Lausanne, Switzerland, June 10, 2017 – As a five-time German Volleyball Player of the Year, Margareta Kozuch more than proved herself in her chosen sport. When she chose to do something different – beach volleyball – it was a major decision.
In an interview alongside her beach volleyball partner Karla Borger, Kozuch explains how tough it was to make that decision and then to learn a new discipline.
“It took me a month before I could decide that I would play beach volleyball because it’s a big step,” Kozuch says. “I want to change something, I want to prove myself, I want to grow and I want this challenge.”
Kozuch amassed 336 caps for Germany, leading them to two silver medals in the European Championship. However, she missed out on qualifying for the Olympics three times (2008, 2012, 2016).
In the interview, Kozuch relates how she spoke for an hour after Borger called her regarding a potential partnership, but while they clicked on the phone initial practices saw misunderstandings and crashes as the new partners got used to each other.
“You start to struggle sometimes, then you start to flow and then you start to accept,” Kozuch says. “She feels what I feel and I feel what she feels. This is really intense, but for me it's really beautiful.”