At the finish line: Amber Schlebusch, international student and triathlon champion

More than 9,000 miles away from her home in Durban, South Africa, Amber Schlebusch  is a senior Sun Devil triathlon athlete who is preparing to cross the finish line with her bachelor’s degree. Studying biomedical sciences at The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Schlebusch is an academic and athletic powerhouse.

“I started doing triathlon when I was about 12 years old, I started competing internationally as young as 16 years old,” Schlebusch said. “Fast forward a few years, and I'm now already graduating at one of the top universities and playing in one of the toughest sports on the most competitive team — because we're seven-times national champions. So definitely something to be very proud of.”

Her mom was the first to introduce Schlebusch to the sport of triathlon, and her skill and talent attracted the attention of Arizona State University’s Coach Cliff England. After a visit to the campus, Schlebusch fell in love.

“I did come in the dead of summer, though, so that was a little brutal — the heat was almost unbearable,” she said. “But I just fell in love with the campus. The facilities are out of this world, nothing compared to what I've seen in South Africa.

The transition to living and learning in a new country was easier than Schlebusch expected.

“Being an international student, a lot of people are here to help you,” Schlebusch said. “Americans, I find, are very willing to be friendly and to reach out, which is something I love about the culture here, is that nobody's off-putting. Everybody wants to make you feel welcome. And that's made my journey here a heap better than what I could imagine it being.”

The Sun Devil community represents a melting pot of different backgrounds, and Schlebusch said she is grateful to experience a different culture while connecting to her fellow students.

“I'm very fortunate that my first language is English, I know that some international students do struggle with the language barrier,” she said. “But culturally, it's very different compared to South Africa. But I feel like I have grown and learned so much over the few years that I've been here. And it's something that I wouldn't change for the world.”

Initially intending to study psychology, Schlebusch switched majors to biomedical sciences after realizing that she had a different path.

“I realized that I wanted to do something medical related,” she said. “So I decided to do biology and follow that passion.”

Schlebusch has decided to stay at the university and continue to compete for an additional year, with the goal of starting her master's program in science of strength and conditioning with The College of Health Solutions in the fall.

“I have an extra year of eligibility because of our COVID year. So why would I not take the opportunity with both hands and make the most of it?” she asked. “We're seven times national champions. So in terms of triathlon, this is the school to go to.”

For students who want to get involved in athletics, Schlebusch said it’s all about time management and planning out your schedule.

“I find that on my Sundays, I look at my whole week,” she said. “We've got our training schedule that's sent out, and then I have my class schedule, and I have to fit in little study periods. If you stay on top of planning and making sure that you stick to that plan — because that's also sometimes a little challenging — then it isn't too difficult.”

She also emphasized the importance of seizing the opportunities available on campus, as the time there tends to fly by faster than expected

“For students, time goes by so fast while you're studying here. The fact that I'm already planning to graduate and have to think of future year plans is crazy,” Schlebusch said. “I feel like I walked through Mona Plummer's doors probably a year ago, and meanwhile it's been four.

“Every opportunity that gets thrown at you, you've got to take it with both hands and make the most out of it that you can,” she added.

For students interested in supporting Schlebusch and the Sun Devil triathlon athletes, visit their website to see the most up to date information and schedule.