Prague, Czech Republic, March 8, 2017. It is International Women’s Day and for Czech female Snow Volleyball player Michaela Knoblochova it is her birthday too. However, between studies, work and her upcoming trip to Disentis she has no time to celebrate either of these occasions.
Knoblochova is one of the most active and successful athletes in the world of Snow Volleyball. She and her partner Anna Dostalova have made three appearances on the CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour so far and already have two podium finishes under their belt, hoping to add another one as they are heading for the Swiss Alps this weekend to take part in their fourth tournament.
During the weekdays, Michaela is very busy between her studies at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at Prague’s Charles University, where she is pursuing her Master’s degree, and her job as a Beach Volleyball coach. “During the week I don’t have time for celebrations,” she explains. “Today, for example, I will be working from 3 to 10 PM. I am also working on my final thesis for my academic degree…”
However, weekends are a different story. Michaela did not have a tournament last weekend, so she celebrated her birthday, though somewhat prematurely, with her friends on Friday, and spent Saturday and Sunday with her family in the town she comes from – Terezín, a small historical place in the north of the Czech Republic.
“Well, I hope to celebrate in Disentis this coming weekend,” Knoblochova says. “I hope we play well, we produce good results and we win some medals in Switzerland. This would be the best gift for me! And I definitely wish for some sunny weather during the competition.”
Knoblochova and Dostalova earned their first medal at the last stop on the inaugural 2016 CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour in Kronplatz / Plan de Corones, Italy. In the final match, they had to face the about-to-be-crowned ‘Queens of the Snow’ Greta Cicolari and Giulia Toti from the host country and settled for silver. On home snow, in Špindlerův Mlýn this year, the Czech tandem claimed bronze, but during the third place match, Michaela sustained a toe injury.
“It was very painful at first,” she remembers. “Fortunately, it wasn’t very serious and I was able to practice again a few days after it happened. I went to a hospital in Prague and they helped me fast. It is not completely gone yet, but it is not painful now.”
This was a bit of a setback that is not going to stop her from playing in Disentis and the rest of the 2017 European Tour. Dostalova and Knoblochova are currently sharing the sixth place in the individual CEV Snow Volleyball Ranking and if they do well at the upcoming tournaments, they are bound for a speedy climb to the top.
The fourth stop on the 2017 CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour for women and men will take place in Disentis, Switzerland on March 11 and 12.
For further information click here or visit SnowVolleyball.com.