Elin Mattson combines university studies and elite competition
Is it possible to combine university studies with an elite sport career? Yes – at least if you ask Elin Mattson! Elin is the 25-year-old who, over the past five years, has studied sports science at the University while also competing in elite dressage. By the summer she will graduate from her studies and in the meantime has managed to achieve, among other things, a Swedish Championship gold and silver medal as a YR rider, a Swedish Championship silver medal as a U25 rider and 2 European Team Championships bronze medals. For the autumn, a partial goal is to qualify for our competition Sweden Trophy, but that is just one of many milestones for this driven rider.
How has it been possible to combine university studies with making an elite effort?
”I’ll be honest and say that it’s been tough many times when in addition to studying and competing at the highest level, I’ve also worked as much as I’ve been able to to make everything work. But I’ve been careful to try to structure my days so that there isn’t too much or too little of anything.”
One advantage of having read an athletic program is that Elin has been able to adapt her exams to her competitions, and not vice versa. She has also been able to transfer much of her studies into her athletic career, such as mental training, training planning, leadership, entrepreneurship, and business economics.
If you find Elin’s surname familiar, she is the younger sister of the national team rider Marina Mattson. Elin has been competing in dressage since a young age and has ridden the SM, NM and EM on a pony. When she took the step up to a larger horse, she took over the reins from her half-brothers Beckham and Cognac. Beckham had competed by Marina up to world cup level and together with Elin they had a successful career, both nationally and internationally. Elin says that the sisters help and support each other forward.
”My sister and I have a very close relationship and she is an important pillar for me, both personally and regarding the horses. I can always turn to her if I have a question or need to discuss something, which is a huge comfort. I train for her (and also my mom) quite often, which is very beneficial as we think and reason very similarly regarding the horses and my sister is a great inspiration for me!”
For the autumn, Elin hopes to qualify for the DressagePower Horse Show, where she is registered in the Sweden Trophy along with the horse Jalapeño, which is a horse Elin has been tasked with training and with whom she is competing together.
”I am currently competing in the MsvB with my current horse and have previously only ridden ”regular” day competitions, but felt that I wanted to have some new goals to aim for. I have been following DressagePower for a long time but never thought that you have the Sweden Trophy for MsvB teams.”
She says that it’s a good goal for those teams that are both a bit extra motivated because it’s both a meeting and a championship-like arena. But it’s also a bit more ”at stake” when you get to face the country’s best MsvB team.
”Jalapeño is very kind and sweet and has many qualities that I value in a horse. Just as we can work on the track, we can also go out into the forest or jump a little for variety, which we both appreciate.”
And how are things with the choir? Have you started looking into another one for you and Jalapeño?
”I’ve started sketching out a choreography with both music and lines that I think could suit both of us, and I’m really looking forward to showcasing our choreography and hoping that we make it to the final. That’s also one of the reasons I signed up for the Sweden Trophy – to have the opportunity to do a choreography. Who doesn’t love doing a choreography!”
We wish Elin all the best!