Athletes Can Study Abroad: Don’t Let Athletics Stop You From Studying Abroad

“Don’t study abroad; you have to stay committed to the team.” I was sitting in Dana my first year at St. Lawrence as a new member of the cross country team, and had just asked the upperclassmen if any of them had ever done a semester abroad. I was conflicted when I heard this. I looked up to the upperclassmen a lot as most of them had been a part of a strong national-caliber team a couple years back. But I had also chosen St. Lawrence because of the off-campus programs, among other things. In the following conversations I had with my advisors, professors, and even parents, they all heavily encouraged me to consider studying off-campus for a semester, but I had become hesitant.  

It wasn’t until one of my closest friends, my roommate and teammate, told me I should look more into it. He was reading up on the Kenya program and was excited to apply for it. Seeing a teammate becoming invested gave me the push I needed, so I went to the St. Lawrence website and started looking through the programs. Within minutes, I realized that the London program had almost everything I wanted in a program. Now, about two years later, I can say that it was one of the most profound experiences I’ve had to date. 

In terms of being an athlete, both myself and my teammate, who studied in Kenya, agreed that the semester abroad was great for us as athletes. We were able to approach running on our own terms and reconnect with what made us start the sport in the first place. 

It’s evident that a lot of athletes don’t want to make the sacrifice of taking a whole semester off of their sport. You don’t want to lose fitness, miss competition, or forego a season of practicing, traveling and having fun with your teammates. But that’s coming from a perspective of defining yourself as an athlete. You’re so much more than that. 

Taking a semester off campus allows you to meet new people, explore new interests, take unique classes that you never would’ve been able to on campus, see foreign cities and landscapes, and develop as a person in ways that you’ll never expect. With all that, you may also be able to experience your sport in a whole new exciting light. 

Myles Robinson ’25 a member of the St. Lawrence Soccer team and a part of my London cohort, was able to incorporate his sport easily into his time in Britain. He chose the program with the country’s love for soccer in mind, joined a club team there and even got his internship with a professional team. “Integration is a big part of it,” he says. “Finding a supportive community you trust and enjoy in the sport helps you get through the process.” 

My teammate, who studied in Kenya, Charlie Beams ’25 was able to secure his internship with one of the fastest pro running teams in the world. He worked and trained with Emmanuel Waynonyi and Benson Kirupto, who went on to become Olympic Champions in the 800 and Bronze Medalist in Marathon, respectively. Charlie was adamant on how his time in Africa helped him as an athlete. “My internship allowed me to develop and learn more as a runner than if I just stayed on campus. It also let me take a step back and appreciate what St. Lawrence means to me, making me even more excited for senior year.” 

In my personal experience, I joined a running club in North London and was able to meet a ton of caring, determined people who would show up to cold, rainy evening practice just to be able to run with a group of other runners. It made me realize how lucky we are for all the facilities, resources and faculty helping us become the best athletes that we can be. Everyone who ran the club were volunteers, and seeing the work that they put in for free just to keep the club going was one of the most inspiring things I’ve seen in my sport. Because of this, I signed up to volunteer at the London Marathon and had an amazing time being part of such a huge event and seeing so many people accomplish their goal of running the 26.2 mile race. 

If you’re an athlete, it may seem like studying off-campus isn’t in the cards for you. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You may be surprised with opportunities that are offered and the adventures that you could have. You can grow and learn and then come back to SLU as an even better athlete than when you left.