As one of Switzerland’s most successful biathletes, Selina Gasparin knows how tough the path to the top can be—especially for young athletes trying to balance school and training. It also puts a strain on family life. At 42, she is opening the Rhaetian Private School in Chur to ease the burden on parents and inspire children through sports.

Biathlonworld (BW): Selina, the Rhaetian Private School in Chur, which you founded, will open its doors in August. How did the idea come about?

Selina Gasparin (SG): My daughter is eleven years old and does rhythmic gymnastics. She trains 23 hours a week at a regional training center. Unfortunately, she can’t reconcile her sport with school. Because of training and competitions, she misses a lot of classes. As a single mother, it’s very stressful for me to combine family life with her sport. I wanted to find a solution to this problem and started thinking about a new school concept. For over a year now, I’ve been working on this idea with a team.

BW: What is the concept behind the Rhaetian Private School?

SG: We offer full-day care for children. Those who want to can be at school from 7 AM to 5 PM. There is supervision before class, during lunchtime, and in the afternoon. We offer a variety of sports. At the same time, there are many opportunities to explore musical and artistic interests. Everyone should be able to do what interests them and pursue their own individual goals.

BW: What requirements had to be met to found and successfully open your own school in Switzerland?

SG: The first step was obtaining approval from the canton to open a school. There are many regulations, but we incorporated our ideas for structuring the timetable, holiday periods, and a specialized pedagogical concept. The goal was to avoid cutting corners on academic content for the sake of sports, as often happens at sports schools. Students should be able to excel in both academics and sports, so they can later attend further education or start an apprenticeship. Our school caters to primary and secondary levels, with a maximum of 12 students per class. Once the concept was clear, we looked for teachers and school facilities. Now, we’re fine-tuning everything before the opening in August.

BW: What do you want to make easier for families with your school concept?

SG: It’s important to me to have everything in one place. I know how difficult it is for families to integrate their children’s hobbies into daily life, especially when parents work full-time and children have different interests. By the afternoon, you barely have the energy to take your child to training multiple times a week, help with homework, prepare dinner, and manage the household. I want to relieve parents of this constant stress while still allowing children to do sports.

BW: What role will you take on when the new school year starts in August?

SG: I will organize the sports courses in the afternoon. We will do biathlon, but I’m also looking forward to trying out other sports with the children. Everyone should find something that suits their strengths. Sport has been a life school for me, and I want to pass that on to the next generation. I’m excited to see how motivated the children are and how they support and push each other. Children who do sports are more alert and balanced. It’s not just about performance, but those who want to pursue competitive sports will find good conditions here.

BW: What do you wish for your school in the future?

SG: I hope that we will have long-term success with our concept and that other cities will recognise the added value of such a full-day school and implement it as well. I hope we will find sponsors for our school in the future so that parents don’t have to bear the full financial burden, making our school accessible to even more children.

Photo: Courtesy Selina Gasparin