Gros: “To help the young players achieve their dreams”

For Lunde and Vyakhireva, it was the first activity as an RYT ambassador, as they are among the latest to join the programme, along with Barbara Arenhart. 

Also participating as ambassadors this summer are seasoned RYT experts Anja Althaus, Andrea Lekic and Carmen Martin. All six of the ambassadors have won at least one major title — and Lunde is the most titled individual in handball.

“I'm really happy to be here. I just love to see the young players who have energy, and you see that is glowing in their eyes. All these players here have talent, but this is not enough. They need to take the responsibility and work to further develop their skills, as a player and as a person, to try new stuff and to become something in order to achieve their dreams,” said Lunde, before sharing her secret to success:

“To have fun. I have passion for sport, for handball and I like this. I enjoy to be in the arena, to have the great people around me. I get energy from being here.”

Launched in 2019, the RYT programme is designed to assist young players in their holistic development, encouraging them to understand how different elements away from the court impact their performance on it and the possibility for a sustainable career at the top level. 

“I just remembered myself at that age, when I literally knew nothing, and thinking of having such a chance to help, to share the experience,” said Vyakhireva of her motivation to become a RYT ambassador. “I just put myself in their shoes and I was like, ‘yeah, I'm definitely doing it.’ I'm happy to help and I'm happy to bring my impact and anything, and if it helps, great.”

The W19 EHF EURO event in Podgorica was the first of the summer 2025 sessions. The event at the W19 EHF Championship in Telavi, Georgia will be held on 19 July. After that, the spotlight will turn to the U17 age category, where there will be sessions at both the EHF EURO — again in Podgorica — and EHF Championship, in Pristina.

By the end of the summer, a total of 314 young players will have participated in the sessions. They will then be part of the RYT programme on an ongoing basis, with invitations to camps and access to online training sessions. 

"I liked how open and motivated the ambassadors were and how they gave us the freedom to ask them about anything. It was very nice to hear about their experiences and to be able to interact with them. So I liked it a lot," said U19 Switzerland goalkeeper Seraina Kuratli.

"It means a lot to me that I was able to experience this again after the last EURO and the camp in Vienna. To meet different ambassadors every time is very cool because you meet new people and hear different stories. I think every player can profit a lot of it."

However, the online training sessions are not only available to players who are part of the RYT programme — anyone can download and use the app, or register for the online training sessions.

“I’ve been in the project since the beginning and I also saw the progression of it very well, and I think it develops so much now with this application. It's so much easier, so much more accessible, and so I think it's very good. I really hope that the young players are using it,” said Gros of her experience throughout her time as a RYT ambassador and what she has learned about her position as a role model.  

“For me also, of course, I learned a lot. I met a lot of young girls. You see a bit what they’re struggling with and what are the main things that interest them, so we also learn at the same time, of course. I think it's a really great project. I always am very happy to be a part of it, to be involved in it, hopefully to help the young players achieve their dreams.”

On the app, users can find a diverse collection of specialised digital training sessions covering diverse topics such as nutrition, anti-doping, media, dual career, mental fitness and sports law. Regular webinars featuring RYT ambassadors also address such “game around the game” subjects. For example, Gros recently took part in a webinar alongside Netherlands men’s team player Kay Smits — a fellow right back. The two led a session entitled “Sign your first pro contract” in March.

“I think the young players, they like it. They’re involving them a lot,” said Gros. “It's really good, this combination of a woman and man ambassador at the same time, because then all the players can get a different perspective from different parts and so I think they're very, very enriching.” 

The “game around the game” was and will be the core theme of the summer 2025 sessions. The format of each session involves a general welcome, an introduction to the different features of the RYT app, and breakout sessions where the players are divided into smaller groups and have the chance to hear from and ask questions of the ambassadors.

“I saw in their eyes that they were really into the story, and they were really asking so many questions after and we had a really nice talk,” said Vyakhireva of her first experience with the breakout session.

“It was really cosy, I would say, but at the same time, I felt really relaxed because I felt that they are interested and that just warms my heart.”

Montenegro U19 goalkeeper Teodora Roncevic said Vyakhireva was absolutely right — hearing from the MVP of the EHF FINAL4 2023 and EHF EURO 2018 was extremely valuable.

"Expectations for Respect Your Talent were very high. I also attended this event at the last European championship, and it was excellent. That's why I couldn't wait for this one, and honestly, it was beautiful," said Roncevic.

"Today we were able to learn a lot from the biggest stars. We were divided into three groups, and each group had a player telling their story. I was in the group where Anna Vyakhireva was talking. Her story motivated me a lot for the future, especially because she pointed out that everything depends only on us. We create our own careers, and all the good things we have done before will always come back to us. I hope it helped every player, because we should learn from the best."

Photos: Rukometni savez Crne Gore