The soon-to-be 22-year-old Ofelia Malinov is wise beyond her young years. The current starting setter for Italy’s Women’s national team has experienced lightning-fast success to her career. This, however, has not kept her from focusing on other aspects of her life, such as her education.
Although it is very common for US players to get a good education while playing volleyball, this is almost unheard of in Europe and South America, where volleyball is played in clubs and not in school teams. In practice, this means that almost all players of Malinov’s caliber end up leaving school near the end of their high-school education, as juggling 8 hours of daily practices with school is almost impossible.
Such reality has not stopped Malinov from pursuing one of her passions, law school, as she is officially enrolled at the University of Milan. Here is what she had to say to Ivolleymagazine.it about it:
“It is not easy to play and study, but at Foppapedretti Bergamo education plays a fundamental role, so it is easier for me to study and train. After my sporting career, I would like to be a lawyer, as legal science has always fascinated me. When I get home from practice, I open my books to study and go over my class notes. It does not scare me to combine school and sport. Volleyball is fun, and my current job, while studying represents my future. To win in sport, as in life, it takes sacrifice and passion. Nobody gives you anything.”
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