Philip Due Schmidt

Other sports	He represented Denmark in roller speed skating at the 2019 World Roller Games in Barcelona, Spain. (SportsDeskOnline, 12 Nov 2021)
Famous relatives	His older brother Stefan Due Schmidt represented Denmark in speed skating at the Olympic Winter Games in 2018 and 2022. He has also competed in roller speed skating at international level. His cousin Stig Hemmingsen was a professional road cyclist in Denmark. (SportsDeskOnline, 10 Feb 2023; Athlete, 16 Nov 2018; danskate.dk, 01 Feb 2022)

Reason for choosing this sport

His brother and his father were skaters and encouraged him to take up the sport. "I wanted to become a soccer player just like all my friends, but my parents told me I had to do one inline skating training session to see if I liked it and if not I could focus on soccer. Fortunately, I loved skating from the first try." He made the switch to skating on ice after the International Skating Union [ISU] set up a development programme involving athletes from Denmark, Finland, and Sweden.

Hero / Idol

Danish road cyclist Jonas Vingegaard. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)

When and where did you begin this sport?

He took up roller speed skating in 2003 in Copenhagen, Denmark, and began speed skating in 2010 at a training camp in Berlin, Germany.

www.facebook.com/Philip-Due-Schmidt-235343519869961/
twitter.com/philip_due

Memorable sporting achievement	"Coming back to the sport I love after I almost died [due to an epileptic seizure] in Heerenveen one week before the world championships in 2023." (Athlete, 09 Nov 2023)
Most influential person in career	His brother Stefan Due Schmidt. "He is everything to me and without him I wouldn't have achieved anything in this sport." (Athlete, 09 Nov 2023)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Enjoy the process." (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)
Other information	SEIZURE He was in a coma for two days after having an epileptic seizure in his hotel room ahead of the 2023 World Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands. He was unable to compete for six months. "I had an extremely bad headache [when he woke up from his coma]. Both from the seizure, but also because I hit my head when I fell over. I wondered whether I would ever get over it. It was one of the hardest things. When I was fully focused on doing my best, and then I was still hit by a relapse. Fortunately, it has helped me that, as an athlete, I am used to listening to my body and I am used to pushing myself to do what is needed. I have just said this to people many times, and I know it's a cliche, but that sometimes you have to experience the bad things before you really get a different view of life. It has changed me a little, especially if I experience others complaining. A hard training session, if people are tired, or they don't give 100%, I often think, "Do you realise how lucky you are that you can do this sport as your job and you have this opportunity?'" (dr.dk, 16 Aug 2023) MEDIA WORK He worked as a commentator for Danish television during the Olympic Winter Games in 2018 and 2022. (LinkedIn profile, 30 Sep 2022) PODCAST In 2019 he and his brother Stefan launched The Due Power Podcast, which covers both speed skating and roller speed skating. "The episodes include friends and fellow speed skaters where we discuss various subjects and themes." (spreaker.com, 29 Nov 2020)
Hobbies	Cycling, hiking, nutrition, photography, exploring and learning about other cultures. (Athlete, 09 Nov 2023)
Injuries	In February 2023 he suffered an epileptic seizure at his hotel room in Heerenveen, the Netherlands. He was in a coma for two days and did not compete for six months. (dr.dk, 16 Aug 2023, 02 Mar 2023; Instagram profile, 20 Apr 2023, 06 Mar 2023) In May 2022 he underwent surgery for chronic compartment syndrome, which had affected his shins for a number of years. (Instagram profile, 19 May 2022) He suffered a broken scapula [shoulder blade] in a cycling accident in October 2019. He was back on the ice within one week and competed at the 2019 World Cup event in Minsk, Belarus. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023; SportsDeskOnline, 20 Jan 2021; Instagram profile, 31 Oct 2019) He broke his jaw while inline skating in 2014. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023, 16 Jan 2021)
Nicknames	Philly, Duen ["Meaning 'the pigeon' - it's 'due' to my middle name."] (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)

Club / Team

HLF72: Copenhagen, DEN

Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs	He always races with new laces that are well waxed. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)
Ambitions	To compete at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (Athlete, 09 Nov 2023)

Name of coach	Kalon Dobbin, NZL
Training Regime	He trains on average for 16 hours each week.