Apprenticeship, school and beach volleyball: a threefold passion
June 28, 2024
4 min
Céline Larisch, a healthcare specialist in training at Zollikerberg Hospital, is one of the few people to hold a Swiss Olympic Card for beach volleyball. In her hospital story, the 17-year-old explains how she balances work, school and regular training and how she is supported at the hospital.
In what role do you work at Zollikerberg Hospital?
I am doing my apprenticeship as a healthcare specialist at Zollikerberg Hospital. I started this in 2023 and will probably finish it in 2026. I spend half of my time on the maternity ward and the other half in internal medicine.
Why did you choose this profession?
Even when I was a small child, I knew that I would work in a hospital one day. And that's exactly what happened. It is important to me personally to be able to help and support people of all ages. I particularly like the maternity ward where I currently work. It's a wonderful feeling to work with mostly happy patients and to witness the beginning of a new life. That really touches me. But in general, teaching at Zollikerberg Hospital is also a kind of life lesson for me. I will be able to use the knowledge I acquire here and the experience I gain here for the rest of my life.
How do you find the working atmosphere at Zollikerberg Hospital?
Very nice and varied. I came straight from secondary school A and applied for an apprenticeship here as a healthcare specialist last year. I've been working here since August 2023 and I'm very happy. I feel well looked after in my team and have a good and close relationship with my direct line manager. The vocational trainer responsible for me is also very supportive. She always makes sure that I achieve my required competences and always has an open ear for me when I need one.
You are one of the few people to hold a Swiss Olympic Card. What is it and how did you get one?
To explain briefly: The "Swiss Olympic Cards" show the various municipalities, cantons, schools and other partners which athletes are registered in association support programmes and should therefore be given targeted support. The number of talent cards varies from sport to sport. There is also a regional and a national card. Which one you receive depends on the number of points you achieve in an aptitude test, the "PISTE" test. This takes place over the course of a whole day once a year. The aim of the test is to determine how much potential each participant has for the future. For example, height, jumping power and other factors are measured. Thanks to my score, I would have received a national card, but as I'm not in a national junior association (NNV), I still received the regional card. My SWISS Olympic Card is for beach volleyball. I play in this category at "ZUZU Beach" in Kloten and as my partner lives in Bern, I am also there from time to time and train at the "Beach Academy Bern".
PISTE test Céline Larisch
In her PISTE evaluation, Céline Larisch was awarded the potential rating A with a score of 4.3 out of 5. Her certificate shows the various performance areas such as athleticism, height of action and technomotor skills.
How do you reconcile your competitive sport with your work? Does your employment at Zollikerberg Hospital make it easier for you to pursue your sporting career?
Thanks to the Swiss Olympic Card, I was able to agree with Zollikerberg Hospital that I would work 80 per cent with a correspondingly adjusted salary, instead of 100 per cent like the other apprentices. This allows me to arrive at training on time and complete all my required training sessions. I'm also allowed to do other things at school during sports lessons, such as homework or studying. This allows me to organise my own time. I think it's extremely nice that after a long search for a suitable apprenticeship, I've now found a great company that allows me to continue my competitive sport.
What does a typical week with work and training look like for you?
I work all day on Mondays and go to training from 6.00 pm. I mainly do strength exercises and exercises with the ball. On Tuesday I train in the morning and in the evening, on Wednesday and Thursday I go to school all day and back to training in the evening. On Fridays, I work all day until 4.00 pm and can then take some time for myself.
In summer, my weekends are reserved for one or two tournaments. Homework for school and general learning is done in between, on the way to training or afterwards. In winter, when the competition season is over, I also train at the weekends.
What would you like to achieve in the future here at the hospital, but also in your personal career, both in sport and in the world of work?
It would of course be a dream to be able to pursue a professional career. However, I also realise that this is not so easy to achieve. Apart from sport, I've been telling my mum since I was a child that my biggest dream is to become a paramedic. And I hope that one of those dreams will come true.
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