Switzerland’s Nadine Zumkehr has been named the 2016 FIVB Women’s Most Inspirational Player of the Swatch World Tour.
Zumkehr finished her career at September’s World Tour Finals, winning a silver medal with her teammate Joana Heidrich before announcing her retirement from the sport.
“For me it was very special to win this award from the FIVB in my very last season,” Nadine told the Swatch Beach Volleyball Major Series from her home in Switzerland. “I didn’t expect it at all – I didn’t even think about it until our boss from the federation sent me the link. I was very happy.”
The award is voted on by fellow professionals on the tour for a player, and Zumkehr is the first Swiss player in the 12 year history of the award to win it.
“I studied to become a primary school teacher when I was younger and that was my aim when I ended my professional career – to become a teacher,” said Zumkehr. “I’ll do some substitute teacher work next term. I still need to find a full-time job but I will do some replacement work, so I can test myself again. It’s been a few years since I was last in the classroom but it’s a job I love to do because it will make me feel happy. Right now I have a lot of different options. I don’t have any concrete plans but put it this way, I’m not afraid of having nothing to do.”
“I aim to give that back to the children to inspire them – I see the award as a sign that I’m on the right track. It’s nice to feel that I’ve inspired people but that will be different in school. I think I have the skills to do it and I hope the children will like how I approach it.”
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