This is how much Berlin sprint star Alica Schmidt earns as an athlete

By Antonia Maiwald

While the runner is applying make-up, she chats openly about the reality that many track and field athletes experience: “In principle, I have to say that it is not easy for most German track and field athletes to make a living from sport.”

The reason: The support and payment from the associations is simply not enough!

“If we are in the squad, i.e. in the national team, we receive 700 euros from Sporthilfe,” she explains.

There would also be the possibility of getting some money every month through the club. For her – she runs for SC Charlottenburg – this is “only a small sum”. Some would get nothing at all. “But that’s usually not enough to make a living from,” she explains.

Of course you can also earn money through competitions, but that is not often the case. In fact, for most competitions you actually pay extra, “because you have travel and hotel costs that are not always covered.”

Otherwise there would also be the option of joining the Bundeswehr or the Federal Police. According to Schmidt, an athlete in the Bundeswehr earns around 2,500 euros a month. The only condition: You have to be present for a four to six week course. Otherwise you can focus completely on the sport. In the federal police you would get a similar salary, but you would work more hours.

These circumstances encourage many athletes to look elsewhere for income opportunities. Schmidt: “Most of us study part-time in order to build up a second source of income, or even have mini-jobs that we do on the side.”

German track and field athlete mega successful on social media

For her, the second mainstay worked more than well. The 24-year-old is a social media star and model. She is followed by an impressive 4.7 million people on Instagram and two million followers on TikTok.