"It‘s still a long way"- Alica Schmidt makes her feelings known as she gears up for season debut after 'challenging' training camp in South Africa

Alica Schmidt shared her reflections as she continues training in South Africa, preparing for her season debut. This year holds particular significance as she'll be stepping outside her comfort zone to compete in the 800m alongside her pet 400m event.

Schmidt participated in the Paris Olympics, competing in the women's 4x400m and the mixed 4x400m relay. The German team finished seventh in both the events, ultimately failing to qualify for the finals. After taking some time off after the quadrennial games in Paris, the German athlete embarked on her off-season practice sessions as she moved to South Africa for the training camp.

The Olympian underwent rigorous training in South Africa as she prepares to compete in the 800m this season. She took to Instagram to share her thoughts on her season debut and her South African training camp. While acknowledging the challenging nature of the training, Schmidt expressed her excitement to return to the track.

"T-7 days till my indoor 800m debut ✨ This camp was challenging and a new experience for me training wise and I‘m now excited to step onto the track and see where I‘m at 🏃🏼‍♀️ It‘s still a long way but I‘m enjoying this journey so much 🫶🏼" she wrote.

Alica Schmidt on her decision to compete in another event after the Paris Olympics

In Picture: Alica Schmidt during the 4x400 mixed relat in Paris 2024 - Athletics - Source: Getty

After the Paris Olympics last year, Alica Schmidt took to Instagram to share her plans to make a transition from sprinting to middle-distance running in the 2024 season. The German athlete revealed that she had desired to make a transition for a long time.

However, it was in 2022 that she had decided that she would give the 800m a shot after the Paris Olympics.

"After Paris, I tried something new and ran an 800m & 600m and really enjoyed pushing out of my comfort zone. Back in 2022, I decided that I wanted to give the 800m a shot after the Paris Olympics, so now it means… I’m going for it next year," she said.

"I‘m super excited for this new challenge and what it will bring ✨ (I‘m also going to run the 400m but focus more on the endurance part in training for now)," she added.

Furthermore, Schmidt expressed her excitement to practice and compete in the new event in the upcoming track season.