Reaching the Top of the World with a Positive Attitude

Young Swiss track and field athlete Yasmin Giger on her personal secret to success.

Anyone lucky enough to spend a training day with Yasmin Giger quickly gets a sense of just how much discipline it takes for a young runner to reach the top of the world in track and field. Because nothing less than that is the goal of this highly talented and incredibly likable Swiss rising star, who—despite all her focus and intensity—never forgets how important it is to enjoy her sport and stay relaxed.

3:25.90! The moment this time lights up on the giant scoreboard at the stadium in Tokyo, loud shouts of joy ring out from spectators in the stadium and watching on TV. They come from the Swiss women’s 4×400-meter relay team. A new Swiss record! The old record from 1993 has just been beaten by nearly 3 seconds—and thus shattered.
The women immediately realize that this fantastic time probably won’t be enough to make it to the final, but that doesn’t matter to them at that moment. They are the fastest Swiss women ever to run this distance, and in any case, this race is just another step toward their big goal of joining the world’s elite.
That time on the scoreboard is confirmation that they are, without a doubt, on the right track. The anchor runner that evening in Japan is a 21-year-old from Romanshorn—Yasmin Giger.

For moments like these, Yasmin trains every day with her coach, Flavio Zberg, who helps her push past her limits at one of Europe’s most innovative training centers, the OYM in Cham. At the integrated campus for athletic talent, Yasmin is also pursuing a business education—an absolute privilege for her. Yasmin works on herself with discipline and great ambition, constantly setting new goals.

“I’m generally a positive person, which is why I think the most important thing is to enjoy what you do. I try to set realistic goals and seize my opportunity: If not now, then when?”