Some weeks ago there was a very long article about Julia Sauter in a Romanian news website
26.02.2023
La 25 de ani a făcut istorie pentru sportul românesc, dar are trei joburi pentru a-și putea finanța competițiile. Povestea patinatoarei Julia Sauter, care a înțeles pe propria piele că în România „promisiunile nu înseamnă mare lucru”
pressone.ro
Julia Sauter, the German skater who works in three places to represent us in competitions. "Romania has become part of me"
excerpts:
_Although she was born in Germany, she made history for Romania in January when she placed 10th at the European Figure Skating Championships in Esppo, Finland. It's the best finish Romania has ever had at a European skating championship.
_She works three jobs to afford to compete and receives no help from the country she represents; the Romanian Skating Federation has been insolvent since 2018 and the Ministry of Sport cannot allocate money from the budget.
_She teaches dance classes to children at a school on weekends when time permits, works for a catering company, but is also a coach and choreographer on ice.
In a competition where I went without my coach at the time, I was extremely disappointed and didn't understand why I didn't get more points. Marius was coaching my girlfriend at the time and after my moment on the ice, he came to me and explained how I could do better if I were to change some things.
In Germany, the skating system is very complex, and if you don't do certain jumps by a certain age, you are kicked out of their elite program. Marius saw my raw talent and tried to open a new door for me to represent Romania. It was a long process and when it was over I was extremely happy and my family supported the opportunity.
_Sauter and Marius Negrea get on very well these days and have a relationship based on trust and loyalty. It wasn't always like this, and Julia says it took a lot of work and communication on both their parts to understand each other.
_Julia confesses that for a long time she was influenced by all the negative comments she heard around her, which affected her a lot and filled her with insecurity. Once she got over this stage and started to see things from a different perspective, she also understood Negrea's more difficult teachings.
There are some prargraphs about Romanian fed, relations seem to be not at the very best
I need 10-15 thousand euros per season to cover all my costs, but also my salary, because I am 25 years old and I have to think about my future. I have a husband and a dog and I want to put money aside as well.
_However, she thanks the Romanians for the kind messages they have sent her and talks about how happy she is to share this feeling with them.
_Julia believes mental health needs more attention in sport, but also in general, and finds it "crazy how it's 2023 and so many people are terrified" to talk openly about it.
_Right now, she points out, she's mapping out her plans from one year to the next. "I have to see what's possible, how healthy I am and how much I love it. There's a lot of sacrifice involved and I have to feel like it's worth it. But I know I haven't reached my full potential and I want to try that. I have a supportive husband and that makes it easier. You're only young once, so let's see how long I can keep going."
_Married to hockey player Robbie Czarnik, Julia finds support at home from a partner who is also an athlete. But that doesn't mean they don't find time to relax together.
_If the officials can't help me, we'll see. At least I hope the younger generation will get more support at some point, and then I will be thankful that I was part of the change. But let's hope we get it all," she concludes.
