“I love a battle and the fact that there's a winner and looser.”

“I decided to spread the first year of the bachelor’s program over two years, and then see how things go,” says Rosset, who is studying civil engineering. “I’m currently focused on the core subjects of math and physics; after that I’ll move into more applied topics.” As an athlete, she’s taking half of the regular courseload: 18 credits instead of 30. Her first year at EPFL was difficult – especially the first semester, since there were only four days she could come to campus – but Rosset feels she’s now gotten her bearings. She takes her classes mainly via Moodle, the EPFL platform where students can access class materials. “It has everything you need: lectures, videos from prior years, PowerPoint presentations and exercises along with the answer key,” says Rosset. “For now, I’m able to keep up on my own.” And that’s just as well, since her judo training often takes her far from the EPFL campus.

A family sport

It’s not easy to keep track of where Rosset will be training next, as she shuffles between facilities in Lausanne, Morges, Yverdon-les-Bains and even Bern Canton. “Our main training center is in Macolin, which is close to Lake Biel. When I’m there, it’s impossible for me to attend class at the Lausanne campus,” she says. And some years are more complicated than others when it comes to scheduling. “The first half of 2024 was a little unusual because my coach was busy with the athletes who were preparing for the Paris Olympics. When he was away, I trained at my judo club in Morges and at the national judo center in Yverdon.”

When in Lausanne, Rosset hones her physical performance through twice-daily sessions at the Dorigny sports center. “We do a lot of different exercises in judo, since we have to be strong technically, physically and mentally,” she says. “Endurance is important, and we also need to be effective in short bursts. Our training covers a wide variety of skills. It never gets boring!”

Rosset’s brother Simon is also passionate about judo. He was the Swiss Champion in 2017 and a bronze medalist in 2018, and he is the one who introduced her to the sport. “I started judo when I was five years old,” she says. “Everything my brother did, I wanted to do too. First, he played football, so I kicked the ball around too. Then he learned to ski, and I followed him on the slopes. And then he discovered judo. He does less of it now, but I got hooked and have become an elite athlete. Unfortunately, I still can't beat him—he's still very strong!"

Rosset often trains with her brother’s wife, Priscilla Morand Rosset, a ten-time Swiss champion. Priscilla is a formidable opponent and one who Rosset gets to spar with on Tuesday evenings at the judo club in Morges. “The club was closed during the pandemic, as were all the gyms,” says Rosset. “So we created our own mini-gym at home, in the attic.”

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=501376380546533

“I have to admit, I love a battle and the fact that there’s a winner and looser,” she says. “There’s no in between. I always try to give it my all and never give up.” Rosset qualified for both the European and world championships in 2023. “That was during my first semester at EPFL. I spent a lot of time training. It was a great experience and I was really happy to have qualified.”

A setback from whiplash

This achievement is even more impressive considering the setback Rosset faced the prior year. “With judo, even though you’re on a tatami mat, and no matter how long you’ve been practicing, you’ve always got to be careful,” she says. “Injuries occur frequently, especially to the cruciate ligaments, shoulders, elbows, fingers, knees, ankles, back and neck. That’s what happened to me.” During a competition in July 2022, her opponent tried to throw her to the mat, but things spun out of control. “I was attempting to lie on my stomach, but my opponent fell on top of me and I experienced a kind of whiplash. Some ligaments were torn, and there were perhaps other injuries too. I visited several doctors: some said I had to give up judo because it was too dangerous, while others told me I could start again in six weeks. I was so confused!” Rosset and her coaches decided to take the wisest course – and wait. She went through targeted physical therapy to strengthen her neck muscles and then had surgery operation. “They implanted a plate and fused two vertebrae together. I shouldn’t have any more problems because the operation was designed to compensate for the weakness caused by the injury.”

For now, Rosset is happy to divide her time between judo and her EPFL studies. And she’s keeping a cool head. “I don’t want to take ten years to get my degree. I’ll see where I am after I’ve finished competing in the under 23 category. If I win a medal by then, then I think it’ll be worth continuing at EPFL as a student athlete. I’d like to compete in the 2028 Olympics, but I’ve got a long way to go. In the meantime, I’ll take it year by year.”