Student Snapshot: Theresa Gsöllpointner

Did you know anything about Latvia before moving here?

Not really, I came here on a short trip with my older brother in November before starting in February, and I just knew it was the right choice!

A funny thing happened on the way there. My brother's girlfriend and I flew first. There were some really friendly Latvians on our plane who started talking to us and asked what we would do in Riga. They shared their drinks with us and so “priekā” became the first Latvian word that I learned! The next day it was freezing cold and we walked through the whole Old Town looking at all the beautiful buildings and the nice cafes and eating wonderful pastries. I was amazed at the huge Central Market and that people there were really, really friendly. Especially when I tried to speak a little Latvian!

I didn't visit RSU on my first trip, but I met a lot of students at a house party who said they liked studying there a lot, and that Riga has a great international student community. 

What were your priorities for this year in that role?

We want to increase international students' opportunities for sports here at RSU. Personally, I need to play a lot of sports in order to have a balanced life, and I know many other students who feel similarly.

Some of them started projects like the Tennis Club, Riga Road Runners, Floor Hockey, etc., and this year we want to further expand on those initiatives.

It must have been difficult to be in charge of sports last year due to the pandemic. How did it go for the individual groups?

We were able to hold a tennis tournament, but unfortunately matches had to stop in the spring. Floor hockey teams played outside for a while, but as soon as they had to move inside due to the weather, they also needed to stop. The Riga Road Runners running club started offering virtual runs and challenges so people could still share their runs online seeing as group runs were not possible anymore.

Theresa getting ready to serve for her team.

How have you managed your role given all the restrictions in place?

We organised a group called Fit With ISA that holds hour-long high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions once a week. You don't need any equipment to take part, and it is really exhausting! The group is led by Kostia Levinas, and it is a great way to just refresh your mind in the middle of studying.

We also have a yoga group taking place once a week, which is led by Sintija Zīlīte. Around 15 students usually join this session online. It's the perfect start to the weekend, giving you some energy and freeing the mind.

You mentioned you wanted to start a fistball team at RSU - can you tell me what it is, and why you got this idea?

Fistball is a team sport similar to volleyball played by the following parameters:

• A team consists of 5 players (with 3 extras);
• It can be played both indoors and outdoors (on grass) on a 50x20m large field which is divided by a net;
• You serve standing 3m behind the net (comparatively, in volleyball you serve from the end of the field);
• Your hand always has to be in a fist and you are only allowed to play with one arm, regardless of which arm it is;
• Your team is allowed to hit the ball three times, and it is allowed to touch the ground. The player who touches the ball for the third time has to return it to the other team, trying to score a point.

Your team scores a point if:

• the opposite team hits a ball that touches the net,
• their ball touches the ground twice, 
• the opposing team hits a ball outside the field, 
• one of their players touches the ball with two hands, or with another body part.

I want to start a team in Latvia, because there are no teams here yet. Fistball is gaining recognition internationally with more and more teams being established all around the world including in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Poland, Austria, Serbia, Italy, US, Namibia, India, etc. So why not also in Latvia? I myself started playing in kindergarten when I was 4-years old.

I think this would be a great opportunity to go on to play in European or World Championships! This would be a great way to meet new people, and connect with different countries.

Theresa's fistball team. Theresa is third from the right in the top row.

How have you maintained an exercise/fitness regime while socially isolating?

Doing Fit With ISA once a week has helped me to get back into a routine. It's always been rather difficult for me to find my motivation straight away after I come back from Austria. Doing this helps me get more motivated for other workouts, like long walks, running with my flatmates and I even started training online together with my Austrian fistball team! 

What are your health, or exercise tips for the winter when people are stuck at home?

Evening runs and morning workouts, especially HIIT workouts, which are super efficient and give you a great “kick” in the morning.

There are a lot of workouts that you can find on Youtube or even on Instagram with different intensity levels that are easily adjustable to your needs. Feel free to contact ISA for any tips!

I usually like to go for runs rather late, because then there are not as many people outside anymore, which I like. Also I have more energy then, than if I were to run in the morning.

I also really recommend drinking a morning Ginger Shock! This is a drink I make from ginger juice, lemon juice and honey.