Simon Darville is not only Denmark’s best weightlifter but en route to becoming one of the best weightlifters in Europe. He is also an engineering student at DTU.
Danish champion, Nordic Champion, ranked 12 in Europe. Simon is an elite weightlifter on the Danish national team and well on the way to sports stardom. Alongside his gruelling six-day-a-week training schedule, Simon is studying Design and Innovation at DTU. Even though he can lift 171 kg—and outperform most weightlifters in Europe—it can be difficult to perform at the highest level on a full-time elite programme.
Both his training and his studies suffer as a result. He has had to replace his morning training with lectures, and every day he misses some group work in order to make afternoon training.
It is not the best solution he says, but he will have to make compromises in both areas, as DTU does not give special focus to easing study requirements for elite athletes. Elite athletes at DTU can be granted an exemption to reduce the requirement to register for 60 ECTS credits per academic year and for withdrawal from registration for exams. However, Simon would have liked to see even greater latitude on the part of DTU.
Elite athletes are a resource
Elite athletes possess qualities that can prove useful in the business world, says Simon—e.g. knowing what it takes to achieve results.
“I think universities should exploit the passion shown by elite athletes,” he says. “They should see them as a resource and put them on a par with students who are also entrepreneurs. If you understand how to help people maintain these competencies, you’ll end up with better engineers.”
So far, Simon has an oral agreement with the head of studies about ‘sorting something out’ when he has to cut back on his studies next year—and the Student Counselling Office can also help with an exemption.
Right now, Simon is representing Denmark at the European Championships—and with the help of the head of studies, he hopes to find a solution for next year. Even though his sport means everything to him, he wants to have a future as an engineer when his sports career is over.