Stefan Due Schmidt

www.facebook.com/AthleteStefanDue
twitter.com/Stefan_Due

Reason for choosing this sport	He loved skating with his brother, as well as competing individually and as a team in inline skating. He took up speed skating because he wanted more competition, speed and to push his limits physically.
When and where did you begin this sport?	He began inline skating in 2000 in Denmark. He took up speed skating in 2008.

Most influential person in career	His brother Philip, and Danish speed skater Jesper Carlson. (Athlete, 27 Jan 2017; Athlete, 21 Nov 2019)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Enjoy training each day and acknowledge how lucky you are." (Athlete, 27 Jan 2017)
Other sports	He has represented Denmark in roller speed skating. He finished seventh in the track 10,000m points elimination event at the 2019 World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. (SportsDeskOnline, 19 Jan 2021; Twitter profile, 06 Jan 2015)
Injuries	He broke his hand twice in 2015. (Athlete, 27 Jan 2017) He broke his arm in 2011. (Athlete, 27 Jan 2017) In 2011 he tore a ligament and was out for 10 weeks. (Athlete, 08 Nov 2013) He fractured his arm in 2008 and was out for eight weeks. (Athlete, 27 Jan 2017, 08 Nov 2013)
Memorable sporting achievement	Competing in the mass start final at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (Athlete, 21 Nov 2019)
Ambitions	To compete at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (Athlete, 21 Nov 2019)
Hero / Idol	Swiss road cyclist Fabian Cancellara, Belgian cyclo-cross rider Sven Nys, Belgian road cyclist Tom Boonen. (Athlete, 27 Jan 2017)
Hobbies	Podcasting. (Athlete, 21 Nov 2019; spotify.com, 07 Nov 2020)
Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs	He puts on good socks and underwear on a race day. (Athlete, 21 Nov 2019)
Famous relatives	His younger brother Philip has represented Denmark in speed skating at World Cup events, and has also competed at the roller speed skating world championships. His partner Gabriela Vargas has represented Ecuador in roller speed skating, and finished eighth in the track 10,000m elimination race at the 2019 World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. (Athlete, 21 Nov 2019; Instagram profile, 02 Jan 2021; SportsDeskOnline, 12 Jan 2021)
Nicknames	Steve, Duen (schaatsen.nl, 12 Jan 2020)
Other information	OTHER ACTIVITIES He is the founder and owner of Bont Nordic, which imports and sells Bont skating equipment in Scandinavia and northern Europe. In 2019 he and his brother launched The Due Power Podcast, which covers both speed skating and roller speed skating. The podcast features other skaters as guests. (Athlete, 21 Nov 2019; Facebook page, 04 Sep 2019; spotify.com, 07 Nov 2020; LinkedIn profile, 24 Aug 2020) FURTHER STUDIES After completing a bachelor's degree in nutrition and health studies, he began a master's degree in global health at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark in September 2020. (Facebook profile, 01 Sep 2020; Instagram profile, 15 Jan 2021; Facebook page, 24 Aug 2020)