EUSA Insider:
Mirjam Sipos
Organising Committee: EUSA Rowing 2019 Published 26 July 2019
Tell us about your involvement in sport.
I have been playing basketball since I was six years old: I went through the club team ladder in Sopron – which until today is one of the European women’s basketball powerhouses. I spent the summers playing in the national team and eventually received an athletic scholarship to University of New Orleans. I played there throughout my university years while learning the American university sport culture, then I put my experiences into practice.
Coming from a sport-loving family, exercising has always played a vital part in my life. The scholarship opportunity was the perfect combination of giving me lifelong friendships, earning my degrees and getting to know different cultures while playing the game that I love, basketball. In other words, the stars were aligned perfectly for me.
Describe how and why did you get involved with the organisational aspect at EUSA event.
As the host of the EUC Rowing 2019, Jönköping University was looking for someone with a sport and event background and I arrived to the city just in time. I attended the European University Games in Coimbra; it was a good networking experience and gave me a glimpse into the EUSA world. My love for sports began with basketball but as I matured, my passion for sports broadened. EUSA opens the door for many organisers to zoom in on one specific sport and learn the great details of it. 
Have you been involved in organising previous sport events and how have your experiences thereof been?
After the student-athlete life, I shifted gears and turned to the working chapter: at the University of New Orleans’ Athletic Department I worked with all 11 sports and organized community outreach programmes, meanwhile I also volunteered at the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation. Here I got a sneak peak of how the operations of mega-sport events work. Doing so, I realized that I want to be involved in making an impact on society through sports – even though I’ve put my shoes on the shelf professionally, I can’t go far from ‘game days’.
Then came the corporate chapter, I worked as a project manager for the largest HR technology conference, shaping the future of work and the way we work today while creating world-class events. This brings us to EUC Rowing event where I can put all of my experiences into one basket as a student-athlete, university sport coordinator and project manager.
“Hosting a EUSA event is a great stepping stone for any university.”
In 2019 you are involved in the organisation of EUC Rowing in Jönköping. How are preparations going and what can participants expect at the event?
The preparations have been going well - EUC Rowing 2019 is the first EUSA championship in Sweden. We are doing everything to make this event the best one of this summer, and we aim for everyone to ‘catch the feeling’. Lake Munksjön, the home of the competition, is located in the middle of the city with the advantage of having everything that you need for a sport event within 15 min walking distance. The excitement in the city is sky high – I’m looking forward to being your host and having an awesome time together. 
What is your message to other university administrators across Europe who are thinking about hosting future EUSA events?
Hosting a EUSA event is a great stepping stone for any university, an avenue for the local community to collaborate together. It creates memorable experiences for participants, workers and volunteers. The championship is a great possibility to network with other higher educational institutions and further develop European University Sport. It’s a great responsibility, which I would recommend to any university. Since the organisational start of championship, Jönköping University has created several new, and strengthen its existing relationships, with numerous companies.
One will only learn by doing it, so if your school is thinking about hosting, just go with it – you won’t regret it!
EUSA would like to thank Mirjam for all her hard work so far in the organisation of EUC Rowing 2019 and we look forward to seeing her soon, at the European Universities Rowing Championships 2019!