Seraina Mischol is retiring from her career as an active cross country skier due to health reasons.

More news of the Engadin Skimarathon Team. After the sudden move of Seraina Boner to the Swedish Team Exspirit at the beginning of this winter, Seraina Mischol will be leaving the Engadin Skimarathon Team as well. In autumn Seraina Mischol has been suffering from undefinable eye problems. The diagnoses CIS was a heavy burden for the athlete. She knew from the beginning that it would be a tightrope-walk to combine elite sports (high performance sports) with MS. Five months has passed since the diagnoses and Seraina Mischol has always been positive in order to accomplish this project.

Despite her positive attitude she has been forced to abandon this goal. „For a few weeks already I am feeling this strange tiredness, which forces me to pause more often. In my head I am still attuned to elite sports but my body is suffering when it has to accomplish what my head wants of it“ says Mischol. She is no longer able to bear this conflict without loosing her passion for cross country skiing. „ I am not willing to overburden my body any longer“.

Although this fact hurts, Seraina stands behind her decision with all her heart. She can look back on a successful carrier and can be proud of what she has achieved. In 2001 she won the bronze medal at the Junior World Championship, and in 2003 she won gold at the U23-World Championship. She participated in five World Championships (her best result is rank 14 at the classic sprint race in Sapporo 2007) and at the Olympic Winter Games 2006 in Turin, where she achieved rank 15 at the 10 km classic race. She has finished the Tour de Ski 2007/08 at rank 12, no other Swiss female athlete has ever achieved this before or since. During the season 2007/08 she gained 502 World Cup points and rank 15 in the overall ranking of the World Cup. Furthermore, she won the Engadin Skimarathon in 2009 and has become Swiss Champion five times.

Seraina Mischol is looking forward to her life after her career as a professional cross country skier. She will work again as an architectural draftswoman, her much-loved job, and moves from Davos to Oberhofen at the Lake of Thun. Cross country skiing will continue to be part of her life but without any pressure. Moreover she wants to spend more time telemark-skiing, her newest hobby. The Engadin Skimarathon thanks Seraina for her wholehearted effort and wishes her all the very best for her future.

Ursina Badilatti will continue to start for the Engadin Skimarathon Team. Last weekend she achieved rank 7 at the König Ludwig Lauf in Oberammergau (Germany), 50 km classic. Congratulations!

> Media release "Resignation of Seraina Mischol" (pdf)