ELENA ŠANDERA

WELCOME
TO MY WEBSITE

ABOUT ME

Hey there, nice to see you here: welcome to my world!

Before you take a deep dive into this website, let me introduce myself:)

I’m 19 years old and in the beginning of 2020 I decided to embark on an exciting and life changing adventure that is continuing to help me grow into the best version of myself. After completing my high school diploma and starting medical school, I re-discovered my passion for windsurfing.

The sport which I learned as a six year old and which was a summer hobby during my whole life had developed over time and a new technique was introduced: The foil.

This hydrodynamic fin allows the surfboard loose contact with the water and accelerate to high speeds, even in the lightest winds. I was fascinated by this new way of windsurfing and when I found out that Windsurffoiling was to be the new Olympic Windsurf Class, I was sold.

My whole life I loved to push myself to the very best and to not give up until I had reached all my goals I set for myself. Graduation with very high grades? check. Exchange year in high school? check. Starting medical school at 18? check.

I felt like it was time to go bigger. And it does not get much bigger than competing at the Olympics, does it? To reach this goal I will have to go all in: change my living style (van life, hello!), say goodbye to the country i’ve lived in my whole life, leave friends behind, make new ones along the road and most importantly; go to my mental and physical limits.

 


While I have already encountered some hardships along the way, nothing has felt more right to me than following this path. If you are keen on following me along the way to the Olympics 2024 (and maybe even 2028?), feel free to check out my other social platforms such as instagram, facebook and linkedIn:) I also just started a podcast with two of my training partners in which we interview your favourite athletes in a more personal manner.

SPONSORS

Ford and Sortimo
My biggest pride is my very uniquely windsurf van which I had to honour to design together with Ford and Sortimo. Their vision and openness has allowed a collaboration which I have always dreamed of. The Ford Transit is the perfect van for me: easy to guide and beautiful to look at. Sortimo transformed the Ford Transit into any windsurfers paradise. The clever layout allows me to store all my gear (which is A LOT), cook, sleep and work in this van. From April to October you will find me on the road with my Ford Transit windsurf van, following the wind and training in the most beautiful locations.
JP/Neilrpyde
As of January 2022 I get to be part of the JP/Neilpryde Team and compete in the PWA as the team rider for Switzerland! All my life I have used the JP/Neilpryde gear, it’s what I know and what I love. It has felt more than right to have this brand by my side as I build my professional windsurfing career. I feel honoured to be part of such a legendary team and I’m looking forward to the next season.
O’Neill 
Windsurfers might not have to wear uniforms, but the wetsuits come pretty close to it. There’s barely a day where I’m not in the water and it’s important to have a comfortable wetsuit which will keep me warm in any conditions. From January 2022 I will be using O’Neill Wetsuits as well as their street clothes. O’Neill has been the leading brand in terms of wetsuit technology for years and I’m keen on being part of the Swiss O’Neill Team!
Schulthess
The Swiss Private Clinic lays in the heart of Zurich. With my medical background, it felt natural to look for supporters in the medical world and I feel incredibly lucky to have found support with the Schulthess Clinic. I trust the Clinic with my medical diagnostics as well as any other medical issues that I will inevitably encounter in the future. Their medical team will support me along the way with their knowledge and high tech equipment
Bottneuro 
Alzheimers is a very serious disease and I have been personally affected by it due to my grandfather having Alzheimers for quite some time now. Bottneuro is a company that researches this illness and is looking for a cure. I am happy to have been able to pass on a video project to their website in which I portrayed the effects of Alzheimer on the immediate family of the diseased. Their compensation has allowed me to participate in the World Championships in Marseille last October.

THE OLYMPIC
DREAM

I have a dream. Admittedly, a bit of a crazy dream: It is my goal to qualify Switzerland for the Olympics 2024 and go for gold.

Why is this a crazy project? Before January 2021 I was barely able to windsurf and over the course of three years I will need to learn what other professional athletes learn in ten years!

I am convinced that with the right mindset and support I can achieve this ambitious goal. I want to push my limits, explore my boundaries and step out of my comfort zone.

My path will be unconventional and extraordinary.

I want to organise my Olympic Campaign in my own terms. Coming from a medical background, I believe that science is my best friend. I am basing my project heavily on research and collecting data from sports doctors, nutritionists, high performance coaches and olympic medalists in order to create a game plan that is backed up by science.

I also believe that while windsurfing is an individual sport, working in a team will make me stronger and a better athlete. I have teamed up with Sara Wennekes (Netherlands) and Helle Oppedal (Norway) to build a team of three athletes with the same goal: Bring home a medal from the Olympics 2024. Each of us have different perspectives and ideas on how to develop our skills as training partners and we believe that together we can achieve our dream.

MEDIA

Welcome to the Media World!

As an individual athlete, media exposure is incredibly important for building the brand and for letting people be part of the journey.

I’ve had the luck to be part of several media projects already and since I’m very passionate about media work, I’m sure that there is lots more to come:)

SHOP

Welcome to the Shop!

Since deciding to go all in with my athletic career, I had to realise that using the newest gear on the market is essential for getting to and staying at the highest level of windsurfing.

However, it is important to me that my used gear can find a loved home and be used by a passionate windsurfer. On this page you will find all my gear I have used previously and that is currently on sale. I take care of my equipment to the best of my abilities and will always disclaim if anything has been previously damaged or repaired.

Happy browsing!

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