The apple never falls far from the tree.
His grandfather was a veterinarian, his parents are doctors and so is his older sister. Max Walscheid will become one in just under a year.
“I always thought about studying medicine,” explains the Team Jayco AlUla rider, “and certainly the example of my family helped me in this choice.”
His vocation to become a doctor has accompanied him since his early school years. “I have often reflected on a seemingly simple but often forgotten concept: what kind of life can you have if you are not healthy? And helping people feel good is simply wonderful.”
Walscheid is enrolled at Heidelberg, one of the oldest and most prestigious German universities. It wasn’t an easy path for the for the 31-year-old, but he persisted.
“Choosing to study medicine was easy, but getting admitted to the university was much more difficult. The course has limited places, and my grades were not good enough to get in. I had to pass several tests but, in the end, I made it,” he says.
It was not easy to reconcile studying with being a professional rider. Walscheid, who is 1.99m (6ft 6in) tall and weighs around 90 kg, started with athletics, then tried decathlon before falling in love with cycling at 16.
“I probably should have dedicated myself to rowing, but the only truth is that I love cycling,” he says.
When he finished high school in 2012, he studied at university full time. “At the beginning, I was able to combine studying with training and competitions, but then when I turned professional in 2015 everything became more difficult,” Walscheid explains.
Training sessions became longer, and he began to travel the world. “I often had a suitcase in my hand and studying was impossible. There was also another aspect that took away my peace of mind. I was almost afraid to say that I was studying medicine because I was afraid that someone would tell me that I was taking time away from my profession as a cyclist,” he says.
In a certain sense, the Covid lockdown saved Walscheid’s career as a doctor. “I was forced to stay at home, and I said to myself: ‘Why don’t you start studying again?’ I was very motivated, and I passed all the exams of the various semesters.”
Now there’s not much time left until graduation. “I have to take the final exam and then I will have to work first for a year as an assistant doctor and then pass an oral exam. At that point I will be 100% a doctor!”
Walscheid has clear ideas about what kind of doctor he wants to be: “I would like to work in sports. My experience as a pro rider certainly represents an added value and makes me more credible,” says Walscheid.
For this reason, when he is at the races, the German often meets with the team’s medical staff.
“At the moment, my preparation is theoretical while I need to deepen the practical part. I talk a lot with our doctors, and I learn a lot. The most important thing I have understood is that you have to respect your limits and never push yourself beyond them.”
He is convinced that he has accumulated a great debt to cycling and what he has learned he will carry with him into his future life.
“Cycling is a great school of life because you learn discipline and how to deal with pain and suffering and this is a lesson that I will certainly bring into my life and into my profession as a doctor. The career of a cyclist and that of a doctor also have another point in common: you must always be ready to do your job,” he says.
But when will we see Walscheid in a white doctor’s coat? “At the moment, I am very happy to be a professional rider,” he explains. “But I also feel that I have already spent most of my talent and my skills. I still have some margin and when I have no more it will be the right time to get off the bike.”
Photos: KRAMON
