Being a college student can be difficult.
You have to do all-nighters studying for a final exam. There are the social dynamics of who you’re living with in the dorms. If you’re a college athlete, you then have to add the stress of competing on top of that.
Being an Olympian who is also a college student, though?
That’s next level.
Canada’s Maddie Schizas is one of the best figure skaters in the world, but she’s also a university student with classes, exams, and, yes, homework.
So what happens when you’re practicing for a gold medal, and it clashes with an assignment that you thought was due later?
An extension, with backing from the Canadian Olympic Committee.
More news: Ilia Malinin Makes Olympic History With First-Ever Figure Skating Backflip
More news: Winter Olympics Opens With Backlash: ‘Boring’ Ceremony Buried in Ads
“Hi Prof.,” Schizas begins her now viral email. “I am a student in your Sociology 2FF3 course and am wondering if I could get a short extension on this week’s reflection. I was competing in the Olympic Games yesterday and thought the reflection was due on Sunday, not Friday.
“Here is the Canadian Olympic Committee press release to confirm my participation.”
If the professor wanted to make sure Schizas was not lying, they could watch her on broadcast television in pretty much every language in the world. The four-time national champion competed in the team figure skating event for Canada, finishing sixth in the short program as the country advanced to the finals.
She won’t be coming home after Sunday, though, as she will compete in the women’s figure skating solo competition against the best at their craft on the planet.
While Schizas admitted in a recent interview that she has not heard back from her professor on whether she’ll receive the extension, a podium finish and a medal might be enough to buy her a few extra days to submit her homework.
