping: "Living on the Edge"

The 18-year-old is set to take her high school exams in the spring, almost simultaneously with the World Championships. This weekend, she starts the new season as a Nordic combined athlete.

Nathalie Armbruster finds herself running between classes and competitions, studying for a Spanish test one moment, then quickly heading to a World Cup event in Norway the next. "It’s a life on the edge," says the runner-up of the Nordic combined at the upcoming season start in Lillehammer.

With her exams coinciding with the World Championships in February in Trondheim, Armbruster is feeling the pressure. "These two worlds not only collide sometimes; they collide every day," she admits, dampening expectations for the new season.

Despite this, the athlete from the Black Forest is as motivated as ever. "I’m really looking forward to the World Cup start; I can’t wait. I’m excited about the competition atmosphere and very curious about my standing among international competitors," she says.

Last winter was a mixed bag for Armbruster; in total, she claimed three podium finishes but only secured fifth place in the overall World Cup standings, a significant drop from her second-place finish the previous year. "I can’t train as much as I would like since I have to sit in school from 7:30 until sometimes 15:30," she said.

With only 14 individual competitions scheduled for the upcoming winter, Armbruster finds solace in the thought of finally competing again, especially after having to miss out on the previous weekend's events while her male counterparts shined in Kuusamo. "Finally, it’s starting," she says, looking forward to her new challenges ahead.