Written by Trackandmemes, January 2, 2022
"I am Olivier Lifrange from the White Star Athletic Club and I have been doing athletics for 6 years"
I was accepted at Marian University which is a school in Indianapolis and performance wise, I want to break it down there. My dream would be to become an American champion.
Joining an American university will allow me to combine sports and studies in the best possible way, and that is what I am looking for. I didn't want to cut back on my sports, but I also wanted to study at a high level. Marian University allows me to combine everything, but also to discover a new culture and new people.
When I see your parents, I often think that you must be a great pride for them. How do they feel about you leaving?
I'm the one who's proud of my parents, but they're actually very happy that I can go. They know it's my dream, and we've been in this process for 2 years now, so we really built it together. They want me to leave as much as I do, they can't wait. But it's true that for our relationship, all this change will be hard because we won't see each other for 6 months.
What will you remember about your time at White Star Athletic Club?
My journey at white star is far from over. I will continue to run for this club over the summer and hope to do a lot of competitions to represent this club again but definitely, what I will remember are the people here who are very friendly. It's a real family. The internships abroad were absolutely amazing.
What is different from your stay in Belgium?
Everything is quite different here. First of all, all of my interests are within a 5 minute walk. I call it the joys of campus. When I leave my room, within 10 minutes I'm at practice or in class. It's a change from when I had to go to and from Brussels (Belgium) several times a day! The food is quite different; large quantities, lots of choices but not always the best. You really have to have self-discipline not to fall into meals that are too fatty or too sweet. It's also the first time I've lived outside my home, so at the beginning it was quite disturbing to have to do my laundry, shopping,...
How do you deal with your new, totally different lifestyle (new language, new system)?
It took me some time to adapt... I would say a good month. Being far from Europe and all my references, I had to find a new rhythm and new habits. I would say that now, I feel good and I start to feel like in my second home, Indianapolis. After almost 2 months here, I have already met many good people. People are naturally nice.
Do you have any regrets so far?
Being away from my family is certainly something I think about regularly, but I have no regrets. I am convinced that leaving Belgium for my studies was the right choice and I am looking forward to continuing on this path!
English 
French