Adrenaline junkie Lara Vadlaou trusts her gut feeling at Paris 2024

No goal is too big for Dr. Lara Vadlao, MD, University of

Motocross, snowboarding and sailing – at first glance these passions might not seem compatible, but for Lara Vadlau, these sports are the perfect balance.

“It's so sad that when most people think of sailing, they think of something boring. It's not boring at all. That's probably what fascinates me about it,” says Vadlow.

She has already gained some experience from her Olympic participations (London 2012 and Rio 2016) and advises young athletes: “Always stick to it, always keep working on it, and you will be able to reap the rewards at some point. You always have to believe in yourself and, above all, trust your feelings. If you think the path is not going well right now, you really need to take control and make a change.

Vadlao speaks from experience. After finishing ninth in Rio 2016 and missing out on another medal, she knew she had to change her life.

“It was important for me to have a second source of income and to get a good education. So I decided to study medicine. I always wanted to do it because I can talk.

As with her sports career, she stuck to her plan and completed her medical studies on time. Today she can meet Dr. Med. Lara Vadlao University.

“Then the sport was really over for me. But then I saw the games in Tokyo, and there was no escape from it. It was basically forced on me. Then I just realized, OK, there's still a fire inside me and it's not over yet. I'm going to go for it again!”

To make this decision, she relied particularly on her gut feeling, a topic she also covered extensively during her studies.

“There is a lot of research in this area and I have done some reading. Interestingly, this gut feeling is not just a feeling, but is backed up by lots and lots of scientific findings.

“It basically helped me listen to my gut feelings and really follow them.”

For tough decisions, Vadlow recommends flipping a coin. It doesn't matter which side ends up on top, it's how you feel.

“You feel it immediately once the result comes out, whether you feel disappointed or a little happy, you will have the decision at the latest,” Vadlaw said.