An Interview With Benedikt Licht – Sports Scholar

Benedikt Licht is a second year medical student, and 2024 Sports Scholar who plays for the University of Galway Volleyball Club. We sat down with him to learn more about his background, his volleyball career, and how he balances study, sport, and student life!

Where are you from?

I was born in Cologne, Germany in 1999 after which my family moved to Dallas, Texas from 1999-2002 and finally to Toronto, Canada in 2006 where we lived ever since. We established our lives in Canada, finding a community in our church and schools. After completing high school at St. Michael’s Choir School in Toronto as well as a bachelor’s degree in Life Science and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, both at the University of Toronto, I accepted a position as a medical student at the University of Galway in 2023.

 

How did you get into Volleyball and give us your history with the sport?

I started playing volleyball because my older brother, who went to the same school as me, got recruited by our school coach at a young age. Eventually, all of my siblings were playing volleyball. After graduating high school and having won the City’s Volleyball Championship in my final year as captain, I began attending the University of Toronto. With the goal of joining the university’s varsity volleyball team, I joined the development league team and became a player coach for my younger brother’s club volleyball team, which enabled me to vastly improve my skills over two years. In September of my third year, when my younger brother had just been recruited for the varsity team, the head coach called my phone and asked me to join the team to fill in as middle blocker due to several injuries. When I joined the team, there was one week till our season opener. Although I was massively nervous and unsure about how this journey would go, I was also proud of my hard work that had gotten me to this point. Ultimately, I was on the team for 4 years, was in the starting line-up for almost every game that season and contributed to a stand-out year where we finished with a 17-1 record, came second in our league and qualified for the Canadian National Championships for the first time in over a decade.

 

Share a standout moment or achievement in your sporting career to date.

A standout moment in my sporting career includes winning the Irish Intervarsity Championship 2025. Having recently lost our head coach who had just signed a pro contract abroad, the task of leading the team at this tournament fell on myself and two of my teammates. Following a particularly tough first day where our performance was below par, we were able to turn morale around on the following two days. The team’s performance improved every game, peaking in the final where we displayed our true potential against TU Dublin. This weekend was especially memorable as my older brother, in his final year in medicine at the University of Limerick, won the Tier 2 competition the same day. The way we dealt with our poor start to the tournament as a team, as well as the added task of coaching my teammates is why this was a notable sporting achievement for me. My contributions to our team’s success were furthermore emphasised when I was recognised as MVP of the tournament.

 

Why University of Galway?

University of Galway is globally recognised for its academic excellence, particularly in medicine. The athletic opportunities, including great facilities and a growing elite sports scholarships program, are a major reason why aspiring student athletes should consider our university. The beautiful city is vibrant and there are many great opportunities to explore all that Ireland has to offer.

 

What does a typical day in your life look like?

As an early riser, I typically wake up at 5:30 AM. After brushing my teeth, showering, eating breakfast and preparing my lunch for the day, I typically walk to the Human Biology building where I have a desk as part of my part-time job working in a research lab in the Department of Anatomy. Here, I will study or do lab work until lectures, which are in the same building. I typically have 2-4 hours of lecture a day. At around 4:30 PM, I usually walk to the Kingfisher gym for volleyball practice,e which is 3 times a week or for a workout. Afterwards, I walk home, shower, eat dinner and study or take some me time until I go to bed at 10:30 PM.

 

Are there any challenges of being a student athlete?

Being a student athlete means you are committing to doing what is expected of regular students in addition to athletes. Therefore, one of the biggest challenges is scheduling your time so you are on top of both. This includes working ahead, being dedicated to studying when you have free time and working even when you are physically exhausted. Another major challenge is finding time for your personal life, including friends. In addition to the other commitments, it is easy to lose sight of these. However, being disciplined and dedicated enables me to make sure I have time for everything and still get to bed on time.

 

How do you manage your time between study, training and social life?

I personally am an avid calendar user where I have my entire schedule planned out and colour coded so I am always aware of what is coming up. I also have a checklist on my notes app where I list everything that I need to get done. Not only does this ensure that I don’t forget to complete any tasks, it also gives me a sense of satisfaction when I can click on the checkmark when a task is completed.

 

What supports does the university offer student athletes?

The elite sports scholarship has massively helped me by paying for the Kingfisher gym membership in addition to the monetary bursary. This scholarship also has other benefits. For example, a particular benefit that I was able to take advantage of when I badly rolled my ankle was free access to physiotherapy. Since my second year on the volleyball team, we have also received dedicated workout slots with a trainer in the high performance lifting gym twice a week. I believe this has helped our team build strength and fitness, which has certainly contributed to our success.

 

What advice would you give a budding student athlete?

I think that being a student athlete is an amazing opportunity which I would urge anyone with an interest to take advantage of. While the university offers amazing facilities and services that will make you better at your sport, you will also find a family and community in your teammates with whom you will compete, study and go out with. While it is an amazing time, the key to a successful and enjoyable time as a student athlete is discipline and good time management. However, these are skills that will help you in all facets of life and will prepare you for whatever there is to come.

 

Biggest culture shock (if any) coming to Galway?

While there was no massive culture shock, I was blown away by how friendly the Irish are. At my first practice on the volleyball team, after discussing my tuition fees, my coach and captain came back to me the following day about having asked their bosses if I could interview for a part-time job. This immediately let me know how good the people are that I have had the privilege of sharing the court with these last two years.

Future plans?

While my current plans are focused on graduating from medical school, becoming a doctor and matching back into a residency program in Canada/USA, I hope to continue my volleyball journey throughout. I believe this sport has continuously provided me with a community and given me a balance to my academic life.

Images thanks to Benedikt Licht