HOCHSCHULE REUTLINGEN
28.06.2022

From the lecture theatre to the victory podium

DIME student Tim Holzapfel is the German Champion over 800 meters

By Katrin Reil

After the lecture, a lap on the track - for Tim Holzapfel, this is part of his everyday life at ESB Business School. The MSc Digital Industrial Management and Engineering (DIME) student sees running as more than just a hobby. At the German Athletics Championships last Sunday, he finished first in the 800-meter final with a time of 1:49.25 minutes. Congratulations!

"Sport is the perfect balance to my studies. I can switch off, think about other things and concentrate only on training," says Tim Holzapfel, who is currently working on his master's thesis in the MSc Digital Industrial Management and Engineering programme. Conversely, his involvement in sports also helps him at university. "Sports teach you a lot of mental strength, which I can put to good use in my studies. For example, I'm always much more nervous before competitions than before an exam," he says. Tim Holzapfel actually went to the Finals in Berlin as an outsider - and returned home as a surprise winner.

Perhaps that was also due to his training. As part of the DIME research master's programme, Tim Holzapfel spent a semester at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. "Stellenbosch is a very popular place for training camps. I met many top athletes there and had a training partner who became a good friend. Instead of cold and wet Germany, I was able to train every day in bright sunshine," he says.

This is not the only reason his time at Stellenbosch has been Tim Holzapfel's most formative experience at ESB Business School. “The experience of my semester abroad is fixed in my memory. I will remember it for the rest of my life,” he says.

What happens next for Tim Holzapfel after he submits his master's thesis is still open. "I have to let the success sink in and then decide whether I want to start working full time or go into professional sports. I can well imagine both and am still leaving all my options open,” he says.

Professor Daniel Palm from the MSc Digital Industrial Management and Engineering programme is sure his student will make the right decision, saying "It is impressive how Tim has been able to combine sports and studies and we congratulate him wholeheartedly on this great success. Industry, sports or research: all doors are open to Tim and he will surely go his own way!"
 

Applications for the MSc Digital Industrial Management and Engineering programme at ESB Business School in cooperation with partner institutions Stellenbosch University (South Africa) or Purdue University (USA) are open until 15 July 2022. More information about the programme will be available during virtual info sessions on 04 July 2022 (1:00 pm) and 11 July 2022 (3:30 pm).